Lioness Prequel Spinoff Pitched By Zoe Saldaña As The Wait For Season 3 Renewal Continues

Lioness star Zoe Saldaña pitches an intriguing idea for a prequel as the wait for season 3 continues. Though it ended on a divisive note, the second installment of the Paramount+ drama broke new ground. Saldaña, Laysla De Oliveira, Nicole Kidman, Michael Kelly, and Morgan Freeman were among the returning Lioness cast. Joined by newcomer Genesis Rodriguez, there are some hopeful signs that a renewal for season 3 maybe imminent.

In an interview with Deadline, to discuss her myriad of upcoming projects, including the next Avatar sequel, Saldaña touched on the future of Lioness and shared a thoughtful idea for a prequel. Lioness is among the shows created by Taylor Sheridan. And, like the hit Western drama, the recent Golden Globe nominee mentioned that she would be interested in a prequel focused on her character Joe, and how Joe came to meet Kidman's character, Kaitlyn. Read the quote below:

“Like a 1923 for Yellowstone—a subplot that can run in parallel with anything else. I would’ve loved to see the beginnings of the Kaitlyn Meade and Joe McNamara and how she was recruited, because she’s just so good. And there’s a scene there where Byron Westfield (Michael Kelly) tells her, ‘You can’t be in the field anymore. I can’t replace you.’ And that was a really good scene there. And then it made me wonder how Kaitlyn found Joe and how Kaitlyn recruited Joe. It would be really interesting.”

The Potential For Lioness Season 3 & What A Prequel Would Mean

Season 3 Will Likely Happen

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There is some speculation that Lioness season 3 is unofficially renewed. This goes back to Saldaña's comments in which she said she was up for three seasons of the Paramount+ drama. While that may simply be contract language that does not result in a pick-up, it's hard to imagine that Paramount+ won't pick up the series for another round given its Sheridan connection and the wider context around the streaming service.

For the week of November 18 to November 24, Lioness was one of three Taylor Sheridan series to be on Nielsen's streaming charts along with Landman and Tulsa King.

For the week of November 18 to November 24, Lioness was one of three Taylor Sheridan series to be on Nielsen's streaming charts along with Landman and Tulsa King. For a platform like Paramount+, which does not have the global reach of Netflix or Prime Video, that is an impressive accomplishment. But even if the action thriller continues beyond Lioness season 2, a spinoff does have its charms. A prequel could focus on the relatively underexplored dynamic between Joe and Kaitlyn.

Our Take On A Lioness Prequel

It Could Be Its Own Thing

There is a rich storyline that could unfold between Kaitlyn recruiting Joe and then, as we've seen in Lioness, Kaitlyn growing disillusioned with the job and what it demands. Also, depending on when the prequel would take place, or which direction the writers would like to go in, there is the added intrigue of who might play younger versions of Joe and Kaitlyn. With the possibility of Saldaña and Kidman returning as executive producers and maybe even guest stars, it might be fun.

Source: Deadline