The action-packed series Special Ops: Lioness, arriving on Paramount+ on Sunday 23 July, is a crackling spy thriller inspired by a real-life female US military operation. The show follows an elite counter-terrorism team that sends women across the world as underground agents.

Sounds like a spine-tingling watch to us – and the cast is packed with series Hollywood talent, including Oscar winners and familiar faces from huge hit movies. Here’s what we know about this soon-to-be-massive series. Have a peek at the trailer…

Who’s in it and what’s it all about?

Heading up the Lioness unit is Station Chief Joe (Zoe Saldaña, Avatar: The Way Of Water), who is responsible for finding, training and leading new recruits for undercover missions.

The latest addition to their specialist team is young Marine Cruz Manuelos (Laysla De Oliveira, Locke & Key). As an Undercover Operative she’s tasked with infiltrating a dangerous terrorist organisation and bringing it down from within. It’s risky business, as intelligence bosses Kaitlyn Meade (Nicole Kidman, Big Little Lies) and Donald Westfield (Michael Kelly, House Of Cards) – not to mention the US Secretary of State Edwin Mullins (Morgan Freeman, A Good Person) – know all too well.

The operatives soon learn that keeping your enemies close is a dangerous game. While Special Ops: Lioness is a tense action-packed thriller with life-and-death stakes, there’s real personal drama at its heart. As an undercover double agent, can you ensure the mission stays on track and achieve your objective without losing yourself? It’s a perilous balancing act and all hell could break loose at any moment.

Sounds like a thrill ride. Anyone else I’d know in the cast?

If you thought that you’d recognised some more familiar faces alongside these mega movie stars, then you’d be right. Featuring as fellow intelligence operatives are Two Cups (James Jordan, Yellowstone), Tucker (LaMonica Garrett, Sons Of Anarchy), Bobby (Jill Wagner, Teen Wolf), Randy (Austin Hébert, Unbelievable) and Tex (Jonah Wharton, The Rookie).

Plus, eagle-eyed viewers should keep a look-out for Dave Annable (Brothers & Sisters) and Hannah Love Lanier (A Black Lady Sketch Show) in this stacked and stellar line-up, as well as Sam Asghari – aka Britney Spears’ husband – who stars in four episodes.

There’s some serious talent behind the camera too. Special Ops: Lioness was created by Taylor Sheridan, the TV genius responsible for such hit shows as Yellowstone (and spin-offs 1883 and 1923), Mayor Of Kingstown and Tulsa King.

Where was it filmed?

According to reports filming for this electrifying espionage drama has taken place across both sides of the pond, with locations including Paris, Mallorca, Washington DC and Maryland. You can’t make an international spy thriller without an epic backdrop after all.

Still need some convincing to sign up for this high-stakes operation? Read on to find out who you’d be working with as a Lioness…

Zoe Saldaña as Joe

Starring as the Station Chief Joe, Zoe Saldaña is no stranger to the action world. She already has plenty of thrilling onscreen action under her belt, having made appearances in some of the biggest films in Hollywood history, including the Avatar, Star Trek and Marvel Studios’ Guardians Of The Galaxy and Avengers movies. You may also have seen her sci-fi thriller The Adam Project with Ryan Reynolds and the low-key crime drama Colombiana, as well as Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl. 

Laysla De Oliveira as Cruz Manuelos

While this is Laysla De Oliveira’s first action rodeo, there’s no doubt that the actor will already have her wits about her after roles in Joe Hill’s horrors In The Tall Grass and the comic-book horror series Locke And Key. We can’t wait to see De Oliveira’s performance!

Morgan Freeman as US Secretary of State Edwin Mullins

A genuine Hollywood legend with an Oscar, a Golden Globe and an incredible career that spans more than six decades. Having already starred in the action thriller Angel Has Fallen as the President of the United States, Freeman can be expected to bring this gravitas to the small screen as the US Secretary of State in Special Ops: Lioness, overseeing the intelligence operation.

Movie fans will also know this screen titan from his Oscar-winning role in Million Dollar Baby, as well as wildly popular movies like The Shawshank Redemption, Unforgiven, Seven and Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight trilogy. 

Nicole Kidman as Kaitlyn Meade

Nicole Kidman’s high-ranking operative spends her time negotiating with important government officials, but this isn’t the first time the actor has dealt with secret assignments. Back in the 1990s she was a nuclear expert in a crisis in The Peacemaker. And in the Golden Globe-nominated Destroyer, she starred as a police detective who was given an undercover mission that ended with tragic results. Yikes!

Kidman’s movie roles range from action (Days Of Thunder) to comedy (To Die For) to family adventures (Paddington) to some of the most acclaimed and prestigious dramas of recent years, including The Hours, for which she won an Oscar. She’s also starred in high-class TV dramas such as Nine Perfect Strangers, The Undoing and Big Little Lies before Special Ops: Lioness.

Michael Kelly as Donald Westfield

Michael Kelly already has on-the-ground experience in the espionage genre, thanks to his role as the smart and seasoned field officer Mike November in Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan. Although it looks like he’s taking a less central role in Special Ops: Lioness we’re certain he’ll still steal a scene or two.

You can also see Kelly, a four-time Emmy nominee, in the TV series House Of Cards, Taboo and Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior as well as movies like Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts, Man Of Steel and Everest.

When does Special Ops: Lioness begin on Paramount+?

Don’t miss the first two episodes of the eight-part original series Special Ops: Lioness which is available on Sunday 23 July exclusively on Paramount+ (Apps & Games > Paramount+). New episodes will then stream every Sunday.

How to watch Paramount+ on Virgin TV

All Virgin Media customers armed with a Virgin TV 360 box or with Stream from Virgin Media can get Paramount+ direct on your telly once you’ve got a subscription to the service. Simply sign up to Paramount+ via their website, where you can get a 7-day free trial to give you a taste of what’s on offer, then log in on the box. After the free trial, the ad-free app will cost £6.99 per month. See what else is on offer here.