It may have taken a while, but Special Ops: Lioness is finally coming back for a third season — and with a new cast member. The Paramount+ military drama, which stars Zoe Saldaña, Nicole Kidman, Laysla De Oliveira, and Michael Kelly, among others, first premiered in July 2023, and though season two premiered just over a year later, it took ten months for it to get a third season renewal. Now however, production is officially underway at SGS Studios in Texas, and officially joining the set is Ian Bohen.
Variety confirmed this week that the Teen Wolf alum, who also recently starred in Yellowstone, which like Lioness was also created by Taylor Sheridan, has joined the season three cast as Grady, who is described as "a by-the-book Delta Force operator and primary K9 handler, skilled in battlefield tactics."
© GettyIan has appeared on several of Taylor's projects, including Yellowstone, as Ryan the wrangler, as well as the 2017 film Wind River, plus Sicario: Day of the Soldado, which Taylor did not direct but did write. In addition to Zoe, Nicole, Laysla and Michael, also returning for season three are Morgan Freeman, Genesis Rodríguez, Jill Wagner, James Jordan, Jonah Wharton, Hannah Love Lanier, Thad Luckinbill, LaMonica Garrett, Austin Hébert, and Dave Annable, the latter four also being frequent collaborators of Taylor's.
Lioness is one of several projects Taylor currently has in production. Working on their return are Landman and Mayor of Kingstown, plus Tulsa King just premiered its third season. There are also at least four Yellowstone spin-offs in the works, the Beth and Rip spinoff starring Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser, tentatively titled The Dutton Ranch, the Kayce Dutton spin-off Y: Marshals, another prequel, 1944, which joins fellow prequels 1883 and 1923, plus the Michelle Pfeiffer fronted spin-off The Madison.
The Madison will act as a sequel to the original Yellowstone show set in the present day. It will follow a New York family who settles in the Madison River valley of central Montana, and will be a heartfelt study of grief and human connection, Paramount previously shared. Though initially the show was meant to continue the Dutton family story with the introduction of new characters, while also including some old ones, it is now unclear which, if any, will be featured, and whether it will instead follow an entirely new story.
© GettyLead star Michelle recently took to Instagram and confirmed the start of production, sharing a star-studded photo which appears to be the new The Madison cast, and wrote in her caption: "Back in the saddle on The Madison." The photo featured a number of recognizable stars, including Kurt Russell, Suits alum Patrick J. Adams, Gossip Girl alum Kevin Zegers, Amiah Miller, Ben Schnetzer, and newcomer Elle Chapman.
© GettyAs for news on the other forthcoming spin-off, with Kelly and Cole, Deadline confirmed earlier this month its very first castings outside of those already part of the Yellowstone universe, Annette Bening as Beulah Jackson, Ed Harris as Everett McKinney, and Jai Courtney as Rob-Will. The Dutton Ranch will remain on the same present-day timeline as the original series, and share much of its DNA. Its logline reads: "The Dutton Ranch, home to Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler, is a testament to the peace they sought, fought for, and nearly died for, as they've come to cherish their 7,000-acre land. With tough times and stiff competition, Beth and Rip do what they must to survive, all while ensuring Carter (Finn Little) becomes the man he's supposed to be."
© ITVIn addition to Kelly and Cole's spin-off, Luke's Kayce spin-off will be coming to CBS in 2026 (it is expected The Dutton Ranch will begin airing in the fall, with some anticipating it might premiere in November, mirroring Yellowstone's previous release schedule.) Both shows will be available to stream on Paramount+, along The Madison and 1944.
