Paramount+ today announced that Taylor Sheridan’s hit espionage thriller LIONESS will return for a third season, starring executive producer and Academy Award® winner Zoe Saldaña and Academy Award and Emmy® Award winner Nicole Kidman, who also serves as executive producer.
In season two, the CIA’s fight against terror moved closer to home. Joe (Saldaña), Kaitlyn (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 addition to Saldaña and Kidman, the second season also starred Academy Award winner Morgan Freeman, Michael Kelly, Canadian Laysla De Oliveira, Genesis Rodriguez, Dave Annable, Jill Wagner, LaMonica Garrett, James Jordan, Austin Hébert, Jonah Wharton, Thad Luckinbill and Hannah Love Lanier. Kidman received a 2024 Critics Choice Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her role.
LIONESS season two was executive produced by Taylor Sheridan, David C. Glasser, Zoe Saldaña, Nicole Kidman, Ron Burkle, Bob Yari, David Hutkin, Jill Wagner, David Lemanowicz, Geyer Kosinski, Michael Friedman and Keith Cox.
The series is produced by Paramount Television Studios and 101 Studios exclusively for Paramount+ and is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution. Seasons one and two are available to binge on Paramount+.
About Paramount+
Paramount+ is a global digital subscription video streaming service from Paramount that features a mountain of premium entertainment for audiences of all ages. Internationally, the streaming service features an expansive library of original series, hit shows and popular movies across every genre from world-renowned brands and production studios, including SHOWTIME®, BET, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures and the Smithsonian Channel™, in addition to a robust offering of premier local content. The service is currently live in Australia, Austria, Canada, the Caribbean, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latin America, Switzerland, the U.K. and the U.S.
Tickets are now on sale wherever tickets are sold for Disney and Pixar’s “Elio,” the cosmic misadventure that introduces Elio, a space fanatic with an active imagination and a huge alien obsession. Opening exclusively in theatres on June 20, 2025 “Elio” features a fun and funny array of aliens with whom Elio aligns himself in hopes he can relocate to outer space permanently. Moviegoers who can’t wait till the release date can check out early-access screenings on June 18, 2025 —check local theatres for more information. Plus, showcasing fun alien characters like liquid supercomputer Ooooo, friendly ambassador Helix, Elio’s new alien friend, Glordon, and space warlord Grigon, the final trailer for “Elio” is now available:
For centuries, people have called out to the universe looking for answers—in Disney and Pixar’s all-new feature film “Elio,” the universe calls back! When Elio is beamed up to the Communiverse, an interplanetary organization with representatives from galaxies far and wide, Elio’s all in for the epic undertaking. Mistakenly identified as Earth’s leader, Elio must form new bonds with eccentric alien lifeforms, navigate a crisis of intergalactic proportions, and somehow discover who and where he is truly meant to be. Directed by Madeline Sharafian (“Burrow” Sparkshort), Domee Shi (“Bao” short, “Turning Red”) and Adrian Molina (co-screenwriter/co-director of “Coco”), and produced by Mary Alice Drumm (associate producer of “Coco”), the film features the voices of Yonas Kibreab as Elio, Zoe Saldaña as Aunt Olga, Remy Edgerly as Glordon, Brad Garrett as Lord Grigon, Jameela Jamil as Ambassador Questa and Shirley Henderson as Ooooo.
Honouring the best in Television and Cinema, the 82nd Golden Globe Awards were held tonight in Los Angeles. Leading the way in the Cinema categories was THE BRUTALIST taking Best Director (Brady Corbet), Actor (Adrien Brody) and Best Motion Picture Drama, strengthening its case for Best Picture at the impending Academy Awards in March.
But if anything, the race for Best Picture is as competitive as ever with Jacques Audiard‘s EMILIA PÉREZ also taking Best Motion Picture Comedy or Musical, Best Motion Picture Non-English Language, Best Original Song (“El Mal”), and Best Supporting Actress (Zoe Saldana).
Cinematic and Box Office Achievement would go to Jon M. Chu‘s WICKED, which also is in the running for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. The Film, released late November, already has grossed over $680 million globally.
FX‘s SHĹŚGUN dominated the Television categories, winning Best Television Series Drama, Best Actor in a Television Series Drama (Hiroyuki Sanada), Best Actress in a TV Series (Anna Sawai), and Best Supporting Actor in a Television Series (Tadanobu Asano).
In the Television Series Comedy categories, HBO‘s HACKS would dominate, taking Best Television Series Comedy and Best Actress in a Television Series Comedy (Jean Smart).
Some of the biggest surprises of the night include wins from THE SUBSTANCE star Demi Moore upsetting the Best Actress in a Motion Picture Comedy category, a category in which ANORA‘s Mikey Madison is seen as the frontrunner. Brazilian screen legend Fernanda Torres also would upset Best Actress in a Motion Picture Drama for her work in I’M STILL HERE, denying the likes of Nicole Kidman who has been lauded for her work in BABYGIRL.
Complete list of winners:
Our highlights on CBC News:
(Photo credit: Elevation Pictures)
Hot off its warm reception at TIFF ’24 comes the new Trailer for Jacques Audiard‘s EMILIA PÉREZ.
SYNOPSIS |
From renegade auteur Jacques Audiard comes Emilia PĂ©rez, an audacious fever dream that defies genres and expectations. Through liberating song and dance and bold visuals, this odyssey follows the journey of four remarkable women in Mexico, each pursuing their own happiness. The fearsome cartel leader Emilia (Karla SofĂa GascĂłn) enlists Rita (Zoe Saldaña), an unappreciated lawyer stuck in a dead-end job, to help fake her death so that Emilia can finally live authentically as her true self. Written and directed by Audiard (Rust and Bone, A Prophet), the double Cannes-winning film also stars Selena Gomez, Adriana Paz, and Edgar RamĂrez.
About EMILIA PÉREZ
DIRECTOR: Jacques Audiard
WRITER: Jacques Audiard
PRODUCERS: Pascal Caucheteux, Jacques Audiard, Valérie Schermann, Anthony Vaccarello
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Pauline Lamy
CAST: Karla SofĂa GascĂłn (Emilia), Zoe Saldaña (Rita), Selena Gomez (Jessi), Adriana Paz (EpifanĂa), and Edgar RamĂrez (Gustavo)
ORIGINAL SCORE AND SONGS BY: Clément Ducol and Camille
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: France
In Select Theaters On November 1, 2024 (US and Canada)
On Netflix November 13, 2024 (US, Canada and UK)
By David Baldwin
Rita (Zoe Saldaña) is a defence lawyer in Mexico City with the uncanny ability of helping her wealthy clients stay out of jail. She is contacted by a local drug kingpin for assistance in finding the right discreet medical centres to complete their gender affirmation surgery from man to woman. She needs to help get the kingpin’s young wife Jessi (Selena Gomez) and children to safety in Switzerland as well. Four years later, Rita meets the fully transitioned Emilia PĂ©rez (Karla SofĂa GascĂłn) who now wants to become reacquainted with her family.
Oh, and did I mention that this is a full-blown rock opera filled head to toe with songs – almost all entirely in Spanish – while also being a Shakespearean tragedy?
EMILIA PÉREZ is a sumptuous fever dream that should not work. But Co-Writer/Director Jacques Audiard manages to balance all of the ideas and genres (including it also being a crime thriller and a moving exploration of discovering one’s true self in the LGBTQ+ community) into one cohesive and beautiful film. I loved the look and the feel, and felt the songs and dance sequences – yes there are plenty of those as well – were exquisite. While I wish there was a true showstopping number, I still feel like we are gifted a solid soundtrack that will get lots of future replay on Spotify.
If I hold anything really again EMILIA PÉREZ, it’s that there are a few subplots and characters that feel extraneous and take away from the commanding performances by the lead trio of Saldaña, Gomez and GascĂłn. This is a story about powerful, flawed women first and foremost, and they each slay in their own way from start to finish. There’s a reason why the Cannes Film Festival bestowed the Best Actress prize to the three of them (plus Adriana Paz) rather than highlighting only one of these spectacular performers. So why should we care about characters like Edgar RamĂrez’s Gustavo? Some of this leads to sag in the middle that I wish was tightened up a bit better, but I will admit that it’s easy to look past and forgive once you see what a distinct and unique sensory feast the rest of the film is.
EMILIA PÉREZ screens at TIFF ’24:
Monday, September 9 at 6:15PM at VISA Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre
Tuesday, September 10 at 11:30PM at VISA Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre
Friday, September 13 at 5:45PM and 9:00PM at TIFF Lightbox
Saturday, September 14 at 9:00AM at TIFF Lightbox and 9:45PM at VISA Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre
Sunday, September 15 at 12:00PM at TIFF Lightbox
Even at the half-way point, the star power still is electric at the Festival! Our Day Six sightings include:
•Zoe Saldana and Karla Sofia Gascon for EMILIA PEREZ
•Robbie Williams at TIFF ’24 for BETTER MAN
•Jason Reitman, Willem Dafoe, J.K. Simmons, Rachel Sennott, Gabriel LaBelle, Dylan O’Brien, Nicholas Braun, Ella Hunt, Kim Matula, Billy Bryk, Cory Michael Smith and more at TIFF ’24 for SATURDAY NIGHT
Highlights below:
(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)
Paramount+ today announced that the highly anticipated second season of the original drama series LIONESS will premiere Sunday, October 27, 2024 with two episodes, exclusively on Paramount+ in Canada, the U.S. and international markets where the service is available. From Oscar nominee Taylor Sheridan, the espionage thriller is currently filming in Texas. LIONESS features a star-studded cast, including series lead and executive producer Zoe Saldaña, Canadian Laysla De Oliveira, Genesis Rodriguez and Emmy Award nominee Michael Kelly, with Oscar winner Morgan Freeman, and Oscar and Emmy winner and executive producer Nicole Kidman. The series is produced by MTV Entertainment Studios and 101 Studios exclusively for Paramount+.
As the CIA’s fight against terror moves closer to home, Joe (Saldaña), Kaitlyn (Kidman), and Byron (Kelly) enlist a new Lioness operative to infiltrate a previously unknown threat. With pressure mounting from all sides, Joe is forced to confront the profound personal sacrifices she has made as the leader of the Lioness program. The series also stars Dave Annable, Jill Wagner, LaMonica Garrett, James Jordan, Austin Hébert, Jonah Wharton, Thad Luckinbill and Hannah Love Lanier.
The series is executive produced by Taylor Sheridan, David C. Glasser, Zoe Saldaña, Nicole Kidman, Ron Burkle, Bob Yari, David Hutkin, Jill Wagner, David Lemanowicz, Geyer Kosinski, Michael Friedman and Keith Cox and distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.
Season one of LIONESS set a new record as the most-watched worldwide series premiere on the service, at that time.
LIONESS is part of Sheridan’s growing slate on Paramount+, which includes YELLOWSTONE, 1883, MAYOR OF KINGSTOWN, LAWMEN: BASS REEVES, the upcoming series LANDMAN, as well as the second seasons of TULSA KING and 1923.
For more information about Paramount+ and LIONESS, please visit www.paramountplus.com, and follow @ParamountPlusCA and @LionessPPlus on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
About Paramount+
Paramount+ is a global digital subscription video streaming service from Paramount that features a mountain of premium entertainment for audiences of all ages. Internationally, the streaming service features an expansive library of original series, hit shows and popular movies across every genre from world-renowned brands and production studios, including SHOWTIME®, BET, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures and the Smithsonian Channel™, in addition to a robust offering of premier local content. The service is currently live in Australia, Austria, Canada, the Caribbean, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latin America, Switzerland, the U.K. and the U.S.
For more information about Paramount+, please visit www.paramountplus.com, and follow @ParamountPlusCA on social media.
Paramount+ today announced that production is underway on the highly anticipated second season of the original drama series LIONESS. From Oscar nominee Taylor Sheridan, the espionage thriller currently is filming in Texas and features a star-studded cast, including series lead and executive producer Zoe Saldaña, Canadian Laysla De Oliveira, Genesis Rodriguez, Emmy® Award nominee Michael Kelly, with Oscar winner Morgan Freeman, and Academy Award winner and executive producer Nicole Kidman. LIONESS is produced by MTV Entertainment Studios and 101 Studios exclusively for Paramount+.
LIONESS, inspired by an actual U.S. Military program, follows the life of Joe (Saldaña) while she attempts to balance her personal and professional life as the tip of the CIA’s spear in the war on terror. The series also stars Dave Annable, Jill Wagner, LaMonica Garrett, James Jordan, Austin HĂ©bert, Jonah Wharton, Thad Luckinbill and Hannah Love Lanier.
The series is executive produced by Oscar nominee Taylor Sheridan, David C. Glasser, Zoe Saldaña, Nicole Kidman, Ron Burkle, Bob Yari, David Hutkin, Jill Wagner, David Lemanowicz, Geyer Kosinski, Michael Friedman and Keith Cox and is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.
Season one of LIONESS set a new record as the service’s most-watched worldwide series premiere on launch day, at that time, with nearly six million total viewers in its first week across Paramount+ globally and a linear preview on the Paramount Network in the U.S.
In addition to LIONESS, Sheridan’s growing slate on Paramount+ includes YELLOWSTONE, TULSA KING and LANDMAN, which currently are all in production, and the upcoming third season of MAYOR OF KINGSTOWN, 1923, LAWMEN: BASS REEVES, and 1883.
For more information about Paramount+ and LIONESS, please visit www.paramountplus.com, and follow @ParamountPlusCA and @LionessPPlus on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
Toronto’s own Laysla De Oliveira got a huge welcome home tonight to present upcoming Paramount+ Series SPECIAL OPS: LIONESS. The Actress after having lived in the City for most of her life, now is based in the U.S.
This Action-Thriller Series from Taylor Sheridan (Yellowstone, Mayor of Kingstown) centers on Joe (Zoe Saldaña) as she attempts to thwart the next 9/11 with an aggressive Marine named Cruz (De Oliveira), reporting to Kaitlyn Meade (Nicole Kidman) and Donald Westfield (Michael Kelly).
Some lucky select influencers got to preview the first episode of the riveting new Series which left them wanting more. De Oliveira sporting a gorgeous Fendi number, spoke about being cast in this dream assignment at a Q&A hosted by TIFF, with a gorgeous rooftop bash that followed at Malaparte. She truly rises above the the physical and emotional demands of her role.
Seen supporting De Oliveira who by the way is phenomenal here, were her fiancĂ©, Actor Jonathan Keltz, along with Aladdin star Mena Massoud. De Oliveira‘s Locke & Key Co-Star Hallea Jones also was present for the celebrations.
A reel of highlights from the night:
@mrwillwong Toronto's own Laysla De Oliveira stars in a leading role on Paramount+'s #SpecialOpsLioness, arriving 7.23.23 on @Paramount+ Canada ! Riveting Series from Taylor Sheridan, also stars Zoe Saldana, Nicole Kidman and Morgan Freeman! #LionessPPlus #ParamountPlusCA #LayslaDeOliveira ♬ Makeba – Jain
You absolutely must check-out SPECIAL OPS: LIONESS when it premeres on Paramount+ Canada July 23, 2023.
(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong/Paramount+)
Paramount+ today debuted the teaser trailer and key art for the highly anticipated original series SPECIAL OPS: LIONESS, which will premiere on Sunday, July 23 in the U.S. and all Paramount+ international markets exclusively on the service. From Academy Award nominee Taylor Sheridan, the espionage thriller features a star-studded cast, including series lead and executive producer Zoe Saldaña, Laysla De Oliveira, Emmy Award nominee Michael Kelly, with Academy Award winner Morgan Freeman, and Academy Award winner and executive producer Nicole Kidman. SPECIAL OPS: LIONESS is produced by MTV Entertainment Studios and 101 Studios for Paramount+.
SPECIAL OPS: LIONESS, inspired by an actual US Military program, follows the life of Joe (Saldaña) while she attempts to balance her personal and professional life as the tip of the CIA’s spear in the war on terror. The Lioness Program, overseen by Kaitlyn Meade (Kidman) and Donald Westfield (Kelly), enlists an aggressive Marine Raider named Cruz (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 will also star series regulars Dave Annable, Jill Wagner, LaMonica Garrett, James Jordan, Austin Hébert, Jonah Wharton, Stephanie Nur and Hannah Love Lanier. The series 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.
SPECIAL OPS: LIONESS is the latest addition to Sheridan’s growing slate on Paramount+, which includes 1923, 1883, MAYOR OF KINGSTOWN, and TULSA KING as well as the upcoming series LAWMEN: BASS REEVES and LAND MAN.
For more information about Paramount+ and SPECIAL OPS: LIONESS, please visit www.paramountplus.com and follow @ParamountPlusCA and @SpecialOpsLioness on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok and @SpecOpsLioness on Twitter.
For advertising opportunites please contact mrwill@mrwillwong.com