Amazon’s Renée Ballard Spin-off Adds Abbott Elementary’s Courtney Taylor

Abbott Elementary star Courtney Taylor has been tapped for a series regular role in Amazon MGM Studios’ upcoming untitled Renée Ballard spin-off, based on author Michael Connelly’s Bosch novels.

Taylor is set to play Samira Parker, who’s described as “a wary, impulsive, and tough woman with a burning desire for justice. Growing up, most everyone Samira knew shared a healthy distrust of the police, but her grandfather, whom Samira looked up to as a kid, was on the force and believed in using his police badge to protect and aid his community. However, being a cop now is a different kind of challenge than it was back then.”

Besides her recurring role in Abbott Elementary, Taylor also appeared in shows like Insecure, The Company You Keep, Killing It, and Neon. She most recently starred in the coming-of-age drama movie Out of My Mind, which had its world premiere at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.

Who will lead the Renée Ballard spin-off?

Taylor will be joining previously announced cast member Maggie Q, who has been tapped for the leading role of Detective Renée Ballard. This serves as Q’s first major TV project as the lead after nearly a decade since the short-lived crime drama series Stalker. Bosch vet Titus Welliver, who’s currently starring in the franchise’s first spin-off for Amazon Freevee, is also expected to appear in the spin-off.

“It follows Detective Renée Ballard (Q), who is tasked with running the LAPD’s new cold-case unit — a poorly funded, all-volunteer unit with the largest caseload in the city,” reads the logline. “Ballard approaches these frozen-in-time cases with empathy and determination. When she uncovers a larger conspiracy during her investigations, she’ll lean on the assistance of her retired ally, Harry Bosch (Welliver), to navigate the dangers that threaten both her unit and her life.”

The spin-off is executive produced by Connelly, Michael Alaimo, Kendall Sherwood, Trish Hofmann, Henrik Bastin, Melissa Aouate, Jasmine Russ, Jamie Boscardin Martin, Trey Batchelor and Theresa Snider. It hails from Amazon MGM Studios.