PARAMOUNT+ ANNOUNCES LAYSLA DE OLIVEIRA WILL STAR OPPOSITE ZOE SALDAÑA IN ACADEMY AWARD(R) NOMINEE TAYLOR SHERIDAN'S NEW ORIGINAL SERIES, "LIONESS"

Saldaña Will Also Executive Produce Alongside Academy Award(R) Winner Nicole Kidman

Series Produced by MTV Entertainment Studios and 101 Studios Exclusively for Paramount+

March 18, 2022 - Paramount+ today announced that Laysla De Oliveira ("Locke & Key") is set to star opposite Zoe Saldaña in the upcoming original series LIONESS, from Academy Award(R) nominee Taylor Sheridan. Saldaña will also serve as executive producer alongside Academy Award(R) winner Nicole Kidman and her production company, Blossom Films. Produced by MTV Entertainment Studios and 101 Studios, the series will begin production in June 2022 with Tom Brady ("NOS4A2," "Colony") at the helm as executive producer and showrunner.

LIONESS is based on a real-life CIA program and follows Cruz Manuelos (De Oliveira), a rough-around-the-edges but passionate young Marine recruited to join the CIA's Lioness Engagement Team to help bring down a terrorist organization from within. Saldaña will play Joe, the station chief of the Lioness program tasked with training, managing and leading her female undercover operatives.

De Oliveira was previously selected by The Hollywood Reporter as one of Canada's rising stars. She can currently be seen starring in "Locke & Key" based on a Joe Hill comic and produced by Carlton Cuse. De Oliveira's film credits include the sci-fi/horror film "In the Tall Grass" for director Vincenzo Natali; the Atom Egoyan-directed "Guest of Honour," which premiered at the 2019 Venice and Toronto International Film Festivals; a starring role in the indie "Acquainted"; "Code 8"; and "Needle in a Timestack" for director John Ridley.

LIONESS will be executive produced by Sheridan, David C. Glasser, Ron Burkle, Bob Yari and David Hutkin. Tom Brady will also serve as executive producer and showrunner. Nicole Kidman, with her production company Blossom Films, Zoe Saldaña, Geyer Kosinski and Jill Wagner are also set to executive produce.

LIONESS is the latest addition to Sheridan's growing Paramount+ empire, which includes the top two performing original series 1883 and MAYOR OF KINGSTOWN, as well as the upcoming series TULSA KING (wt), LAND MAN and 1932, and several projects in development.

About Paramount+:

Paramount+, a direct-to-consumer digital subscription video on-demand and live streaming service, combines live sports, breaking news, and a mountain of entertainment. The premium streaming service features an expansive library of original series, hit shows and popular movies across every genre from world-renowned brands and production studios, including BET, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures, and the Smithsonian Channel. The service is also the streaming home to unmatched sports programming, including every CBS Sports event, from golf to football to basketball and more, plus exclusive streaming rights for major sports properties, including some of the world's biggest and most popular soccer leagues. Paramount+ also enables subscribers to stream local CBS stations live across the U.S. in addition to the ability to stream CBSN for 24/7 news, CBS Sports HQ for sports news and analysis, and ET Live for entertainment coverage. For more information about Paramount+, please visit www.paramountplus.com and follow @ParamountPlus on social platforms.

About MTV Entertainment Group:

MTV Entertainment Group is a one of the preeminent youth media companies in the world that connects with global audiences through its nine iconic brands - MTV, Comedy Central, VH1, CMT, Pop, Logo, Smithsonian, Paramount Network and TV Land - as well as MTV Entertainment Studios, which produces acclaimed series and movies and the award-winning, Oscar-nominated MTV Documentary films.

About 101 Studios:

101 Studios is a global entertainment company dedicated to the acquisition, financing, development, production and distribution of high-caliber, creator-driven storytelling. 101 empowers content creators through first-class collaboration and innovation. On the television side, 101 produces Taylor Sheridan's Emmy nominated series "Yellowstone," "Mayor of Kingstown," "1883" and the upcoming "George & Tammy," "Tulsa King," "Lioness" and "Bass Reeves." 101 Studios oversees and manages the newly formed Sports Illustrated Studios, a content platform based on the most compelling stories, characters and moments in sports past, present and future. Upcoming projects include "Paradise Found" based on the true story of high school football coach Rick Prinz; a docuseries about the sexual abuse and cover-up at Ohio State University, co-produced by George Clooney and Grant Heslov's Smokehouse Pictures; and the docuseries "Covers," a behind-the-scenes look at Sports Illustrated's top cover stories of all time. SI Studios has also exclusively partnered with iHeartMedia to create and distribute original podcasts through the iHeartPodcast network. On the film side, past releases include "The Current War: Director's Cut," the Sundance Audience award winner "Burden" as well as the family comedy "The War with Grandpa."