Maggie Q (Divergent, The Protégé) is slated to star in the lead role of Prime Video’s upcoming Renée Ballard series, a spinoff of Bosch focusing on the LAPD’s Cold Case Division. This marks the inaugural installment within Amazon MGM Studios’ Bosch franchise not to be fronted by Titus Welliver (Lost, Deadwood). Amazon has refrained from providing any comments on the matter.
The unnamed series tracks Detective Renée Ballard (played by Q), who oversees the LAPD’s newly established cold-case unit—a underfunded, volunteer-driven division grappling with the city’s heaviest caseload. Ballard tackles these stagnant cases with empathy and resolve. As she delves deeper into her investigations, she stumbles upon a broader conspiracy, prompting her to rely on the support of her retired colleague, Harry Bosch (portrayed by Welliver), to navigate the perilous challenges endangering both her unit and her own life.
Author Michael Connelly, as well as producers Michael Alaimo (The Closer, The Brave), and Kendall Sherwood (Major Crimes, Your Honor) are executive producers alongside Trish Hofmann (Heavy, The Dark Tower). Henrik Bastin (100 Code) and Melissa Aouate (Interrogation, A Christmas Carol) executive produce for Fabel Entertainment, with Jasmine Russ (Season, Empire of Wild) serving as co-executive producer. Additionally, Jamie Boscardin Martin (Heat, The Pelican Brief) and Trey Batchelor (In the Line of Fire, Out of Sight) are co-executive producers. Theresa Snider (Bosch, Jean-Claude Van Johnson) co-executive produces for Hieronymus Pictures.
Connelly’s Renée Ballard series spans six books. The character made her debut in 2017’s The Late Show, titled after the night shift Ballard works. Subsequent books include Dark Sacred Night in 2018, The Night Fire in 2019, The Dark Hours in 2021, and Desert Star in 2022. The sixth installment, The Waiting, is set to be released on November 5th.
The character Renée Ballard, who hasn’t made an appearance in either Bosch or Bosch: Legacy, is inspired by Det. Mitzi Roberts from the LAPD.
Renée Ballard and Maggie Q have comparable backgrounds; both hail from Hawaii. Maggie Q is recognized for her leading portrayals as FBI Agent Hannah Wells in the ABC/Netflix drama series Designated Survivor and as the titular character in the CW action series Nikita.
Most recently, Maggie Q starred alongside Mark Wahlberg (The Departed, Boogie Nights) in the Skydance & Apple TV+ action comedy, The Family Plan, which became the most-watched movie ever for the service upon its release. Her extensive film credits also include The Protégé, Fear the Night, The Divergent Series, Live Free or Die Hard, and Mission: Impossible III. She is represented by CAA and Anonymous Content.
The Renée Ballard series marks the second Bosch spinoff to receive a green light for a series. It follows Bosch: Legacy, starring Welliver, which is currently preparing for its third season.