NCIS: Hawai’i star Jason Antoon has responded to a fan of the show who expressed concerns over filming for the upcoming third season amid the devastating wildfires in Maui.
Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, one viewer tweeted the actor, asking: “Where [the] Hawaii fires were. You guys don’t film over there?”
Jason, who plays Ernie Malik in the CBS drama, clarified that filming takes place near Honolulu on the island of Oahu: “We film on Oahu and fires mostly on Maui and Big Island.”
Jason’s co-star Vanessa Lachey, who plays the lead role of Jane Tennant, took to Instagram recently to honor the lives lost to the wildfires.
Taking to her Stories, the actress reshared a post from her husband Nick Lachey, that read: “Thoughts and prayers go out to all affected on Maui as they battle these incredibly destructive wildfires. While the resilience of the Hawaiian people is legendary, this tragedy will take time and resources to rebuild from. I’ve put a link in my bio, please help if you can.”
At least 80 people have been killed in the wildfires, which are now the deadliest natural disaster since a 1960 tsunami that killed 61 people.
The fires, which erupted earlier this week following a dry summer and strong winds, have caused devastation in Maui and the destruction of most of the historic town of Lahaina.
Governor Josh Green said: “We have never experienced a wildfire that affected a city like this before,” adding that the challenges of climate change were putting unprecedented strain on the island.
Will the Maui wildfires impact filming for NCIS: Hawai’i season three?
Like Jason said, filming for NCIS: Hawai’i takes place on Oahu, which is around 116 miles from where the wildfires are in Maui.
Therefore, it’s unlikely that the fires will disrupt filming, considering they erupted on a completely separate island.
When will filming begin for NCIS: Hawai’i season three?
While CBS has confirmed that NCIS: Hawai’i will return to screens with a third season, an official release date has yet to be announced.
Production on the series has been delayed due to the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.
Industry insiders have predicted that the strike will come to an end in the fall. If this is true, filming for NCIS: Hawai’i and other scripted shows should start up again in the weeks following the settlement.
Considering CBS has yet to reveal when new episodes will be released, fans can probably expect season three to arrive in 2024.
Why are the writers on strike?
The WGA called for its members to strike on 2 May over an ongoing labor dispute with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents major studios such as Apple, Disney and Netflix.
One of the main focus points in the dispute is how writers are compensated in the streaming era. Their demands also include a pay increase, a stable pay structure and guarantees that artificial intelligence won’t be used in scriptwriting.
On July 14, SAG-AFTRA also went on strike over an ongoing labor dispute with the AMPTP.