More and more it seems like this is Taylor Sheridan’s universe and we’re just living in it. Five seasons into Paramount’s hit drama Yellowstone, the actor-turned-writer is just churning out content for the network, including a trio of Dutton family saga spinoffs. In doing so Sheridan has managed to lock down a roster of A-list actors who would likely be on many showrunners' bucket lists. After nabbing Kevin Costner for the flagship series and then casting Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren for the prequel 1923, Sheridan is adding another name to that impressive list, as Nicole Kidman has signed on for his newest drama, Lioness.
Academy Award winner Nicole Kidman has joined Taylor Sheridan’s upcoming Paramount+ drama Lioness as CIA senior supervisor Kaitlyn Meade, THR reports. She will star opposite Laysla De Oliveira and Zoe Saldaña. She is also set to serve as executive producer alongside Sheridan, Saldaña and several others.
Lioness is reportedly based on a real-life CIA program, which is tasked with bringing down a terrorist organization from within. Nicole Kidman’s character is described as having had a long career in politics. Per THR:
She must juggle the trappings of being a woman in the high-ranking intelligence community, a wife who longs for the attention she herself can’t even give and a mentor to someone veering suspiciously close to the same rocky road she’s found herself on.
The Hours star is just the latest name to be added to Taylor Sheridan’s roster of impressive talent — a list that seems to be expanding as quickly as his Yellowstone universe is. Academy Award winner Kevin Costner started it off, of course, as patriarch John Dutton on Yellowstone. We’re slowly learning more about the higher branches of the Dutton family tree, however, as Sheridan introduced Academy award nominee Harrison Ford as Jacob Dutton and Oscar winner Dame Helen Mirren as his wife Cara Dutton as part of the cast of 1923.
All these names and we still haven't talked about 1883, which features real-life husband-and-wife team Tim McGraw and Faith Hill as part of its cast as James and Margaret Dutton, along with Academy Award nominee Sam Elliott and a cameo from two-time Oscar winner Tom Hanks. Maybe Taylor Sheridan is going for the Academy Award-by-proxy, because it’s kind of unbelievable the caliber of movie stars he’s been able to sign for roles on his assorted Paramount series. Let’s also not forget that the Sons of Anarchy alum has Sylvester Stallone (a two-time Best Actor Oscar nominee) leading the cast of Tulsa King in the Rocky alum’s first-ever starring role on television.
In addition to Yellowstone, whose fifth season will resume this summer (that’s right, after a nearly six-month hiatus), Taylor Sheridan is working on the spinoffs 1923, which premiered in December and is available for streaming with a Paramount+ subscription. He's also working on 6666, which is set to star Yellowstone actors Jefferson White and Ryan Bingham as Jimmy and Walker, working at the Four Sixes Ranch in Texas. To round it out, Sheridan has 1883: The Bass Reeves Story in the works, which will serve as a second season of the limited prequel series 1883, with David Oyelowo (Selma) — another stellar casting achievement — in the titular role.
While we wait for more news on Nicole Kidman’s Lioness and Taylor Sheridan’s other projects, check out our 2023 TV schedule to see what premieres are coming soon to TV and streaming.
