For viewers in the Middle East and North Africa, Special Ops: Lioness is finally landing—and it’s not arriving quietly. STARZPLAY has secured exclusive regional rights to stream the complete series starting June 5, offering all 16 episodes across two seasons in one drop. It’s a major content move that not only elevates STARZPLAY’s standing as a serious streaming player in the MENA region but also introduces local audiences to one of the more compelling modern espionage thrillers to come out of the U.S. in recent years.
Special Ops: Lioness
The series comes from Taylor Sheridan, the creative force behind Yellowstone, Sicario, and Hell or High Water—known for turning gritty realism into must-watch drama. Here, that signature edge is sharpened even further. Lioness trades cowboy boots for combat boots, but it sticks to Sheridan’s knack for crafting tough characters navigating morally complex terrain.
At the center is Zoe Saldaña’s Joe, a hardened CIA operative leading one of the agency’s most shadowy initiatives: embedding female agents inside terrorist organizations. What follows is less James Bond-style flash and more about the cost of war waged in the shadows—especially for women asked to give up everything, including their identities, in the name of national security.
Nicole Kidman turns in a predictably controlled, quietly powerful performance as CIA senior official Kaitlyn Meade, while Morgan Freeman adds gravitas as Secretary of State Edwin Mullins. But the emotional core often rests with Laysla De Oliveira, whose portrayal of Marine Raider Cruz Manuelos—an idealistic young recruit thrown into the deep end—gives the show its edge and urgency.
It’s a series that doesn’t ask you to like its characters, only to believe them. And in that, Lioness succeeds.
The entire two-season arc will be available as a box set on June 5, making it ideal binge material for viewers who want high-stakes drama with real-world tension and a cast that brings it all to life. While many spy shows lean into fantasy or procedural repetition, Lioness feels more grounded, more uncomfortable—and far more human.
For STARZPLAY, this is more than just another acquisition. It’s a clear signal that the platform is doubling down on prestige programming, bringing international caliber content to an audience ready for more than just re-runs and safe bets.
If you’re tired of sanitized thrillers and are ready for something a little more unfiltered, Special Ops: Lioness might be the drama you didn’t know you were waiting for.
