At the recent premiere of his romantic comedy, The Back-Up Plan, Alex O’Loughlin revealed that he’s finished filming the new Hawaii Five-0 pilot and it’s been delivered to CBS.

Based on the classic Jack Lord series, CBS has been trying to get a new Hawaii Five-0 off the ground for awhile. This latest attempt has gotten further than the others and will star O’Loughlin, Scott Caan, and Daniel Dae Kim. As guest stars in the pilot, Jean Smart plays the Governor of Hawaii and James Marsters plays a villain.

O’Loughlin says that fans of the original series will recognize some key elements of the original series, including the familiar catchphrase, “Book ’em Danno.”

He said, “I’ve already said it, I’ve done it, it’s in the can… We’re keeping the theme tune and I’m going to grow the quiff out and keep it sitting there like a banana.”

A veteran of short-lived CBS series Three Rivers and Moonlight, O’Loughlin says the finished project’s been delivered to the network executives and they await their decision. He has a good feeling about the project.

If the new Hawaii Five-0 does become a series, O’Loughlin says he’ll have to work on his beach skills. “I’m a terrible surfer but I will learn to surf when we get over there,” he said.

What do you think? Are you excited to see the new Hawaii Five-0? If it doesn’t become a series, should CBS still release the pilot?