Gina Torres hasn’t said goodbye to the “Suits” universe just yet. Deadline reports that the “Alias” actress is in “early talks” with USA Network for a spinoff series centered on her character from the legal drama, Jessica Pearson. Torres left the series midway through the current six season, but according to Deadline, an offshoot of “Suits” has “been talked about on-and-off for more than a year,” and the idea has recently gained momentum because Torres has been seriously in-demand this pilot season, “fielding a slew of broadcast pilot offers.” It sounds as though USA is realizing that this may be a “now or never” type of situation given Torres’ rising star.
Deadline writes that there have been “meetings, and negotiations are in preliminary stages, with no deals in place.” While there isn’t a clearly defined plot or concept, the new series would follow Torres’ popular “Suits” character, a resilient, ambitious attorney who pursued law despite her family’s disapproval.
“Suits” creator and showrunner Aaron Korsh is expected to pen the series, and serve as executive producer and showrunner.
Torres decided to leave “Suits” — USA’s most watched original series — because “it was getting difficult for her to be away for so long from her family, who are based in Los Angeles, since ‘Suits’ films in Toronto (subbing for New York City),” the source explains. “[Gina] said to me that if the show shot in L.A., she would stay on it for the rest of her life; I think she loved being on the show, and we’d loved having her,” Korsh told Deadline in September, following Torres’ departure.
While she gave up her role as a series regular, Torres’s exit left the character’s future open, and she returned for an episode of “Suits” that aired yesterday, February 22. And fortunately it’s looking like we might see plenty more of Jessica in the near future.
Torres’ recent credits include arcs on “The Catch,” “Westworld,” and “Hannibal.”