Thriller Series Ascent to Star Viola Davis on Paramount+
Viola Davis will star in and executive produce the thriller series Ascent, coming to Paramount+.
The show, created by showrunner and executive producer John Logan, is described as a “character-driven thriller set in the dangerous world of global corporate crisis and damage control.”
EGOT-winner Viola Davis will star as Catriona Vail, “who must weaponize the ruthless skills that have made her indispensable to billion-dollar clients when her estranged daughter is in danger.” The character is also described as an “elite corporate fixer.”
“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,” Viola Davis said in a statement upon the show’s greenlight announcement.
“We at JuVee are deeply grateful to John Logan, Michael Aquilar, and Paramount. We are ready to create magic!”
Davis and Julius Tennon executive produce Ascent for JuVee Productions.
“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,” Jane Wiseman, Head of Originals for Paramount+, said.
“With John Logan and Michael Aguilar behind the camera, Ascent is high-stakes television at its best,” Wiseman added.
Michael Aguilar is set to executive produce the show.
“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, said.
Ascent, produced by Paramount Television Studios, is slated to begin production in Los Angeles in 2027. It joins the recently announced Clueless sequel series, Laird starring Kenneth Branagh, the Jeremy Strong-led 9/12, Fear Not starring Anne Hathaway, and Discretion with Nicole Kidman and Elle Fanning.
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Ascent will stream exclusively on Paramount+.
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Shelby Elpers
Shelby is a TV enthusiast and pop culture writer. She's an avid podcast listener, green tea drinker, and soccer fan. Her brand can be summarized in rom-coms, superheroes, teen dramas, and workplace comedies.