The news of acclaimed actresses likeZoe SaldañaandNicole Kidmancoming together to work on a new action-packed project is definitely something to get ridiculously excited about, and such a prospect has come to life with Paramount’s new upcoming spy thriller seriesSpecial Ops: Lioness, which is set to premiere this summer. Per anexclusive first lookand interview with Vanity Fair, new images from the series have popped up showcasing Saldaña, Kidman and other stars performing in what look to be some truly suspenseful and dramatic scenes.
Special Ops: Lionessis set to be a riveting spy thriller that is being helmed by Taylor Sheridan, who already has quite the full plate of projects right now. He’s both co-creator and showrunner of multiple ongoing series at Paramount including the acclaimed neo-Western drama seriesYellowstone, its franchise prequel and sequel miniseries called1883and1923respectively, crime thriller seriesMayor of Kingstown, and the Sylvester Stallone-starring crime dramaTulsa King. Starring in Lioness includes Zoe Saldaña (Avatar: The Way of Water), Nicole Kidman (The Northman), Morgan Freeman (A Good Person), Laysla de Oliveira (Needle in a Timestack), and Michael Kelly (House of Cards).
The premise of the series sets itself as an espionage thriller based on the real secret CIA program that trains and dispatches women around the world as undercover operatives. The story follows a young Marine named Cruz Manuelos (Laysla de Oliveira) who is recruited to join the CIA’s Lioness Engagement Team as part of a mission to uproot a dangerous terrorist organization from the inside.
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Zoe Saldaña Was Shocked To Be Part of Lioness.
Zoe Saldaña, who plays the station chief of the Lioness program named Joe, expressed her utter surprise to getting the call from Sheridan, who personally sent her the pilot script with her in mind for the role.
“He sent me a pilot he wanted me to read, and if I responded well to it, he really wanted to continue writing this character around me…When you get a call from someone like Taylor Sheridan…. You work really hard, expecting those calls. And when yougetthose calls, you don’t believe them. I’m known for being the queen of sabotaging myself.”
Despite her bafflement and hesitation, particularly after learning that role model Nicole Kidman was attached the project, Saldaña could no longer resist.
“We were in the middle of the pandemic. The thought of me committing to a multi-seasonal show was just daunting…I told him that I just wasn’t ready. I was scared shitless, in other words. I was just like, ‘I’m going to fail. I just do science fiction. I don’t do this.' It was Taylor Sheridan. Nicole Kidman was already attached to produce, and she was going to play a part in it as well. So obviously, that was a dream for me.”
Saldaña has of course been especially busy herself lately, diving into this project on the heels of her appearance in James Gunn’s final Marvel filmGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3coming to theaters this weekend, and also James Cameron’sAvatar: The Way of Water(2022).
Special Ops: Lionessis set to premiere on the Paramount+ streaming platform later this summer. Check out the new images from Vanity Fair’s First Look in the official tweet below.
