A-list stars, undercover ops and free-flowing champagne: last night was not your average Tuesday at Tate Britain. The airy, illuminated spaces surrounding its ground-floor Rotunda were graced by a glamorous crowd led by Nicole Kidman and Zoe Saldaña, who traded Beverly Hills for Millbank to attend the premiere of Special Ops: Lioness. The upcoming spy thriller series is a Paramount+ original created by Taylor Sheridan, which joins hits including Yellowstone and Tulsa King in the ever-expanding “Sheridan-verse”.
The TV hitmaker has a track record of attracting blockbuster talent to his binge-worthy projects, and Special Ops: Lioness is no exception; alongside Kidman and Saldaña, the series stars Morgan Freeman, Laysla De Oliveira and Michael Kelly. Inspired by real-life U.S. military events, it centres on Joe (Saldaña) and the Lioness Programme, which enlists a young Marine Raider named Cruz (De Oliveira) to operate undercover as part of the CIA’s war on terror.
The cocktail reception, screening and after-party drew an eclectic crowd of acting and filmmaking talent, alongside musicians and models. Kidman and Saldaña gave a giddy introduction and the audience was gripped for the hour-long episode, after which rave reviews could be heard echoing throughout the gallery. “It was great to see a pair of women driving the narrative and challenging viewer expectations of the genre,” said actor and Bridgerton star Adjoa Andoh, a sentiment echoed by actor Amita Suman, who spoke with relish about how the series subverts the male gaze.
Another thing all could agree on: fingers will be poised over the play button when the series is released later this month.
Special Ops: Lioness will be released on Paramount+ on July 23
