Paramount+ has greenlit Ascent
, a character-driven thriller series starring Viola Davis as an elite corporate fixer. Created by John Logan and produced by Paramount Television Studios, the project is slated to begin production in Los Angeles in 2027.
Viola Davis is headed back to television in a high-stakes role ordered by Paramount+. The streamer greenlit Ascent
, a new character-based thriller that places Davis at the center of global corporate crisis and damage control.
Catriona Vail and the World of Corporate Crisis
Davis will star as Catriona Vail, described in the official logline as an elite corporate fixer for billion-dollar clients. According to details reported by Variety, the character must weaponize her ruthless skills when her estranged daughter is placed in danger. Jane Wiseman, Head of Originals for Paramount+, praised the casting and the complex nature of the protagonist.
“Viola Davis doesn’t just take on roles; she transforms them. Catriona Vail is an incredibly complex character and Viola is exactly the generational talent to bring her to life. With John Logan and Michael Aguilar behind the camera, ‘Ascent’ is high-stakes television at its best.”
Jane Wiseman, Head of Originals for Paramount+
Creative Leadership and Production Team
The series brings together a powerhouse creative roster behind the camera. John Logan created the series and serves as showrunner and executive producer. Logan’s extensive screenwriting credits include Skyfall
, Gladiator
, and the box-office hit Michael
, which recently crossed $1 billion. On television, Logan previously created Showtime’s Penny Dreadful
and its spinoff, Penny Dreadful: City of Angels
.
Michael Aguilar executive-produces alongside Logan, while Davis and her husband, Julius Tennon, executive-produce under their JuVee Productions banner. Matt Thunell, President of Paramount Television Studios, celebrated the original vision and the studio’s plans for local production.
“We are honored to support the vision of our exceptional creative partners: John Logan, Michael Aguilar, and Viola Davis. We celebrate bold, original ideas, and the icing on the cake is being able to shoot Ascent here at home on the Paramount Lot in Los Angeles.”
Matt Thunell, President Paramount Television Studios
Production Timeline and Streaming Slate
Production is scheduled to begin in Los Angeles in 2027. For Davis, the series marks only her second regular TV series role following her Emmy-winning turn on ABC’s How to Get Away With Murder
, which ended its run in 2020. Her prior series regular appearances include a supporting role on the 2000 CBS medical drama City of Angels
and playing Michelle Obama in the 2022 Showtime anthology series The First Lady
.
The greenlight joins a growing roster of high-profile, female-led and star-studded projects ordered under Paramount+’s post-merger regime. Other titles on the streamer’s upcoming slate include a Clueless
sequel series starring Alicia Silverstone, the legal drama Discretion
starring Nicole Kidman and Elle Fanning, and the limited series Fear Not
headlined by Anne Hathaway.
Expressing her enthusiasm for the new project in a statement, Davis shared her excitement about working alongside the writer-producer.
“I am overwhelmingly excited about this journey with the great John Logan. We won the lottery with this one! Work in which both story and character are bold, awe inspiring and deeply unique is why I became an artist. We at JuVee are deeply grateful to John Logan, Michael Aquilar, and Paramount. We are ready to create magic!”
Viola Davis, Star and Executive Producer