Lioness (American TV series)

Lioness, also marketed as Special Ops: Lioness, is an American spy thriller television series created by Taylor Sheridan that premiered on July 23, 2023, on Paramount+. The second season premiered on October 27, 2024. The series was renewed for a third season in August 2025.

A spy thriller that follows the leader of a CIA team that enlists female operatives, who are known as Lionesses, to go undercover in the war on terror.

The 2019 merger of CBS and Viacom led to the creation of the Paramount+ brand, launched in 2021; in September 2020, in the unveiling of the initial plans for the Paramount+ programming slate, Lioness was announced as one of the service's new productions with Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan was served as the creator of the series and would serve as executive producer via his Bosque Ranch Productions banner alongside Yellowstone co-producer & global entertainment company 101 Studios.

The series was renewed for a second season in May 2024, and a third season on August 15, 2025 and on that same month following when MTV Entertainment Studios' parent company Paramount Global merged with David Ellison's production company Skydance Media to form Paramount Skydance, Paramount Television Studios assumed production of the third series of Lioness when the latter studio merged MTV Entertainment Studios into Paramount Television Studios. Sheridan penned all 16 episodes of the first two seasons of the series.

In February 2022, Zoe Saldaña was cast to star in the series, and joined as an executive producer alongside Nicole Kidman. Laysla De Oliveira joined the cast the following month. In June, Sheridan took over as showrunner of the series from Thomas Brady following the conclusion of the show's writers' room. Casting continued in September, with the additions of Dave Annable, LaMonica Garrett, James Jordan, Austin Hébert, Jonah Wharton and Hannah Love Lanier. In January 2023, Kidman and Michael Kelly joined the cast alongside Morgan Freeman.

On May 9, 2024, it was reported that returning cast members for season two include Zoe Saldaña, Laysla De Oliveira, Michael Kelly, and Nicole Kidman, with Morgan Freeman being promoted to a series regular role. Upon the renewal becoming official on that same date, De Oliveira expressed her excitement about returning to her role as Cruz on her Instagram account. On May 17, 2024, it was announced that Thad Luckinbill was promoted as a series regular for the second season. Few days later, Genesis Rodriguez joined the cast in an undisclosed capacity for the second season. On September 13, 2024, Max Martini, Kirk Acevedo, and Patricia de Leon were cast in recurring roles for the second season. It was later noted that Sheridan played a role named Cody - the KT tape-wrapped Delta Force Operator who assured an iffy Joe.

Filming began in Delaware in September 2022 and continued in Mallorca in January 2023. In May 2023, it was announced that the series title was changed from Lioness to Special Ops: Lioness, although the title card remained unchanged. The title reverted to the original title when the series was renewed for its second season.

Andrew Lockington composed the soundtrack for the series, having previously worked with Taylor Sheridan in Mayor of Kingstown. Lakeshore Records has released the series' soundtrack.^{[citation needed]}