Lioness: The Sicario Replacement on Paramount+

Watch it. If you miss the edge of Sicario, Taylor Sheridan has a show that delivers more of that tension than anything he's made since. Screen Rant reports that Sheridan's time with the franchise is done, but Lioness on Paramount+ is the closest tie to that world.

Zoe Saldaña plays senior CIA officer Joe McNamara, a former Lioness operative who oversees covert missions by female agents. The series mixes international espionage, undercover work, and political games with the same brutal action as the 2015 film. It's essentially the Sicario experience stretched across multiple episodes, and Screen Rant says the intensity from the uncertainty and compromised loyalties is all there.

The similarities to Sicario are impossible to ignore. Both focus on morally gray operations and the consequences of national security choices. But Lioness also shows the decision-making in Washington, with characters played by Nicole Kidman and Michael Kelly providing a look at the CIA machinery that the movies didn't explore. Three seasons are available right now.

For Sicario 3, Screen Rant confirms that Steven Knight (creator of Peaky Blinders) is the new screenwriter. His career, including titles like Locke and Taboo, shows he moves easily between crime, thriller, and character-driven drama. The three principal stars from the original movie are all returning: Emily Blunt's Kate, Benicio del Toro's Alejandro, and Josh Brolin's Matt Graver.

Plot details are still under wraps. But with Knight taking over, Screen Rant says it feels more like an intriguing new era than a creatively compromised sequel. Until then, Lioness seasons 1 through 3 are streaming on Paramount+. You know what to watch tonight.

• Lioness
• Paramount+
• Sicario 3
• Steven Knight
• Taylor Sheridan
• Zoe Saldaña