While NCIS: Hawai’i and the upcoming CW prequel Walker: Independence may be completely different shows on different networks following totally different stories and genres, the two series actually have something particular in common. Episode director Larry Teng recently shared a fun fact on social media that pointed out a surprising connection between the crime procedural and western series.
Larry Teng posted a behind-the-scenes photo on Instagram from the set of the Walker: Independence pilot, with stars Kat McNamara and Justin Johnson Cortez on hand. Teng mentioned that a lot of the feedback regarding how great the prequel looks is because of the cast and crew, naturally, but also due to the camera lenses that were used. And it turns out they were the exact same ones he'd used in filming the pilot for the Vanessa Lachey-led NCIS spinoff:
If it ain't broke, don't fix it. That's as useful an adage when talking about camera lens as anything else. To hear that Larry Teng had the lens shipped from Hawai’i to Santa Fe, after it was once again available of course, definitely shows the dedication he has in making his pilots as visually pleasing as possible. From the looks of the recently released trailer alone, Walker: Independence already seems like it’s going to be amazing, and it doesn't even need gorgeous island settings to make it happen.
Even though that’s the only similarity between NCIS: Hawai’i and Walker: Independence that Larry Teng is offering up for now, perhaps he'll share more details later on about his prequel-directing experiences. It's doubtful we'll see Lachey or any of the NCIS posse mixing it up with Walker's peeps, but maybe there will be more behind-the-scenes fun to discuss.
Meanwhile, Larry Teng seems hard at work on Walker: Independence. The upcoming prequel of the Jared Padalecki-led drama will be set in the late 1800s, and star Shadowhunters and Arrow actress Kat McNamara. To go from portraying Stephen Amell’s future daughter to Padalecki’s great, great, great grandmother will definitely be something to look forward to. Even though it’s unclear if she will ever return to the Arrowverse, at least we’ll still get her on The CW in some capacity.
As for NCIS: Hawai’i, Larry Teng only directed and executive produced the pilot episode, but he still shared plenty of BTS content from filming. Ahead of the show’s debut, Teng shared a touching post before leaving the Aloha State, reflecting on his time on the series and giving advice about how what we do matters,
For now, it’s unclear whether or not Larry Teng will direct more episodes of Walker: Independence and if his love for Panavision's lenses will continue to thrive. Perhaps it's something of a good luck charm, seeing as how NCIS: Hawai’i is getting a second season, and Walker: Independence has been ordered to series.
In the meantime, you’ll be able to check out the similarities between Hawai’i and WIndy when the prequel premieres this fall on The CW! Check out CinemaBlend’s 2022 TV schedule to see what else to look forward to.
