Paramount+ Releases A First Look At 'Special Ops: Lioness' Series Starring Nicole Kidman, Zoe Saldaña
Paramount+ has unveiled the new and official title for their upcoming espionage thriller, which was known simply as Lioness, is now Special Ops: Lioness. Created by Taylor Sheridan, it stars Zoe Saldaña, Nicole Kidman, and Morgan Freeman. The title change may be very recent as the former was used as late as a month ago when Thad Luckinbill was announced to be in a heavy recurring role.
Based on a real-life CIA program, Special Ops: Lioness follows Cruz Manuelos, played by Laysla De Oliveira and described as a rough-around-the-edges but passionate young Marine. She is recruited to join the CIA’s Lioness Engagement Team to help defeat a terrorist organization that has infiltrated the team. Saldaña will play Joe, who is the station chief of the Lioness program who trains, manages, and leads the female undercover operatives.
Kidman plays Kaitlyn Meade, the CIA’s senior supervisor who has probably been playing the politics game a bit too long. “She must juggle the trappings of being a woman in the high-ranking intelligence community, a wife who longs for the attention she herself can’t even give, and a mentor to someone veering suspiciously close to the same rocky road she’s found herself on.” Freeman, who has played the POTUS Alan Trumbull in films in the Has Fallen series and Tom Beck in Deep Impact before then, plays Secretary of State Edwin Mullins, while Michael Kelly plays CIA Deputy Director Byron Westfield.
The series is produced by MTV Entertainment Studios and 101 Studios. Its other series regulars include Dave Annable, LaMonica Garrett, Jill Wagner, James Jordan, Jonah Wharton, Stephanie Nur, Austin Hébert, and Hannah Love Lanier. Michael Kelly appears in a recurring role. Kidman was cast in January having already been attached in such capacity. Sam Asghari is set to play a character named Kamal, and Luckinbill is playing Kyle, Joe’s old friend overseeing a trafficking contact. Saldaña and Kidman also executive produce with Sheridan, along with David C. Glasser, Ron Burkle, Bob Yari, David Hutkin, Jill Wagner, Geyer Kosinski, Michael Malone and John Hillcoat.
