Zoe Saldana as Joe In "Special Ops: Lioness"
The future of the Taylor Sheridan espionage series Special Ops: Lioness has been decided.
According to a Paramount
Special Ops: Lioness stars Zoe Saldaña as Joe, who leads a CIA-backed U.S. special military unit that infiltrates terrorist cells in the war on terror across the globe. In addition, Joe finds herself in a constant struggle with the demands of her dangerous job and a very delicate life with her family at home.
The series also stars Laysla De Oliveira as Cruz Manuelos, who in Season 1 is a Force Recon Marine who is recruited into the covert Lioness program. Nicole Kidman—who along with Saldaña is an executive producer on Special Ops: Lioness—plays Kaitlyn Meade, a CIA official to whom Joe reports.
Morgan Freeman, who played the key role of U.S. Secretary of State Edwin Mullins in Season 1, has been promoted to a series regular in Season 2.
Paramount+ Executive Vice President of Programming Jeff Grossman announced the return of the series in a statement.
“Our Paramount+ audience resoundingly has joined forces in support of ‘Lioness’’ gripping, global story and the powerhouse performances from Zoe Saldaña, Laysla De Oliveira and Nicole Kidman,” Grossman said. “We cannot wait to see more of the heart-stopping suspense and action that Taylor Sheridan and the incredibly talented team deliver in its second season.”
According to the streaming service, Special Ops: Lioness at the day of its July 2023 launch was its most-watched worldwide series premiere. The series pulled in nearly 6 million viewers in its first week on Paramount+, along with previews of the series on the Paramount Network.
‘Special Ops: Lioness’ Season 1 Had 8 Episodes
Season 1 of Special Ops: Lioness consists of eight episodes. Instead of the Netflix
Special Ops: Lioness Season 1 wrapped up on September 3, 2023.
The series got a neutral reception from critics on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, which collectively gave it a 56% “rotten” rating. The series’ Audience Score was much more positive, however with an 80% rating.
Season 1 of Special Ops: Lioness also stars Michael Kelly, Dave Annable, LaMonica Garrett and Hannah Love Lanier.
Paramount+ did not indicate when Season 2 of Special Ops: Lioness would premiere.
“Lioness captivated audiences around the world as one of the most-watched global series premieres on Paramount+ last year," Office of the CEO, Paramount Global and President & CEO, Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios Chris McCarthy said in a statement. "Driven by Taylor Sheridan's masterful storytelling and Nicole Kidman’s and Zoe Saldaña’s remarkable performances, season two promises to immerse audiences in yet another riveting, adrenaline-fueled journey."
Taylor Sheridan, of course, is the prolific creator of several series for Paramount, including Yellowstone, 1883, 1923, Tulsa King, Lawman: Bass Reeves and Mayor of Kingstown.
Mayor of Kingstown, which stars Jeremy Renner, will return to Paramount+ for Season 3 on June 3.
