“Has always shot at the same stages in Santa Clarita”: S.W.A.T. Exiles team confirms spin-off’s production timeline

In the wake of the S.W.A.T. series finale, the franchise officially continues in a new spin-off: S.W.A.T. Exiles. According to Sony Pictures Television executive Katherine Pope, production on the new series is to commence at the close of August 2025. The new show will maintain strong continuity by retaining much of the original crew on board and ongoing filming at the same Santa Clarita stages utilized during the original run of S.W.A.T.

During an interview with Variety, when he was asked how keeping his crew employed was important to him, he replied,

"That’s really an important piece of this whole thing. The crew, and looking around at our city and our business and realizing, we have to keep our community healthy."

He continued,

"We shoot a couple of shows on our lot, and “S.W.A.T.” has always shot at the same stages in Santa Clarita. A big piece of why we wanted to greenlight so quickly is to try to keep our community working."

This production decision was not made out of convenience alone—it is a conscious choice to have the close-knit production community busy and working. The rapid greenlighting of S.W.A.T. Exiles followed immediately on the heels of the flagship series finale, a development that was driven, in significant part, by a motivation to offer job security and creative continuity for all the parties concerned.

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In S.W.A.T. Exiles, Shemar Moore will reprise his role as Hondo

One of the largest updates that comes with the spin-off reveal is the return of Shemar Moore in his starring role as Daniel "Hondo" Harrelson. Moore's return to the role provides a sense of familiarity and bridges the original series directly to Exiles. According to Variety, Sony Pictures Television announced that,

"S.W.A.T.” star Shemar Moore is back to star in the new show, reprising his role as Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson in the 10-episode sequel. The news comes just two days after “S.W.A.T."

Moore's return provides old fans of S.W.A.T. a direct continuity point, while the spin-off itself will likely branch out in new directions within the franchise's mold.

When Pope was asked whether there was a possibility of coupling the S.W.A.T. Exiles deal with additional S.W.A.T. spin-offs, he replied,

"Yes, all of those opportunities exist. We also have a movie from 2003, and we have an original. There is a whole franchise here that over the last several decades has been built up."

He added,

"And obviously the last eight seasons have been the most recent and probably the most successful iteration of that franchise up until now. That gives us a fantastic platform on which we can now build with “S.W.A.T. Exiles.”

While the exact plot specifics for S.W.A.T. Exiles are being kept secret, the news of Moore's casting solidifies the new series as more than a one-off show—it's an extension of a pre-existing story with a dedicated audience already in place. CBS and Sony's move to base the spin-off on a familiar character proves that a mix of familiarity and new storytelling seems on the cards.

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Production of S.W.A.T. Exiles starts late August 2025

The production start date timeline is now finalized: late August 2025. It was stated by Katherine Pope in the interview with Variety that,

"We’re planning start production end of August, so, we’re moving!"

Scheduling to begin shortly after the main series ends permits a smooth transition, both logistically and in terms of story.

This schedule also prevents production downtime that would otherwise impact staffing, studio availability, and post-production schedules. Locking in this schedule allows the team to take the momentum from the initial show and apply it directly to the new production.

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Santa Clarita remains the home base

During the course of S.W.A.T.'s six seasons, the show always shot at stages in Santa Clarita, California. According to Variety, Pope indicated that,

"S.W.A.T.” has always shot at the same stages in Santa Clarita. A big piece of why we wanted to greenlight so quickly is to try to keep our community working."

Santa Clarita's established system, availability of varied shooting environments, and relative proximity to Los Angeles all contribute to making it an appropriate location for production continuity.

With the decision to remain in the original location, S.W.A.T. Exiles will be able to maintain the visual and stylistic DNA. Not only is the move beneficial to the current crew, but it also minimizes new site logistics and setup costs.

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Crew retention: A conscious priority

A key part of this transition is promising to maintain the same production team that worked on the original S.W.A.T. Katherine Pope emphasized this as the primary reason the spin-off progressed so rapidly. Instead of taking the risk of dispersing the team, Sony and CBS had a chance to save talent and workflow by moving forward on Exiles immediately.

This consistency lends stability to behind-the-scenes workers—camera operators, set decorators, lighting pros, and others—whose skill informed S.W.A.T.'s aesthetic and tone. Keeping them on board provides the new show with an in-house framework of experience and reliability, which will most assuredly help both production quality and pace.

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Why the fast greenlight?

The move to greenlight S.W.A.T. Exiles following the conclusion of the parent series wasn't merely momentum-building. It was also about keeping people employed and supporting the larger production community attached to the show. Amidst an environment where many in the entertainment industry are operating with uncertainty, this type of project continuity is a welcome sense of job security.

Instead of dismantling a working system, the S.W.A.T. team decided quite explicitly to maintain it. This behind-the-scenes decision provides an added practicality to what would otherwise seem to be a mundane programming decision.

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What's next for S.W.A.T. Exiles?

Though numerous creative specifics remain to be revealed—plot, secondary cast, and episode layout—the pillars are now in position. With Shemar Moore fronting and the same crew on board, filming scheduled at the same stages in Santa Clarita beginning in August 2025, S.W.A.T. Exiles is ready to go into production with little resistance.

Fans and industry observers alike can look forward to more news in the months ahead, but the blueprint is evident: Exiles is not an abandonment of the S.W.A.T. tradition. Rather, it's a meticulously crafted extension on solid ground, both creatively and administratively.

Also read: S.W.A.T. gets a spin-off after cancellation, with this main character returning