Morgan Freeman Joins Nicole Kidman in New Series From ‘Yellowstone’ Creator

Oscar winner Morgan Freeman is the latest A-List star to sign on to Taylor Sheridan’s new Paramount+ original series Lioness. The spy thriller is headlined and executive produced by Zoe Saldaña and also stars fellow executive producer Nicole Kidman and Laysla De Oliveira.

Freeman will play United States Secretary of State Edwin Mullins in the show, which is based on a real-life CIA program. Lioness follows Cruz Manuelos (De Oliveira), “a rough-around-the-edges but passionate young Marine recruited to join the CIA’s Lioness Engagement Team to help bring down a terrorist organization from within.” Saldaña plays Joe, the station chief of the Lioness program who is responsible for training, managing and leading her female undercover operatives.

Lioness‘ cast also includes Dave Annable, Jill Wagner, LaMonica Garrett, James Jordan, Austin Hébert, Jonah Wharton, Stephanie Nur and Hannah Love Lanier. The series is executive produced by Sheridan, David C. Glasser, Saldaña, Kidman, Ron Burkle, Bob Yari, David Hutkin, Jill Wagner, Geyer Kosinski, Michael Malone and John Hillcoat.

Lioness is just Sheridan’s latest program on his long list of Paramount Network and Paramount+ series, which also includes Yellowstone, 1883, 1923, Mayor of Kingstown, Tulsa King and the upcoming series Bass Reeves and Land Man. Sheridan’s hit series Yellowstone is in its midseason hiatus and will return for the latter half of Season 5 in summer 2023.

Sheridan’s projects have been synonymous with A-List talent as of late, with 1923 attracting Helen Mirren and Harrison Ford as its leads. “I called [Ford] and said come down to my ranch and he flew down. I did the same with Helen,” Sheridan told Deadline last month of getting his ideal cast on board for the latest addition to the Yellowstone franchise. “I said, ‘We’re going to do this thing together.’ He goes, ‘Can I read a script?’ I said, ‘You can when it’s written, but it ain’t written yet and you got to commit to it now,’” Sheridan recalled.

He continued telling Ford, “‘I need to know who I’m writing for. I’m done wondering who I’m writing for, and I have to go try to chase the person I had in my mind and I can’t get the person because they’re doing some f-ing Netflix show. I don’t do that s- anymore. So, are you going to do it or are you going to watch Chris Cooper do the next great thing? What do you want to do?’”