Suits: Is the End Near? USA Mulls Gina Torres Spin-off

Jessica Pearson left Pearson Specter Litt, when actress Gina Torres amicably departed the Suits TV show on USA Network. But it seems that may not be the end of Jessica’s story. Reportedly, USA is developing a spin-off to the legal drama, centering on the Firefly veteran as Pearson.

Fans don’t have to worry about Suits being cancelled to soon. Although it is currently in its sixth season, it was already renewed for season seven back in August. The question remains, though, if USA is developing a spin-off, are they preparing to wind down Suits? The USA Network TV series stars Gabriel Macht, Patrick J. Adams, Rick Hoffman, Sarah Rafferty, and Meghan Markle.

Here’s more from TV Line, which broke the story:

TVLine has learned exclusively that a Suits spin-off centered on former cast member Torres — whose fan-favorite character Jessica Pearson was written out of the legal drama last September — is quietly being developed.

When reached for comment, a spokesperson for Universal Cable Productions (the studio behind Suits) would neither confirm nor denied the spin-off buzz, telling TVLine, “The Suits team is currently focused on the remaining episodes of Season 6 and what’s next for the characters when they return in Season 7.”

According to the report, when Torres left Suits it was only for geographical reasons. For the Los Angeles-based actress, being on location in Toronto (where Suits shoots) complicated life back home. In September, she told the news outlet, “I don’t believe for one second it’s the last we’ll see of Jessica Pearson. Not. For. One. Second. And don’t you either.”

Currently, the star is playing Agent Justine Diaz in season two of The Catch on ABC. According to the news the report, she joined the L.A.-filmed series in a one year deal, so it sounds like she may be available.

Deadline adds:

While a Jessica Pearson spin-off had been talked about on-and-off for more than a year as USA had been interested in pursuing an offshoot, I hear conversations recently heated up as Torres had been fielding a slew of broadcast pilot offers for a second straight year. Last year, she was cast as the lead in the ABC drama pilot The Death of Eva Sofia Valdez, which didn’t go forward, but the prospect of possibly losing Torres for years — if the pilot she’d choose this time became a successful series — likely prompted USA and Suits producer Universal Cable Prods. to act now.

I hear there have been meetings, and negotiations are in preliminary stages, with no deals in place. There is no fully formed concept yet as I hear the project would go through a development process, but the new series would center on Torres’ intrepid and very stylish attorney character, Jessica Pearson.

According to that report, the spin-off would be written by showrunner Aaron Korsh, who also created Suits. He could do the series alone, or with another writer.

That news outlet says Korsh told them, “[Torres] said to me that if the show shot in L.A., she would stay on it for the rest of her life. I think she loved being on the show, and we’d loved having her.”

What do you think? Are you a Gina Torres fan? Would you watch a Suits spin-off, that focused on Jessica Pearson? Let us know, below.