EXCLUSIVE: Get Your First Look at Taylor Sheridan's Special Ops: Lioness In These New Photos
Shot by renowned war photographer Lynsey Addario, these pictures offer a new glimpse of the upcoming Paramount+ series starring Zoe Saldana.
Fans of Yellowstone may have a wait ahead of them before the Duttons return to our TV screens, but for devotees of the show's creator Taylor Sheridan's writing, there's a brand new series on the way that's sure to become an obsession. Starring Zoe Saldaña, Laysla De Oliveira, Nicole Kidman, and Morgan Freeman, Special Ops: Lioness tells the story of the Lioness program: a team of CIA operatives who use a female undercover agent to infiltrate terrorist organizations with the goal of getting close to the families of terrorists, allowing the team to take down the groups from the inside.
The show will premiere on Paramount+ on Sunday, July 23, 2023, and ahead of its debut, acclaimed photographer Lynsey Addario shared some exclusive images with T&C to give us our first look at the world of the Lioness team. Shot on set in Morocco earlier this year, Addario explains that it was her work in real-life conflict areas, documenting humanitarian crises and women’s issues, that helped bring her to the production.
"Christine Ramage at Paramount reached out to me to see if I would be interested in shooting portraits and some potential poster material on the set of Lioness, in order to give the images an authentic feel," she explained. "A CIA spy drama set in the Middle East photographed by a war photographer who covered conflict across the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia for two decades."
Here, catch a first look at the Lioness team.
Inspired by a real life military program, Special Ops: Lioness centers on Zoe Saldaña's Joe, the leader of Lioness who grapples with the complexities of running her team, maintaining her personal life, and navigating the political machinery that controls the CIA.
"I was impressed with what a great job they had done with the sets," said Addario of her work on-set. "There was a moment where I was shooting one of the scenes when I was immediately brought right back to the popular uprising in Libya, and other moments which brought me right back to bases in Iraq during the invasion."
Laysla De Oliveria plays Cruz Manuelos, who takes on the dangerous mission of going undercover in a terrorist organization in Special Ops: Lioness.
"Ironically, I spent a fair amount of time with the Female Engagement Teams in Afghanistan, (female marines attached to male infantry in very kinetic areas in southern Afghanistan)," Addario said, "So photographing female CIA operatives on dusty American bases felt somewhat familiar."
Fans of Taylor Sheridan's 1883 may recognize LaMonica Garrett, who played the Pinkerton agent Thomas on the Western. In Special Ops: Lioness he appears as Tucker, a member of the Lioness team.
"All the actors were so great to work with, and so gracious about the fact that I was between rotations in Ukraine, and photographing them on set," said Addario.
Another familiar face for Taylor Sheridan fans, James Jordan has appeared on Yellowstone, Mayor of Kingstown, and 1883 before his turn as Two Cups on Special Ops: Lioness.
Lauren Hubbard is a freelance writer and Town & Country contributor who covers beauty, shopping, entertainment, travel, home decor, wine, and cocktails.
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