Paramount Plus has renewed its Taylor Sheridan-produced drama Lioness for a second season.

Lioness, formerly titled Special Ops: Lioness, stars Zoe Saldaña as a top CIA officer trying to balance her personal life while spearheading the country’s war on terror, according to the streaming service. Morgan Freeman, Nicole Kidman, Dave Annable, Jill Wagner, LaMonica Garrett and James Jordan also star in the series. 

The series debuted in July 2023 as the most-watched series premiere for the streaming service, with nearly 6 million viewers in its first week across Paramount Plus as well as for a preview episode on Paramount Network, said the company.

“Lioness captivated audiences around the world as one of the most-watched global series premieres on Paramount Plus last year,” said Chris McCarthy, office of the CEO, Paramount Global, and president and CEO, Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios, 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.”

Lioness is executive produced by Sheridan, Saldaña, Kidman, Wagner, David Glasser, Ron Burkle, Bob Yari, David Hutkin, David Lemanowicz, Geyer Kosinski, Michael Friedman, and Keith Cox.    

Paramount Plus has set a July 23 premiere date for Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan’s next project, Special Ops: Lioness.

The series, inspired by an actual U.S. military program, stars Zoe Saldaña as a CIA agent attempting to balance her personal and professional life. According to the streaming service, the show revolves around The Lioness Program, overseen by Kaitlyn Meade (Nicole Kidman) and Donald Westfield (Michael Kelly), which enlists "an aggressive Marine Raider named Cruz (Laysla De Oliveira) to operate undercover alongside Joe among the power brokers of State terrorism in the CIA's efforts to thwart the next 9/11.”

Special Ops: Lioness also stars Morgan Freeman, Dave Annable, Jill Wagner and LaMonica Garrett. The series is executive produced by Sheridan, Saldaña, Kidman, Wagner, David Glasser, Ron Burkle, Bob Yari, David Hutkin, Geyer Kosinski, Michael Malone and John Hillcoat.

Also: ‘Yellowstone’ To End After Season Five; Series Sequel Set

Nicole Kidman will star in the Paramount Plus series Lioness. Taylor Sheridan is behind the show, about a CIA program designed to bring down a terrorist organization. Kidman will also executive produce with her production company, Blossom Films.

Zoe Saldaña and Laysla De Oliveira are in the cast as well.

Lioness is based on a real-life CIA program and follows Cruz Manuelos (De Oliveira), a rough-around-the-edges but passionate Marine recruited to join the CIA’s Lioness Engagement Team to help bring down a terrorist organization from within. Saldaña will play Joe, the station chief of the program tasked with training, managing and leading her female undercover operatives.

Kidman will play Kaitlyn Meade, the CIA’s senior supervisor who has had a long career of playing the politics game. “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,” said Paramount Plus.

Kidman’s work includes films To Die For, Eyes Wide Shut and The Hours, among many others. Her TV work includes Big Little Lies, The Undoing and Nine Perfect Strangers.

Lioness is executive produced by Taylor Sheridan, David C. Glasser, Zoe Saldaña, Nicole Kidman, Ron Burkle, Bob Yari, David Hutkin, Jill Wagner, Geyer Kosinski, Michael Malone and John Hillcoat. It is produced by MTV Entertainment Studios and 101 Studios.

Sheridan’s shows include Yellowstone, Tulsa King and Mayor of Kingstown. ■

HBO will debut a new limited series starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant on Oct. 25, the network said Thursday.

The six-part series The Undoing follows Grace (Kidman) and Jonathan Fraser (Grant) as a couple living the good life until a violent death and a chain of terrible revelations threatens to upend the only lives they ever wanted for themselves, according to HBO. The series also stars Donald Sutherland, Edgar Ramirez, and Noah Jupe. 

The Undoing is executive produced by Susanne Bier, David E. Kelly, Kidman, Per Saari, Bruna Papandrea, Stephen Garrett and Celia Costas. 

HBO’s Big Little Lies remained hot on the TV awards front, sweeping the acting SAG Awards in the best television movie or limited series category.

Nicole Kidman won the SAG Award for outstanding performance by a female actor in a television movies or limited series, while Alexander Skarsgard took home the trophy in the outstanding performance by a male actor in a television movie or limited series.

Kidman adds a SAG Award to her Emmy and Golden Globe award wins for her portrayal of Celeste Wright in the HBO limited drama series. Skarsgard also completes the three-peat with Emmy, Globe and SAG wins for the role of Perry Wright in the HBO series.