David Boreanaz has opened up about how his reboot of The Rockford Files will stand out from the original NBC series.

Back in February, one month after NBC ordered a pilot for this new take on The Rockford Files, it was announced that Boreanaz would play private investigator Jim Rockford, succeeding James Garner in the role. By May, the broadcast network ordered the reboot to series for the 2026-2027 TV season, arriving over 45 years after the original series concluded. Now Boreanaz has shed light on how his version of The Rockford Files will differ from its predecessor from a “thematic [point of view].”

In an interview with ScreenRant‘s Ben Gibbons for 2026’s Italian Global Series, the Bones veteran acknowledged how there will be fans of The Rockford Files who respond to the reboot with either “I love it” or “I don’t like it.” However, Boreanaz laid out that he’s “not here to please everybody in this particular instance, but to just enjoy a character that is of a blue-collar nature, somebody who’s a guy’s guy, and charming, and who uses his wit to get out of a lot of things.” The actor continued:

As far as the tone is concerned, obviously the network has a mandate for IPs of something of this nature. Being that it’s pretty much from 1974, that’s some time from where we are today, but it’s the type of IP that is perfect to put out at this particular time and space. They tried it before, and I know David Shore’s a great showrunner, director, and writer, but it unfortunately didn’t work out for them at that particular time. But it makes sense now, and I’m so happy to be a part of that and take on this role that I know is something special with a great cast.

Boreanaz then said how The Rockford Files reboot will retain classic elements from the beloved detective show, ranging from the lead character’s classic car and “that California love,” to Jim Rockford’s diet of “tacos and hot dogs and Oreos.” He also described writer and executive producer Mike Daniels’ vision for the new iteration as something that has “the feel and nostalgia of the past, but yet has made it very unique and fresh for the present.”

The mention of Shore refers to how NBC previously tried to reboot The Rockford Files in 2010. This version starred Dermot Mulroney as the main protagonist, and his co-stars included Alan Tudyk, Melissa Sagemiller, and Beau Bridges. Michael W. Watkins directed the pilot, but the network decided not to forward with it as a series. 16 years later, NBC now feels bullish about bringing The Rockford Files back for a new generation, and Boreanaz is confident that this reboot is “something special.”

As far as The Rockford Files’ cast goes, the NBC series re-teams Boreanaz with fellow SEAL Team actor Michaela McManus, who’d been cast as Kate, an East Hollywood detective who has a complicated romantic history with Rockford. Jacki Weaver has also been cast as Karma, Rockford’s trailer park neighbor who’s described as “a tough and outspoken think tank analyst.” The show follows the recently-paroled Rockford returning to his life as a private investigator “after doing time for a crime he didn’t commit.”

The Rockford Files reboot will premiere on NBC in early 2027, and it’s been confirmed that season 1 will consist of 13 episodes. This is one of two midseason shows lined up on the network, the other being Sunset P.I. The original version of The Rockford Files can be streamed on Prime Video.