Robert De Niro Is a Former U.S. President Investigating a Cyber Terrorist Attack in ‘Zero Day’ First Look
Robert De Niro’s highly-anticipated limited series “Zero Day” has finally given us something to feast our eyes on.
Audiences have had, well, zero information on the buzzy show after its vague announcement in 2023. Today, we’ve got some details — and a batch of first-look photos. And let’s just say, this is a role that was built for the politically active (real-life) De Niro: The star is playing a former U.S. president who is tasked with investigating a cyber terrorist attack.
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The star-studded ensemble cast also includes Angela Bassett as the current president and Lizzy Caplan as De Niro’s onscreen daughter. Jesse Plemons, Joan Allen, Connie Britton, Dan Stevens, and Matthew Modine also star. Bill Camp, Gaby Hoffmann, Clark Gregg, and McKinley Belcher III guest star.
“Zero Day” is co-created by Eric Newman (“Narcos”), Noah Oppenheim (“The Thing About Pam,” “Jackie”), and Pulitzer Prize winner Michael S. Schmidt. “Mad Men” and “The Leftovers” veteran Lesli Linka Glatter directs all six episodes.
The official synopsis reads: “‘Zero Day’ is a limited series starring Robert De Niro as respected former U.S. President George Mullen, who, as head of the Zero Day Commission, is charged with finding the perpetrators of a devastating cyber attack that has caused chaos around the country and thousands of fatalities. As disinformation runs rampant and the personal ambition of power brokers in technology, Wall Street, and government collide, Mullen’s unwavering search for the truth forces him to confront his own dark secrets while risking all he holds dear.”
Newman, Oppenheim, and Schmidt write the series and executive produce, with Newman and Oppenheim as the co-showrunners. Director Glatter, De Niro, and Jonathan Glickman also serve as executive producers.
De Niro said during the 2024 Tribeca Festival Lisboa that he was thankful to not have “six different directors who have different ideas or different ways of working, so they have to be guided into the thrust of the core of the show,” as on other series, since Glatter was the sole filmmaker. De Niro added that collaborating with just one director “makes it simpler.” It’s like doing an actual film.
“The great thing is there are so many people working, actors, technicians, in all departments of film. That’s the great thing. When I was a young actor, you had a couple of independent films around plus the big A films, if you will, but those you couldn’t really get into,” De Niro said. “Doing a limited series is different. It’s a much longer commitment of time, five or six months, and it’s another rhythm. Doing a limited series is like doing three feature films in a row.”
“Zero Day” premieres February 20, 2025 on Netflix. Check out the first look photos below.
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