When Special Ops: Lioness premiered last July on Paramount+, it broke records for the streamer at the time for the most-watched worldwide premiere. Even so, it took Paramount almost a year to announce a second season pickup. Now called Lioness, the Taylor Sheridan-created show recruits a new Lioness for its latest mission.
Here's everything we know so far about season 3 of Lioness.
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Lioness is a fact-based drama series about two agents in a U.S. undercover female operative program. Zoe Saldana stars as Joe with Nicole Kidman as Kaitlyn Meade. Both actresses take on the added role of executive producer.
The show also added Yellowstone and 1883 alums. Dave Annable, who played John Dutton's eldest son Lee on Yellowstone, plays Joe's husband, Neil. LaMonica Garrett from 1883 plays CIA operative Tucker while frequent Sheridan-verse actor James Jordan took on the role of CIA operative Two Cups. Jordan's previous roles include TV series 1883, Yellowstone and Mayor of Kingstownand several of Sheridan's feature films.
Frequent-Hallmark Channel actress Jill Wagner also serves as executive producer and will star in the show.
Related: Everything You Need to Know About Yellowstone, Including When Season 5 Returns
Is Lioness based on other material?
Lioness is based on a real-life CIA program.
In the first season of Special Ops: Lioness, Marine Cruz Manuelos (Laysla De Oliveira) is recruited by the CIA with a mission to befriend the daughter of a terrorist financier.
What happened in season 2 of Lioness?
In season 2 of Lioness, the CIA’s fight against terror moved closer to home, Joe (Zoe Saldaña), Kaitlyn (Nicole Kidman) and Byron (Michael Kelly) enlisted a new Lioness operative to infiltrate a previously unknown threat. With pressure mounting from all sides, Joe was forced to confront the profound personal sacrifices she made as the leader of the Lioness program.
In Season Three, hidden networks, foreign operatives, and personal betrayals collide. Joe walks the line between duty and home as unseen forces circle her world. Patterns appear where they shouldn’t, names vanish, and paths rearrange. Guided by Kaitlyn and Westfield, Joe confronts enemies operating in the shadows, leaving her to reckon with a war that now reaches into every part of her life.
Meet the Lioness cast
Zoe Saldaña. Photo Credit: Emerson Miller/Paramount+.Paramount+
Zoe Saldana as Joe
Joe is the station chief of the Lioness program tasked with training, managing and leading her female undercover operatives.
Saldana also serves as one of the show's executive producers. She is best known for her roles in popular film franchises such as Star Trek, The Guardians of the Galaxy, Marvel films and Avatar.
Fun fact: Saldana's first professional acting role was on Law & Order!
Nicole Kidman. Photo Credit: Emerson Miller/Paramount+.Paramount+
Nicole Kidman as Kaitlyn Meade
Meade is 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 that longs for the attention she can’t give and a mentor to someone veering suspiciously close to the same rocky road she’s found herself on.
Kidman is best known for her roles in Moulin Rouge!, Cold Mountain and The Hours for which she won an Academy Award for Best Actress.
Morgan Freeman. Photo Credit: Lauren Smith/Paramount+.Paramount+
Morgan Freeman as Edwin Mullins
Morgan Freeman moves up to series regular for Season 2 of Lioness where he plays U.S. Secretary of State Edwin Mullins. Freeman has had a storied career beginning with TV roles on The Electric Company, Ryan's Hope and Another World. He would go on to receive Oscar nods for Driving Miss Daisy, The Shawshank Redemption and Million Dollar Baby, winning the Academy Award for the latter.
Related: Morgan Freeman Talks Faith, Afterlife and The Story of God
L-R: Laysla De Oliveira, Genesis Rodriguez. Photo Credit: Ryan Green/Paramount+.Paramount+
Cruz is a rough-around-the-edges but passionate young Marine recruited to join the Lioness Engagement Team to help bring down a terrorist organization from within.
De Oliveira, a Canadian-born Brazilian, started modeling at 14 but always wanted to be an actor. She has had notable roles in Locke & Key, In the Tall Grass and Maid of Honour.
Fun fact: De Oliveira has been in a long-term relationship with Reign star Jonathan Keltz.
Genesis Rodriguez as Capt. Josephina Carrillo
Rodriguez joins the Lioness team on their latest missions. Rodriguez has previously appeared in The Umbrella Academy, The Fugitive and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
Jill Wagner.Jill Wagner as Bobby
Bobby is a CIA Special Activities Division operative.
Wagner is best known for her roles in Hallmark Channel and Great American Family movies. She also serves as an executive producer on this series.
Related: Jill Wagner and Paul Greene Reunite in Great American Family's Bringing Christmas Home
Dave Annable as Neil
Neil is Joe's husband and the father of their two daughters.
Annable made his acting debut on NBC's Third Watch, but is probably best known for his role on ABC's Brothers & Sisters.
Fun fact: Annable played Lee, the eldest son of John Dutton (Kevin Costner) on the popular Paramount Network series, Yellowstone.
LaMonica Garrett. Photo Credit: Emerson Miller/Paramount+.Paramount+
LaMonica Garrett as Tucker
Tucker is an experienced CIA Special Activities Division operative on Joe's team.
Garrett is best known for his roles on Sons of Anarchy, Designated Survivor and the Yellowstone prequel series, 1883.
Fun fact: Garrett was named after former Oakland Raiders quarterback Daryle Lamonica.
Michael Kelly. Photo Credit: Ryan Green/Paramount+Michael Kelly as Bryon Westfield
Emmy-nominated Kelly joins the cast in the recurring role of CIA Deputy Director Byron Westfield who manages Kaitlyn Meade and her team of Lioness special operatives.
Kelly is best known for his role as Doug Stamper on all six seasons of Netflix's House of Cards. Other credits include Unbreakable, Law & Order, Criminal Minds and the Max series, The Penguin.
Martin Donovan as Errol Meade
Donovan will have a recurring role as Errol Meade, Kaitlyn's whip-smart financial wheeler dealer husband.
Martin Donovan is probably best known for his role as Peter Scottson on Weeds. His other credits include Tenet, Nancy Drew and Firefly Lane.
L-R: Austin Hébert, James Jordan. Photo Credit: Emerson Miller/Paramount+.Paramount+
Along with Tucker, Two Cups is also an experienced CIA operative on Joe's team.
If Jordan looks familiar, then you've probably seen him on several other Taylor Sheridan shows. On Yellowstone he played Livestock Agent Steve Hendon. He played prison guard Ed Simmons in Mayor of Kingstown and Cookie in 1883. He'll also appear in the upcoming Taylor Sheridan series, Landman. Previous credits include 24, Justified, Bloodline and True Blood.
Austin Hébert as Randy
Randy is a tech specialist in charge of surveillance and gathering intelligence within Joe's counter-terrorism team.
Hebert's credits include Yellowstone, True Blood and Ray Donovan.
L-R: Zoe Saldaña, Hannah Love Lanier, Celestina Harris. Photo Credit: Ryan Green/Paramount+.Paramount+
Hannah Love Lanier, Celestina Harris as Kate, Charlie
Lanier and Harris play the daughters of Joe and Neil.
Is anyone new joining the cast for Season 3 of Lioness?
L-R: Ian Bohen, Sandi Todorovic, LaMonica Garrett. Photo Credit: Emerson Miller/Paramount+.Paramount+
Ian Bohen joins the cast as Grady, a by-the-book Delta Forece operative and an experienced K9 handler. He brings with him highly skilled battlefield tactics from his days as a Delta Force operative.
Like James Jordan, Bohen is quite familiar with the Taylor Sheridan universe, having appeared in several of Sheridan's shows including Yellowstone and Wind River.
Lioness began filming Season 3 in October 2025 and wrapped in late March 2026.
Related: The Complete List of Taylor Sheridan's Many Paramount Series
Where did Lioness film in Season 3?
Lioness literally filmed all over the world for the first season with locations in Spain and Africa as well as the U.S. in Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Texas. Season 2 and 3 filmed mainly in Texas including locations in and around Fort Worth and Dallas.
Season 3 of Lioness will premiere on Sunday, Aug. 2. Following episodes will drop weekly on Sundays on Paramount+.
Where can I watch Lioness?
Lioness will stream exclusively on Paramount+.
Lioness will only stream on Paramount+ at this point. Other Taylor Sheridan streaming shows have ended up on the broadcast network or have simultaneously aired the premieres so we can't rule out a move to the linear network after its initial streaming run.
Are there any images from Season 3 Lioness?
Yes! Check out these images from Season 3 of Lioness in the gallery below.
Lioness - Season 3
Paramount+
Zoe Saldaña as Joe in Lioness, episode 1, season 3, streaming on Paramount+, 2026. Photo Credit: Emerson Miller/Paramount+.Paramount+
Nicole Kidman as Kaitlyn in Lioness, episode 2, season 3, streaming on Paramount+, 2026. Photo Credit: Emerson Miller/Paramount+.Paramount+
L-R: Zoe Saldaña as Joe, Thad Luckinbill as Kyle, Laysla De Oliveira as Cruz in Lioness, episode 3, season 3, streaming on Paramount+, 2026. Photo Credit: Emerson Miller/Paramount+.Paramount+
LaMonica Garrett as Tucker in Lioness, episode 1, season 3, streaming on Paramount+, 2026. Photo Credit: Emerson Miller/Paramount+.Paramount+
L-R: Zoe Saldaña as Joe, Laysla De Oliveira as Cruz, Ian Bohen as Grady, episode 1, season 3, streaming on Paramount+, 2026. Photo Credit: Lauren Smith/Paramount+.Paramount+
Zoe Saldaña as Joe in Lioness, episode 1, season 3, streaming on Paramount+, 2026. Photo Credit: Emerson Miller/Paramount+.Paramount+
L-R: Austin Hébert as Randy and James Jordan as Two Cups in Lioness, episode 1, season 3, streaming on Paramount+, 2026. Photo Credit: Emerson Miller/Paramount+.Paramount+
Nicole Kidman as Kaitlyn in Lioness, episode 2, season 3, streaming on Paramount+, 2026. Photo Credit: Emerson Miller/Paramount+.Paramount+
Elizaveta Neretin in Lioness, episode 4, season 3, streaming on Paramount+, 2026. Photo Credit: Lauren Smith/Paramount+.Paramount+
L-R: Laysla De Oliveira as Cruz and LaMonica Garrett as Tucker in Lioness, episode 1, season 3, streaming on Paramount+, 2026. Photo Credit: Emerson Miller/Paramount+.Paramount+
Morgan Freeman as Edwin Mullins in Lioness, episode 4, season 3, streaming on Paramount+, 2026. Photo Credit: Lauren Smith/Paramount+.Paramount+
L-R: Zoe Saldaña as Joe and Dave Annable as Neal in Lioness, episode 4, season 3, streaming on Paramount+, 2026. Photo Credit: Lauren Smith/Paramount+.Paramount+
L-R: Laysla De Oliveira as Cruz, Austin Hébert as Randy, Jill Wagner as Bobby, James Jordan as Two Cups, Jonah Wharton as Tex, LaMonica Garrett as Tucker, Thad Luckinbill as Kyle in episode 4, season 3, streaming on Paramount+, 2026. Photo Credit: Lauren Smith/Paramount+.Paramount+
L-R: Ian Bohen as Grady, Sandi Todorovic as Alex, LaMonica Garrett as Tucker, in Lioness, episode 5, season 3, streaming on Paramount+, 2026. Photo Credit: Emerson Miller/Paramount+.Paramount+
Thad Luckinbill as Kyle in Lioness, episode 1, season 3, streaming on Paramount+, 2026. Photo Credit: Emerson Miller/Paramount+.Paramount+
L-R: Michael Kelly as Byron Westfield and Nicole Kidman as Kaitlyn in Lioness, episode 5, season 3, streaming on Paramount+, 2026. Photo Credit: Ryan Green/Paramount+.Paramount+
L-R: Morgan Freeman as Edwin Mullins, Michael Kelly as Byron Westfield, Nicole Kidman as Kaitlyn, Zoe Saldaña as Joe, in Lioness, episode 5, season 3, streaming on Paramount+, 2026. Photo Credit: Ryan Green/Paramount+.Paramount+
L-R: Zoe Saldaña as Joe, Hannah Love Lanier as Kate, Celestina Harris as Charlie, in Lioness, episode 6, season 3, streaming on Paramount+, 2026. Photo Credit: Ryan Green/Paramount+.Paramount+
L-R: Morgan Freeman as Edwin Mullins and Zoe Saldaña as Joe in Lioness, episode 6, season 3, streaming on Paramount+, 2026. Photo Credit: Ryan Green/Paramount+.Paramount+
L-R: Zoe Saldaña as Joe and Nicole Kidman as Kaitlynin Lioness, episode 8, season 3, streaming on Paramount+, 2026. Photo Credit: Ryan Green/Paramount+.Paramount+
L-R: Laysla De Oliveira as Cruz and Genesis Rodriguez as Josie in Lioness, episode 1, season 3, streaming on Paramount+, 2026. Photo Credit: Ryan Green/Paramount+.Paramount+
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