Taylor Sheridan Addresses His Hit 3-Part Action Thriller Series Predicting Real-Life Future Events

Taylor Sheridan predicts the future with his hit spy thriller.

Lioness is a Paramount+ espionage drama series from Sheridan that is inspired by actual U.S. military initiatives. The show follows CIA officer Joe (Zoe Saldaña), who leads a specialized team that recruits female operatives for dangerous undercover assignments. Their mission is to gain the trust of women connected to high-profile terrorist figures, allowing the CIA to infiltrate and take down the organizations. The show also stars Nicole Kidman (Kaitlyn Meade), Morgan Freeman (Edwin Mullins), Laysla De Oliveira (Cruz Manuelos), Jill Wagner (Bobby), Michael Kelly (Donald Westfield), Genesis Rodriguez (Josephina Carrillo), and LaMonica Garrett (Tucker).

Sheridan’s Lioness has become one of his more politically driven projects. And, according to the creator, he has unintentionally tied the hit series to real-world events by accidentally predicting headlines. Although the show doesn’t air until after the incidents occur, the storylines were written and filmed beforehand, leading to the common misconception that Lioness is based on current events.

During a recent interview on the Joe Rogan Experience, the creator explained how several story developments featured in Lioness season 2 ended up happening in real life. Sheridan said those moments were never intended as predictions. He explained that they were more educated guesses about the future of global politics and national security than anything else.

One example that stood out was in Lioness season 2, when Mexican drug cartels were officially considered terrorist organizations. Sheridan admitted that when he wrote the storyline, he believed it was a bold and potentially controversial creative decision. However, shortly after the episodes were written, eerily similar discussions and developments began to unfold in the real world, making it a surprising coincidence.

Sheridan said that the timing and accuracy really surprised him. The second season of the hit spy drama premiered only weeks after the headlines appeared. Despite what it may look like from the outside, Sheridan explained that Lioness was never supposed to promote any political agenda. He said the series was supposed to explore the relationship between intelligence agencies and the military instead.

Lioness season 3 premieres on Sunday, August 2, 2026, on Paramount+ at 3:00 AM ET and 12:00 AM PT. Episodes will release weekly after the season debut.

Release Date

July 23, 2023

Network

Paramount+

Showrunner

Taylor Sheridan

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  Laysla De Oliveira

  Cruz Manuelos