Robert De Niro heads the cast of Zero Day, an ambitious new conspiracy thriller boasting a star-studded cast
The divisive political landscape we find ourselves living through these days can feel stranger than fiction. Proving the idiom true is the new, eerily timely six-episode limited series Zero Day. Oscar winner Robert De Niro stars as former President George Mullen, who is pulled out of retirement to head the precedent-setting Zero Day Commission.
When a cyberattack is carried out against the United States, it causes several disasters and country-wide chaos, killing thousands of citizens on what becomes known as Zero Day. Following the tragic events, President Evelyn Mitchell (Angela Bassett) calls on the former POTUS to lead an investigation into who is responsible for the attacks.
Whether outside forces or homegrown terrorists were behind the fatal plot, the many voices willfully spreading disinformation make Mullen’s job incredibly complicated. To get to the bottom of it, the former president surrounds himself with as trustworthy a team as he can within the cutthroat world of American politics.
Jesse Plemons stars as Mullen’s former aide Roger Carlson, who is brought back to work for the commission. Also joining the investigation is political strategist and Mullen’s former chief of staff, Valerie Whitesell (Connie Britton). McKinley Belcher III stars as lead investigator for the Zero Day Commission, Department of Justice lawyer Carl Otieno, while Lizzy Caplan is progressive congressional representative Alexandra Mullen and daughter of the former president. Joan Allen portrays Sheila Mullen, former first lady and nominee to the federal bench.
Also starring in Zero Day are: Matthew Modine as speaker of the house Richard Dreyer; Bill Camp as CIA Director Jeremy Lasch; Gaby Hoffmann as Silicon Valley billionaire Monica Kidder; Clark Gregg as Robert Lyndon, another billionaire with a penchant for manipulating politics; Mark Ivanir as an intelligence operative; and Downton Abbey alum Dan Stevens as Mullen’s most vocal critic, right-wing talk show host Evan Green.
Claims of tyranny are to be expected, given the exceptional reach of the government’s Zero Day Commission to pull anyone they suspect of having involvement without warrants. However, Green suggests on his program that Mullen is withholding the kind of secrets that call into question the integrity of the commission under his leadership.
With the threat of repeat attacks made clear through a nationwide text alert on Zero Day promising “this will happen again,” it is imperative that Mullen and the members of the commission work quickly, by any means necessary, to find those responsible before they can act again. Is calling out the hypocrisy of a possibly compromised leader like Mullen a step in the right direction for a more just America? Or is it just another distraction tactic from those interested in degrading civil liberties? Meanwhile, Mullen also begins to question his own competency as he begins noticing signs of cognitive decline.
Series co-creator Eric Newman (Griselda) spoke to Vanity Fair about the upcoming series, revealing that he and fellow co-creator Noah Oppenheim (former president of NBC News), sought to confront the country’s relationship with the truth in Zero Day, tuning into Americans’ imaginings of the future.
“It feels like it could happen,” series co-creator Newman explained in an interview with the magazine back in November. “Based on how you feel about the election, this is either going to be an aspirational story about people who can find their way to the truth, even when it’s really hard, or a cautionary tale of the perils of the deep state and absolute power corrupting absolutely. For me, it’s a little bit of both.”
Talking to Tudum, Newman remarked on legendary screen actor De Niro’s influence on the series. “[De Niro] very much became our partner in this process — very hands-on, very involved, ready for everything at every stage, and it’s been an incredible honour and privilege.”
He added, “As a lifelong fan of American cinema, no actor looms larger for me than Robert De Niro To have him as a producing partner and star in this show is beyond our wildest dreams. I’m grateful to Netflix for their continued faith and support . . . on this timely (and terrifying) series.”
Zero Day, streaming Thursday, February 20 on Netflix