There are three ways to make your TV lead debut: the right way, the wrong way, and the way that Robert De Niro does it. And the way that Robert De Niro does it is by dominating the silver screen for half a century, winning two Oscars, and then taking on the role of a former United States president in an all-star prestige conspiracy thriller — naturally. Yes, the Taxi Driver star is set to play ex-POTUS George Mullen in Zero Day, an original Netflix series from Eric Newman (Griselda), Noah Oppenheim (Jackie), and NYT writer Michael S. Schmidt which sees the acting heavyweight leading an investigation into a major cyber attack while dealing with his own demons. The show's stacked ensemble includes Angela Bassett, Jesse Plemons, Lizzy Caplan, Dan Stevens, and Connie Britton — and you can enjoy a first look at the show, courtesy of Netflix, in the pictures below:
As you may be able to tell from the above shots, Zero Day is Netflix going lavish and then some, Apple TV+ style. From De Niro's Mullen astride a helicopter and in the Zero Day HQ, to Angela Bassett's current POTUS Evelyn Mitchell seeking counsel in The White House, to shots of a suited-and-booted Jesse Plemons as hustler Roger Carlson, Lizzy Caplan serving severe looks as De Niro's congresswoman daughter Alexandra Mullen, and Dan Stevens' right-wing grifter-cum-political commentator Evan Green, the six-part series certainly has the look of a cerebral thriller nailed down.
The official synopsis for the show bodes well, too, reading as follows: "[Zero Day] stars De Niro as respected former US President George Mullen, who, as head of the Zero Day Commission, is charged with finding the perpetrators of a devastating cyberattack that caused chaos and thousands of fatalities across the country. 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.”
Not only is De Niro set to star in Zero Day, the latest in a recent surge of buzzy political thrillers (see also Paramount+ offering The Agency, as well as Netflix's own The Diplomat and The Night Agent), but the acting legend is also producing the show, which speaks to his belief in the concept and the scripts. We'll find out whether it's any Goodfellas — or if it's a _Casino_pe from us — when Zero Day arrives on Netflix on 20 February, 2025. (Apologies, Mr. De Niro. We bow to the true King Of Comedy.)