Robert De Niro Talks About the Difficulties of Making ‘Zero Day’

by

Robert De Niro‘s Netflix series titled “Zero Day” premiered on February 20, 2025, marking his long-awaited entrance into the realm of television production. An Academy Award winner renowned for his roles in countless classic and blockbuster films, De Niro has now ventured into the challenging field of TV series production. However, he has expressed that this transition hasn’t been an easy one.

De Niro told The Wrap that working on the film “Zero Day” felt like producing three full-length movies in succession, and its schedule was significantly more demanding than what he’s accustomed to on other projects.

This wasn’t like a typical feature, and it differed notably from working with some of the directors I’ve collaborated with in the past. However, it turned out well. Essentially, it was a different kind of arrangement, if you catch my drift.

As a passionate cinephile, I yearned for a project that would keep me rooted in the vibrant city of New York for about half a year. A film typically takes only two to three months to complete, so a six-episode limited series seemed like the ideal fit. My agent graciously connected me with the producer and showrunner of “Zero Day,” none other than Eric Newman.

While going through the content, I found myself fully invested in it. [Eric] had an excellent team working with him: Noah Oppenheim, Michael Schmidt, and these three individuals collaboratively produced an outstanding script. Consequently, I was fortunate to be involved in a project that didn’t require much contemplation on my part. The material was engaging, well-crafted, and they possessed an intimate understanding of the world it depicted.

The political thriller centers around an ex-President (De Niro), now out of office, taking on the leadership role for the “Zero Day Commission.” Their task is to discover the culprit behind a devastating cyberattack that resulted in the loss of many American lives. As is common with conspiracy stories and series, the former President George Mullen gradually exposes an intricate network of deceit.

The lineup is impressive, featuring none other than Angela Bassett in the role of President, accompanied by Lizzie Caplan, Jesse Plemons, Joan Allen, Connie Britton, Matthew Modine, and several other talented individuals.

Bad Reviews Can’t Stop ‘Zero Day’ From Being a Hit

Even though Zero Day has only recently been released, it’s already made a strong impact, climbing to the top position or among the top 10 on Netflix’s global streaming charts. De Niro’s star power and talent are undeniable, making him an attractive choice for viewers to tune into his new TV series. In the U.S., it currently holds the second spot, with the three-part documentary, American Murder: Gabby Petito, claiming the top position.

The show has had early success, surprisingly, given its poor critical reception. Currently, it has a 57% critical and 49% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. However, on IMDb, the show “Zero Day” is rated at a more respectable 6.5 out of 10, based on over 1,600 reviews. It’s anticipated that these ratings will shift as more viewers watch the Netflix series this weekend.

As for Matt Mahler’s critique on MovieWeb, once you manage to move past the initially weak opening episode, which features a cyber-attack that disrupts all American communication channels, the show begins to get better. He put it this way:

In his MovieWeb review, Matt Mahler suggests that after overcoming the disappointing first episode, where a cyber-attack takes down all US communication networks, the series picks up steam. He phrased it like this:

‘A Zero Day’ appears more intricate and thoughtfully constructed upon closer inspection. Nevertheless, De Niro seems to struggle in this role, particularly as the main character for a series.”

Here I have used “appears” instead of “initially seems”, “intricate and thoughtfully constructed” for “nuanced and well-plotted”, “struggles” instead of “seems a bit out of his depth”, “main character for a series” instead of “the lead of a series”.

Zero Day is now streaming on Netflix.

Read More

2025-02-21 19:03