Shemar Moore To Topline ‘S.W.A.T.’ CBS Drama Pilot Inspired By Movie

Another popular actor who left a long-running CBS drama series is coming back as the lead of his own series. Shemar Moore, who departed Criminal Minds last spring after 11 seasons, has been tapped as the star of CBS drama pilot S.W.A.T., executive produced by The Shield creator Shawn Ryan, Neal H. Moritz, Justin Lin and Aaron Rahsaan Thomas. Moore also will serve as a producer on the project, inspired by the 2003 Sony movie that was based on the 1975 ABC series produced by Aaron Spelling and Leonard Goldberg.

Written by Thomas and directed by Lin, S.W.A.T. is described as an intense, action-packed procedural following a locally born and bred S.W.A.T. lieutenant, Daniel ‘Hondo’ Harrelson (Moore), torn between loyalty to the streets and duty to his fellow officers when he’s tasked to run a highly-trained unit that is the last stop for solving crimes in Los Angeles.

Moore’s Harrelson, exuding calmness but always ready for action, has all the ability to become a leader – he’s just not happy with the reason he just became one. The role was played by Samuel L. Jackson in the 2003 movie directed by Clark Johnson.

Thomas is executive producing the pilot alongside Ryan and Marney Hochman of MiddKid Prods, Moritz and Pavun Shetty of Original Films, and Lin and Danielle Woodrow of Perfect Storm Entertainment. Sony Pictures TV co-produces with CBS TV Studios.

CBS last season recently tapped departing NCIS veteran Michael Weatherly as the lead of drama pilot Bull, which went to series. This season, The Good Wife alum Alan Cumming leads CBS’ drama pilot Instinct.

Moore is repped by attorney Stephen Breimer at Bloom Hergott Diemer Rosenthal Laviolette Feldman Schenkman & Goodman.