It looks like Amazon Studios is expanding its “Bosch” franchise with two new spinoffs. The streaming is reportedly developing two new spinoffs based on the franchise, per The Hollywood Reporter. They follow the first spinoff to the original series, “Bosch: Legacy,” which debuted on Amazon’s free ad-supported television platform, Freevee, last year.
Amazon Studios Expanding The ‘Bosch’ Universe
The upcoming spinoffs will revolve around Jamie Hector’s Detective Jerry Edgar (Jamie Hector) from the original series and a new character, LAPD Detective Renee Ballard, who has not yet been cast. Renee Ballard is another character from the original Michael Connelly novels on which the popular television drama is based.
The original hit series ran for seven seasons on Amazon Prime Video, starring Titus Welliver as the titular Hieronymous “Harry” Bosch, a grizzled, veteran Los Angeles Police detective who often gets wrapped up in bizarre and brutal murder mysteries. The series concluded after Season 7 and 68 episodes in 2021.
“Bosch” later spun off into its first follow-up series, “Bosch: Legacy,” which debuted on Amazon Freevee in May 2022. The show follows Welliver’s Bosch, who is now retired and working as a freelance private investigator, along with his daughter, Madeline “Maddie” Bosch (Madison Lintz), who has now become a rookie LA police officer. Mimi Rogers, who portrayed the defense attorney, Honey Chandler, in the original series is also part of the cast.
“Bosch: Legacy” has already been renewed for a second season on Amazon Freevee. Hector from the original series has also appeared as a guest star on “Legacy.” THR notes that it’s unknown if Amazon is planning the two new spinoffs for Freevee or its main Amazon Prime Video streaming service.
“Bosch” is one of Amazon’s most celebrated and senior shows, so it makes sense that the streamer and the retail giant would want to expand the franchise. Not to mention, content providers are making a bigger push for franchises at the moment. As previously reported by The Blast, Amazon Studios has already acquired the film and television rights for the “Tomb Raider” franchise, and they are setting their sights on both a live-action television series and a new film reboot.
Additionally, the expansion of “Bosch” comes hot off the heels of Chris Pratt announcing that “The Terminal List” was renewed for a new season, along with receiving a prequel spinoff starring Taylor Kitsch, reprising his role as Ben Edwards from the main series. Pratt stars in the main series as James Reece. Amazon Studios is also developing live-action television projects based on “Warhammer 40,000” and “God of War” franchises.
In the upcoming Jerry Edgar show from Amazon, the series will showcase Edgar after he’s recruited for a dangerous undercover mission by the FBI in Little Haiti, Miami. Edgar is now struggling to balance his new life with the underbelly of the city, while also being chased by his past. The series is being produced by original author Connelly and Larry Andries. Fabel Entertainment’s Henrik Bastin and Melissa Aouate are also executive producing the show, with Jasmine Russ serving as co-executive producer.
The still currently untitled Renee Ballard show will follow Ballard, who runs the new cold case division of the LAPD. Ballard goes beyond just investigating unsolved crimes and is dedicated to bringing credibility to the department and justice to his community. He was mentored by retired ally Harry Bosch and likes to do things her own way, including solving cases in unconventional ways and navigating the politics of being a woman on the rise in the LAPD.
We just finished filming another season of Bosch: Legacy and I think that after nine seasons of telling the Bosch story, we have hit a high watermark. We adapted THE CROSSING (2015) but added new stuff and of course paid off last season’s cliffhanger. I’m not sure yet when in pic.twitter.com/rZqUpx6K8d
— Michael Connelly (@Connellybooks) December 11, 2022
Connelly announced in December that production wrapped on Season 2 of “Bosch: Legacy.” It does not yet have an official debut date for the Freevee platform.
