The stakes are high for Zoe Saldaña and Laysla de Oliveira in Paramount+‘s new spy thriller series based on a real-life U.S. Military program, Special Ops: Lioness. Saldaña plays Joe, the tip of the spear in for the CIA’s war on terror who is joined by Oliveira‘s Cruz, an aggressive Marine Raider and the newest recruit of the Lioness program. A new trailer sees the two thrust into an undercover operation that risks not only their safety but the integrity of the country should their cover be blown.
Joe and Cruz’s relationship is immediately spotlighted as Joe promises her new field agent a purpose with Lioness. Whether she’s ready to take on a mission with such ramifications, however, is another thing entirely. Cruz’s orders are to get close to the power brokers of state terrorism along with Joe and bring down the whole organization before another 9/11 scale attack can occur. The idea of neutralizing their target doesn’t sit entirely well with the U.S. Secretary of State Edwin Mullins nor Lioness overseer Donald Westfield, played by Academy Award winner Morgan Freeman and Emmy nominee Michael Kelly respectively, who fully understand the consequences should the mission not be executed to perfection.
Nicole Kidman‘s Kaitlyn Meade, Lioness’s other chief, also has a strong presence in the trailer as she takes charge of the operation and ensures everything will go smoothly. She’s not above telling Cruz to bend the rules a bit to complete her mission, however, and she’ll inevitably butt heads with Joe over how to conduct the operation. It could be Meade’s head on the line if news of their work gets out and, as the situation develops on the ground, things don’t appear to go according to plan. Like any good spy thriller, the risks are firmly established as it’s up to Joe and Cruz to execute their orders and keep themselves safe while Meade, Westfield, and other agents can only look to shut it down and bury their mess if everything goes awry.
Taylor Sheridan Takes on a Different Genre With Special Ops: Lioness
Special Ops: Lioness is the latest series from television mega-producer Taylor Sheridan to join the Paramount+ lineup, though it’s been in the works for quite some time. The show was originally announced back in 2020 at the time of the streamer’s rebrand from CBS All-Access. Known more for his Westerns like the Yellowstone franchise or his crime thrillers like Mayor of Kingstown and Tulsa King, Sheridan‘s entering somewhat new territory as creator and showrunner for Lioness. If his experience penning the action thriller Sicario from Denis Villeneuve is any indication though, he’s more than capable of crafting tense narratives about government operations packed with exhilarating action.
He also has a starry cast to do so with Saldaña leading the charge as well as executive producing. Beyond the previously-mentioned stars, the series also includes Dave Annable, Jill Wagner, LaMonica Garrett, James Jordan, Austin Hébert, Jonah Wharton, Stephanie Nur, and Hannah Love Lanier among its regulars.
Special Ops: Lioness begins its operation on July 23 with two episodes on Paramount+. Check out the trailer below.
via Collider