As we mentioned yesterday, Zoe Saldana’s next movie is the gripping immigration drama, “The Absence of Eden,” Directed by Marco Perego, in the film, Garrett Hedlund plays an ICE Agent struggling with the moral dilemmas of border security, and Saldana stars as an undocumented woman fighting to escape a ruthless cartel (Adria Arjona co-stars). In the film, the two characters eventually cross paths and work together to save an innocent girl’s life (see the trailer below).
Saldana appeared on an upcoming episode of our The Discourse podcast, where host Mike DeAngelo talked to her all about “The Absence Of Eden” and more. However, the star spoke about much more than ‘Eden,’ and she discussed her time in the “Guardians Of The Galaxy” franchise (you can read that excerpt here), “Star Trek 4” and her Paramount+ series, “Lioness,” which she says is in discussions for green lighting a second season.
Created by “Yellowstone” writer/exec/creator Taylor Sheridan, he of the enormous TV empire on Paramount+, which includes shows like “Yellowstone” spin-off “1923,” “Mayor of Kingstown” and “Tulsa King,” “Special Ops: Lioness” is a spy thriller and CIA drama.
In the series, CIA operative Joe (Saldana) attempts to balance her personal and professional life as the tip of the spear in the agency’s war on terror. She enlists Cruz (breakout star Laysla De Oliveira), a female special operations Marine, as an undercover member of the Lioness Program (read our review here).
The series also features appearances by Nicole Kidman, Morgan Freeman, LaMonica Garrett, Michael Kelly, and Martin Donovan, among many others.
When “Special Ops: Lioness” was first screened for critics, only a handful of episodes were given out for review, and the series received largely negative reviews (overall, it sits at 56% on Rotten Tomatoes). But those who stuck with it all the way through were a bit more impressed, and word of mouth on the show rose by the end of its first season run.
Asked if the show was one and done, Saldana said vehemently not and that discussions were currently ongoing for a second season. The actress also expressed gratitude for those critics who stuck with the show for the entire season and could see the full scope of what it attempted to paint a complicated portrait of someone struggling between a professional and personal life.
“No, no, no, we are very much in talks for a season two,” she revealed. “We’re very grateful that the show was received well.”
“There were critics that, if they were harsh in the beginning, after watching the show, they came back for a reevaluation,” she explained. “I was very grateful that they felt compelled to do that. And I’m indebted.”
Saldana had high praise for the show’s writer/director Taylor Sheridan.
“I think that Taylor right now is one of the most in-demand film and TV creators right now. And he’s popular for a reason,” she said. “I think that he writes really, really well. I’m happy that he decided to also write a show like ‘Lioness’ about the women in service. And yeah, I just can’t wait. I can’t wait for us to sort of understand and know when and where and how and what we’re going to be doing for season two.”
Paramount+ has made no official word about a second season of “Lioness,” but it wouldn’t be the first time they dragged their heels slightly. Sheridan’s “Tulsa King,” starring Sylvester Stallone, aired in 2022, but it’s only going forward with a second season right now, as production only began this week (presumably for a late 2024 or early 2025 premiere). Sheridan’s “Mayor of Kingstown” returns for season three this summer, and the final season of “Yellowstone” is scheduled to air in November, but given all the back and forth on the series, it’s still unclear if it will make that date. Either way, fans of “Lioness” can cross their fingers and hope for a season two announcement soon.
