Long-time costars Mariska Hargitay (ER) and Christopher Meloni (Happy!) will return to their roles as Olivia Benson and Elliott Stabler in Law & Order spinoff. The spinoff was announced earlier this year and will mark 9 years since the on-screen duo worked together in the Law & Order world. The reunion was teased by Hargitay in an Instagram post over the weekend, according to Deadline.
While the post did not give specifics of a production date, Hargitay chose to simply caption the photo “it’s on” to let Law & Order fans know the spinoff would still happen. The post can be seen below:
Law & Order: Organized Crime will headline Meloni as he reprises his Stabler role. Prior to the announcement, Meloni’s last appearance in the Law & Order world came in 2011 at the end of Law and Order: SVU’s 12th season. Via Deadline, the finale featured Meloni and another character in a precinct shooting, leading to his character being written off as a swift retirement from the police force at the beginning of season 13. His 12 seasons on the show led him to receive an Emmy nomination in 2006 for lead actor in a drama series.
Per the official synopsis, Law & Order: Organized Crime will follow Stabler as he “returns to the NYPD to battle organized crime after a devastating personal loss,” via Deadline.
Dick Wolf (Chicago P.D.) will continue to create this spinoff with Arthur W. Forney (Altered States), Peter Jankowski (Chicago Fire), and Wolf as executive producers. Production on the spinoff is expected to begin next month and will air Thursdays at 10 p.m. on NBC. Seasons 1-21 of Law & Order: SVU are also available to stream through NBC’s Peacock.