NCIS: Hawaii Begins Production as Cast and Crew Take Part in Traditional Hawaiian Blessing

Karen Neal/CBS

NCIS: Hawaii has officially begun production!

On Thursday, CBS revealed that work on their latest NCIS spinoff is now underway, following a traditional Hawaiian blessing on Oahu. Occurring on Mokulē'Ia Beach, the blessing paid respect to Hawaiian culture and was held Wednesday in accordance with the series' safety protocols amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Series stars Vanessa Lachey, Noah Mills, Jason Antoon, Yasmine Al-Bustami and Tori Anderson, took part in the ceremony, which was officiated by Kahu Ramsay Taum. Members of the NCIS: Hawaii crew and producers were also on hand.

The ceremony included traditional royal maile leis, an Oli Aloha, a type of welcoming chant, as well as Pule Ho'oku'u, a closing prayer.

RELATED: Vanessa Lachey to Star in NCIS: Hawaii as Franchise's First Female Lead: 'Let's Get to Work!'

PEOPLE previously confirmed in February that NCIS: Hawaii was in development at CBS. Later in April, the network shared that the spinoff was officially on the way, but did not provide a premiere date.

According to Variety, the new show will follow a team of Naval criminal investigators who operate on the Hawaiian Islands.

Karen Neal/CBS

Karen Neal/CBS

Karen Neal/CBS

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NCIS was first launched in 2003 after Mark Harmon's Jethro Gibbs character was introduced in a two-episode arc on JAG.

The show, now in its 18th season, had its first spinoff in 2009 with the premiere of its Los Angeles counterpart, with the New Orleans offshoot following in 2014.

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Back in April, Lachey, 40, announced that she will star in the upcoming spinoff, making her the first female lead in the long-running franchise, as Deadline previously reported.

Lachey will play Jane Tennant, the first woman to be named the Special Agent in charge of NCIS Pearl Harbor.

"A woman in a male-dominated profession, she's thrived in a system that's pushed back every step of the way through equal parts confidence and strategy," her character description reads, according to the outlet. "She's also a mother raising her children mostly on her own and has to balance her duty to her kids and her country."

Lachey reacted to the announcement on her Instagram page at the time, writing, "Honored is an understatement! To join the NCIS franchise as the first female lead and to do it on the Beautiful Islands of Hawai'i... I still can't believe it! Thank You CBS for believing in me! Now let's get to work! #NCISHawaii 👊🏽🌴."

NCIS: Hawaii will premiere later this year in the fall, airing Mondays at 10:00 p.m. ET. on CBS.