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Paramount+ Greenlights Viola Davis Thriller “Ascent”

8/5/2026

Summary

Viola Davis Stars

Paramount+ has greenlit the thriller Ascent starring Viola Davis as corporate fixer Catriona Vail.
Davis will also serve as executive producer through JuVee Productions with husband Julius Tennon.
Oscar-nominated writer John Logan created Ascent, acts as showrunner and executive producer alongside Michael Aguilar.
Production will begin in Los Angeles in 2027 on the Paramount lot, joining a slate that includes a Clueless sequel, Laird, 9/12, Fear Not and Discretion.

Summary

Viola Davis Leads

Viola Davis attended the 32nd Annual Actor Awards on March 1, 2026 at the Shrine Auditorium.
She said reporters, “We won the lottery with this one!” to describe her excitement for the Paramount+ series Ascent.
The EGOT-winning actress will lead the Paramount+ series Ascent, her second lead TV role after How to Get Away with Murder, a role that Jane Wiseman, Paramount+ head of originals, described as “the generational talent”.

History

Historical Context

In March 2011 Netflix ordered the political drama House of Cards, releasing all 13 episodes on February 1 2013 as its first Netflix Original and pioneering binge-watch streaming. The success spurred the service’s aggressive original-content push, a model later echoed by rivals such as Paramount+, which in 2026 greenlit Viola Davis’s thriller Ascent to attract prestige viewers.

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Viola Davis Stars

Paramount+ has greenlit the thriller Ascent starring Viola Davis as corporate fixer Catriona Vail.
Davis will also serve as executive producer through JuVee Productions with husband Julius Tennon.
Oscar-nominated writer John Logan created Ascent, acts as showrunner and executive producer alongside Michael Aguilar.
Production will begin in Los Angeles in 2027 on the Paramount lot, joining a slate that includes a Clueless sequel, Laird, 9/12, Fear Not and Discretion.

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