Zoe Saldaña has built a massive career spanning multiple blockbuster franchises and critical hits — and you can find many of these titles on Paramount+. Her versatility extends from sci-fi adventures like the J.J. Abrams Star Trek movies to incredible dramatic turns in prestige television like Lioness.
Paramount+ is also home to some of Saldaña’s earlier work, including the Tom Hanks classic The Terminal, and the gritty action thriller Out of the Furnace. Use this guide to learn more about how you can watch the versatile stylings of this Academy Award® winner from the comfort of your own home.
The top recommendations
- Best recent dramatic performance → Lioness
- Big-budget sci-fi adventure → Star Trek (2009)
- Emotional drama → The Terminal
- Crime thriller → Out of the Furnace
What to watch
If you’re looking for a good Zoe Saldaña movie or show, here are the top titles in the Paramount+ streaming library right now.
Lioness
From creator and hitmaker Taylor Sheridan, Lioness offers Saldaña a role she can really sink her teeth into. As CIA operative Joe McNamara, she makes tough calls while trying to balance her home life.
The espionage thriller allows fans to watch Saldaña go to great ends to come out on top in the War on Terror. She runs a covert operation where she enlists female assets to infiltrate terrorist cells undercover.
Fans get to watch her character attempt to soften in her unconventional home and connect with her kids while she also gets to play across from her superior, Kaitlyn Meade, played by Nicole Kidman. Lioness is a rare title that showcases her full range with ease.
WATCH NOW: Lioness
Star Trek (2009)
This Star Trek film marks the beginning of J.J. Abrams’ turn at the franchise, also referred to as the Kelvin Timeline. Saldaña is the first to step into the big shoes left by Nichelle Nichols with her run as a young Nyota Uhura.
This modern reimagining of the iconic crew is blessed with crackling chemistry within the ensemble cast (which also includes Chris Pine as James T. Kirk and Zachary Quinto as Spock). This new telling of a familiar story mixes humor, action, and sci-fi adventure with a few surprising twists along the way.
WATCH NOW: Star Trek (2009)
Star Trek Into Darkness
In this second installment of the reboot trilogy, the engine moves from vengeance to intergalactic stakes. Continuing the trilogy’s story, we get to see an expansion of Uhura’s character with Saldaña getting more screen time.
For most of the movie, she serves as a supportive love interest to Spock, guiding him through morally grey moments, reading his emotionless vibes as expertly as she translates alien languages on the bridge. She does get her chance to shine in full Uhura fashion (and with a few supporting lens flares) as she fights to protect her crewmates.
WATCH NOW: Star Trek Into Darkness
Star Trek Beyond
This finale to the trilogy brings Justin Lin to the director’s chair for a strong ensemble adventure. Unlikely duos abound as the U.S.S. Enterprise crew try to make it off the planet Altamid, offering new chemistry riffs.
Saldaña’s more independent Uhura steps into her power with strong emotional character development outside of her connection with Spock. Slight spoiler, but it should be said that she plays a VERY big role in catching the villain in this satisfying third film of the Abrams’ Kelvin Timeline.
WATCH NOW: Star Trek Beyond
The Terminal
There are several reasons to watch this romantic comedy/drama from Steven Spielberg, and Zoe Saldaña is one of them. Led by Tom Hanks and Catherine Zeta-Jones, this ensemble cast brings a John F. Kennedy airport terminal to life.
In an early-career supporting role, Saldaña’s customs officer finds love of her own while Jones and Hanks tease their will-they-won’t-they in Arrivals. Before becoming a blockbuster star in her own right, she was a scene stealer in this beloved 2004 Spielberg flick.
WATCH NOW: The Terminal
Out of the Furnace
This thrilling crime drama stars Christian Bale as Russell Baze, with Saldaña joining an all-star ensemble cast that also includes Woody Harrelson, Forrest Whittaker, Willem Dafoe, and Casey Affleck.
Saldaña plays Lena, Baze’s love interest, in a grounded dramatic performance that highlights her emotional range. Though her role is not large, her presence is felt even in scenes where she’s absent as Bale navigates his sense of loyalty and sinks deeper into his family’s criminal activity.
WATCH NOW: Out of the Furnace
Her career beyond titles streaming on Paramount+
Zoe Saldaña has built a strong career that spans nearly three decades. From her early, iconic turn in the Britney Spears classic Crossroads to her Academy Award®-winning performance in Emilia Pérez, her work has delighted audiences with her ability to be delicate and tenacious all at once.
Outside of Paramount+, she is most famously known for being a central part of James Cameron’s Avatar movies, and for playing Gamora in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Watch now on Paramount+
Whether she’s finding solutions at warp speed in the Star Trek universe or delivering a heart-rending performance in Out of the Furnace, Zoe Saldaña’s Paramount+ filmography has something for everyone. In Lioness, she commands the screen as a fierce CIA operative, while The Terminal offers a charming glimpse of her early-career scene-stealing abilities.
Dive into the action, drama, and intrigue of these must-watch films and shows—all available to stream right now on Paramount+.
FAQ
What Zoe Saldaña movies are on Paramount+?
Zoe Saldaña movies on Paramount+ are: the J.J. Abrams Star Trek trilogy, Steven Spielberg’s The Terminal, and the crime thriller Out of the Furnace.
Is Lioness Zoe Saldaña’s biggest TV role?
Lioness is Saldaña’s first multi-season regular television work, likely boosted by her hands-on role as an executive producer. There’s definitely proof in the pudding; she’s been nominated for a NAACP Image Award, and won a Critics Choice Super Award for her deft portrayal of Joe McNamara.
Which Star Trek movies feature Zoe Saldaña?
Saldaña plays the iconic, central role of Nyota Uhura in Star Trek (2009), Star Trek Into Darkness, and Star Trek Beyond.
What should I watch after Lioness?
If you need more blood-pumping action, turn to the J.J. Abrams Star Trek trilogy, but for more of her dramatic acting, look to Out of the Furnace.
Availability of titles is subject to change.
