Lioness (Paramount +) S: Zaldaña, W/EP: Sheridan, EP Kidman

[Dr. Seymour Love]

Lioness - Starring Zoe Saldana and Executive Produced by Nicole Kidman - Expected to premiere in 2023

Paramount+ today announced that Zoe Saldaña is set to star in and executive produce the service's upcoming drama series LIONESS, from Academy Award(R) nominee Taylor Sheridan. Academy Award winner Nicole Kidman, with her production company, Blossom Films, will join LIONESS as an executive producer. Produced by MTV Entertainment Studios and 101 Studios, the series will begin production in June 2022 with Tom Brady ("NOS4A2," "Colony") at the helm as executive producer and showrunner.

LIONESS is based on a real-life CIA program and follows a Marine recruited to befriend the daughter of a terrorist to bring the organization down from within.

Saldaña plays Joe, a strong-willed, hard-nosed, station chief of the CIA's Lioness program, tasked with training, managing and leading her female undercover operatives working to assassinate the world's most dangerous terrorists.

"I am a huge fan of Taylor Sheridan's work and am honored to help him tell his next amazing story with LIONESS," said Tom Brady, showrunner and executive producer. "Taylor has created an epic, gripping, global spy thriller centered on a group of complex, strong women, and I can't imagine anyone better to help bring these characters to life than fellow executive producers Nicole Kidman and Zoe Saldaña."

"LIONESS is based on an incredible, largely unknown program between the CIA and special forces, where U.S. female soldiers would infiltrate the local community and gather intelligence," said David C. Glasser, CEO of 101 Studios. "Taylor has crafted an intense and gripping story within this uncharted world, and we are honored that it will be brought to life on Paramount+ through the acting and producing talents of Zoe Saldaña alongside executive producers Nicole Kidman and showrunner Tom Brady."

Actor and producer Zoe Saldaña is the only actress in history to have starred in both of the top-two highest-grossing films of all time: "Avatar" and "Avengers: Endgame." As a producer, she formed Cinestar Pictures along with her sisters Mariel and Cisely, producing contemporary, multicultural stories for everyone. Their limited series "From Scratch" is currently in post-production with Saldaña starring, and they are in post-production on "The Gordita Chronicles" and the feature film "Keyhole Garden." Saldaña's upcoming projects include the role of Neytiri in the highly anticipated series of "Avatar" sequels; "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3"; and "The Adam Project." Previous credits include the "Star Trek" franchise, "Guardians of the Galaxy," "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2," "Avengers: Infinity War," "Center Stage," "Crossroads," "Drumline," "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl," "The Losers," "Takers," "Colombiana," the mini-series "Rosemary's Baby," "Infinitely Polar Bear," "Nina," "Live by Night," and "Missing Link." She also lent her voice to the animated films "The Book of Life," "My Little Pony: The Movie," "Vivo," and "Maya and The Three." She made her directorial debut in 2011 with the short film "Kaylien."