Gina Torres made a surprise return to Suits in the final minutes of Season 6, but that won’t be the last we see of her character, Jessica Pearson. According to Deadline, the Cuban-American actress has closed a deal with Universal Cable Productions, under which she will produce and star in a spin-off series centered on the fictional lawyer.
Though there was plenty of competition for the project, Torres turned down all offers for the studio behind the USA Network drama, which she felt had her best interest in mind. “I’m beyond grateful for this opportunity and the level of confidence Bonnie Hammer, Jeff Wachtel and everyone at UCP have in me and the potential of this project,” Torres said in a statement. “Can’t wait to get started.”
Sure to be in the favor of fans, Suits creator and showrunner Aaron Korsh is also set to take on the project once his contract is worked out. “Jessica Pearson is an iconic character in my mind and hopefully in the public’s mind,” he said. “Gina Torres is a consummate professional both as an actress and brilliant human being, and I think she’s emerging as s a force as a producer. So when we talked about it, we got very excited about it — both from a creative possibility standpoint and just working with Gina. She’s just such a pleasure to work with, so though it is in its early stages, I’m very excited because I love Gina and I love Jessica.”
Good thing he didn’t kill her off as planned, no? Learn more about the developing series here.