Sam Heughan To Star Alongside Viola Davis In The New Paramount+ Thriller: Ascent
Share the Force:
Carl Roberts 
Created by John Logan and produced by Paramount Television Studios, Paramount+’s Ascent will star Viola Davis and Sam Heughan. Production will begin in 2027.
Paramount+ announced today that Sam Heughan (Outlander, The Couple Next Door) will star alongside Emmy-, Grammy-, Oscar-, and Tony Award-winning actress and executive producer Viola Davis. They will appear in Ascent, a new Paramount+ thriller.
Sam Heughan will play “Conal,” one of Ascent Ventures’ top agents. He is a lethally charming natural chameleon. Conal uses social cunning and ruthlessness to get the job done. He also gets a thrill from completing a mission.
THE PREMISE
Ascent is a character-driven thriller set in the dangerous world of global corporate crisis and damage control. Davis will play “Catriona,” an elite corporate fixer who must weaponize the ruthless skills that have made her indispensable to billion-dollar clients when her estranged daughter is in danger.
Produced by Paramount Television Studios, Ascent comes from the creative mind of Tony Award winner and three-time Oscar nominee John Logan, known for Skyfall, Gladiator, and Penny Dreadful. Logan takes the reins as showrunner and executive producer, working alongside executive producer Michael Aguilar, who has credits on Penny Dreadful: City of Angels and The Departed, as well as Viola Davis and Julius Tennon from JuVee Productions.
SAM HEUGHAN
Sam Heughan gained significant recognition for his role as an actor and producer in the hit series Outlander, which recently aired its eighth and final season. His performance in the series earned him nominations for both a BAFTA Scotland Award and a Critics’ Choice Award. Additionally, he has appeared on television in The Couple Next Door. He appeared in Men in Kilts: A Road Trip with Sam and Graham, River City, Island at War, The Wild West, and Party Animals. He will next appear in the political thriller Embassy. Heughan will act alongside J.K. Simmons and Anna Kendrick in that project.
In film, Heughan most recently starred in Love Again, with Priyanka Chopra and Celine Dion. He has also been in The Spy Who Dumped Me, with Mila Kunis and Kate McKinnon. He appeared in Bloodshot, with Vin Diesel, and SAS: Red Notice with Ruby Rose and Andy Serkis.
Heughan received rave reviews playing the titular role of “Macbeth” at the Royal Shakespeare Company last year. Outside of acting, Heughan is also a 3-time New York Times bestselling author, the founder of an award-winning spirit brand called The Sassenach, and creator of My Peak Challenge, a wellness brand that helps people live a healthy lifestyle while raising money for charity.
Ascent will premiere globally exclusively on Paramount+, with production slated to begin in Los Angeles in 2027.
Introducing Carl! As the News Editor at Future of the Force, Carl has been an invaluable member of our team since early 2016. His expertise and dedication have made him an integral part of our editorial staff. Beyond his professional role, Carl is a fervent supporter of Liverpool F.C. and an avid follower of pop culture. He has a deep passion for Halloween, Friday the 13th, and the iconic movie franchises Star Wars and Star Trek.
He can be found either at his neighborhood cinema, enjoying the latest releases on the big screen, or at home streaming the newest blockbuster movies.
