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Viola Davis is set to star in the thriller series “Ascent,” which has been greenlit at Paramount+.
The show’s official logline states that it is “set in the dangerous world of global corporate crisis and damage control.
Davis will play elite corporate fixer Catriona Vail, who must weaponize the ruthless skills that have made her indispensable to billion-dollar clients when her estranged daughter is in danger.”
John Logan (“Skyfall,” “Gladiator,” “Michael”) created the series and will serve as executive producer and showrunner. Michael Aguilar also executive produces, with Davis and Julius Tennon executive producing under their JuVee Productions banner. Paramount Television Studios will produce. It is slated to begin production in Los Angeles in 2027.
“I am overwhelmingly excited about this journey with the great John Logan,” Davis said. “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!”
Davis previously received four Emmy nominations with one win for her starring role in the hit ABC drama “How to Get Away With Murder.” She was also nominated for outstanding guest actress in a drama series for playing her character, Annalise Keating, in a crossover episode with “Scandal.” Likewise, Davis is a four-time Oscar nominee, winning the award for best supporting actress in 2017 for “Fences,” for which she had previously won a Tony Award for the show’s Broadway revival in 2010. She was nominated for Oscars for her performances in “Doubt,” “The Help,” and “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” as well.
Davis is repped by CAA, Lasher Group and Lichter Grossman. Logan is repped by CAA.
“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,” said Jane Wiseman, head of originals for Paramount+. “With John Logan and Michael Aguilar behind the camera, ‘Ascent’ is high-stakes television at its best.”
“We are honored to support the vision of our exceptional creative partners: John Logan, Michael Aguilar, and Viola Davis,” added Matt Thunell, president of Paramount Television Studios. “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.”
This is the latest female-led series to land at Paramount+. The streamer recently picked up a “Clueless” sequel series starring Alicia Silverstone as well as the legal drama “Discretion” starring Nicole Kidman and Elle Fanning and the limited series “Fear Not” starring Anne Hathaway.
