If you love gritty CIA and government dramas, you'll need to add Special Ops: Lioness to your radar. The new series comes from Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan— which adds on to his already extensive list of shows and movies.
The Paramount+ original will revolve around the CIA's Lioness Engagement Team (a real life, all-women program that took place in the U.S.—though, the show is fictional). Each of its prominent members will have to navigate their dangerous careers, while trying to balance the drama in their personal lives, too. If you're a fan of Sheridan's work, then you can think of this new series as a mix between Tulsa King and Yellowstone—just swap the Mafia and brooding cowboys for some CIA action. Oh, and the cast is quite simply a Hollywood dream!
With the new trailer and premiere date dropping recently, there's a lot we can anticipate ahead of the show's release. Read on for everything we know about Lioness, including the cast, plot, premiere date, and more.
What is the new series Lioness about?
From what we know—Lioness is a drama series for Paramount+ about a young Marine (Laysla De Oliveira) who is recruited to the CIA's Lioness Engagement Team. Zoe Saldaña also stars as Joe, the program's station chief who leads a team of female undercover operatives. The mission? To bring down a terrorist organization from within.
Sounds intense, doesn't it? And if that's not enough to pique your interest, wait until you hear who else is in the cast.
Who is in the Lioness cast?
We already discussed that Zoe Saldaña and Laysla De Oliveira would be taking the lead roles in Lioness. But the cast in its entirety has so many big names, we're shocked that it's even real. You might want to sit down for this...
Morgan Freeman and Nicole Kidman are said to be included in the cast. But the Oscar winners (yes, both have them!) are just two of the long list of cast members.
Sheridan plucked a couple of stars from his 1883 cast to join Lioness: James Jordan and LaMonica Garrett were recently announced as a part of the cast, alongside Dave Annable (Brothers and Sisters).
Jordan and Garrett will play Two Cups and Tucker, respectively, characters who are described as “experienced CIA Special Activities Division operatives on Joe’s team.” And as for Annable, he'll play Neil, Joe’s husband and the father of their two daughters.
The rest of the cast is made up by Bassem Youssef, Jill Wagner, LaMonica Garrett, James Jordan, Austin Hébert, Jonah Wharton, Stephanie Nur, Hannah Love Lanier, and Michael Kelly.
Is there a trailer?
Yes, and it's proven to be more than what we ever would have expected. We're talking court scenes with Nicole Kidman, Zoe Saldaña in action, and some appearances from Morgan Freeman, too! Not to mention, the plot has us on the edge of our seats!
Where can I watch Lioness?
Mark your calendars! Because Special Ops: Lioness will premiere on Sunday, July 23 on Paramount+. The series is likely to air episodes on a week-by-week basis (like the majority of Sheridan's shows).
Josiah Soto is the assistant editor of news and social for The Pioneer Woman. He helps manage the website’s social channels, in addition to writing high-performing news and entertainment content daily.
