Nazneen Contractor Exits Chicago Justice for a New Show

Chicago Justice is already down a member of its team, and it hasn't even officially started. Nazneen Contractor, who was set to play one of the leads in another limb of Dick Wolf's expanding Chicago franchise, has exited the show, The Hollywood Reporter reports.

Contractor appeared in this past May's backdoor pilot for Chicago Justice, which was embedded in Chicago P.D. She played Dawn Harper, an assistant district attorney who worked with Philip Winchester's lead prosecutor Peter Stone. Shortly after the backdoor pilot aired, NBC ordered Chicago Justice to series, giving the Chicago franchise four branches: Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D., Chicago Med and Chicago Justice.

But don't feel too bad for Contractor. She's already been cast in CBS' new drama Ransom, from The X-Files' Frank Spotnitz. The 13-episode international co-production follows a hostage negotiator (Luke Roberts) who uses his knowledge of human behavior to find peaceful resolutions to tense situations. Contractor, whose other credits include Heroes Reborn, 24 and Covert Affairs,will play a former cop Ransom.

There is no timetable for Ransom's debut. Chicago Justice is expected to air in January.

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