Photo credit: Misc. & Netflix
Zero Day is a political thriller that feels like it was made for people who have lived and breathed Washington, DC for decades. That would be me. It’s not just another spy drama or conspiracy show—it’s a reflection of how the real power structures work, the unseen forces that shape national security and the uneasy relationship between government, media and the tech world.
At its core, Zero Day is about a massive cyberattack that throws the country into crisis. The attack exposes vulnerabilities not just in technology but in leadership, in institutions, in the very trust the American public has in its government. Robert De Niro plays a former U.S. president pulled back into the fray to investigate what really happened. And if you’ve been around DC long enough, you know that former presidents never truly step away from the game. There are always favors owed, grudges held and alliances shifting behind the scenes.
It acknowledges that Washington isn’t just about policy, it’s about relationships. The people in power are always balancing ambition with responsibility, ideology with self-interest.
For those of us who have watched real-world cyber threats evolve—election interference, data leaks, ransomware attacks on hospitals and government agencies—the premise isn’t far-fetched. The idea that a well-coordinated cyberattack could bring America to its knees? That’s not fiction. That’s something national security experts have been warning about for years. The show captures the paranoia, the uncertainty and the sheer power of information warfare in a way that feels alarmingly real.
What Zero Day gets right, more than anything, is the tone of DC in a crisis. The way people scramble for answers but also for control. The way narratives are spun before facts are fully known. The way old alliances come back into play when the stakes are high enough. It’s not just a story about a cyberattack—it’s a story about power and in this town, power is everything.
Hollywood on the Potomac chatted with producer Jonathan Glickman and queried friends who have also lived and breathed DC for decades.
“Q: What inspired the concept of Zero Day and how did the project come together?
A: Growing up with a father in the political world (his father Dan Glickman was also CEO of the Motion Picture Association) and a mother in the arts, I was naturally drawn to stories that intersect the two—especially in film. One of the most formative movie experiences of my youth was seeing the re-release of The Manchurian Candidate at the Key Theater in Georgetown. That John Frankenheimer Cold War thriller, famously pulled from circulation by Frank Sinatra after the Kennedy assassination due to its eerie thematic parallels, left a lasting impression on me.
As a producer and executive, I’ve always been drawn to stories that reflect the times we live in while remaining compelling and entertaining. So when my friend Eric Newman shared this idea he had with Noah Oppenheim, I immediately jumped at the opportunity. Eric is a brilliant showrunner (Narcos), and I had previously developed a cyber-hacking thriller—a reboot of War Games—with Noah. I knew they would bring a grounded and thrilling approach to the story, which is essential to me when telling narratives set in the world I grew up in.
Jonathan Glickman, CEO Miramax – Photo credit: Courtesy of LA Times
Not long after, we were in meetings with Robert De Niro. Beyond being one of the greatest actors of all time, he’s also a brilliant filmmaker with a deep interest in this world. With his involvement, we had an undeniable package, and the project quickly came together.
Q: How did you approach crafting a political thriller in today’s climate?
A: From the outset, we were intentional about not aligning the story or its characters with any particular political party or ideology. In fact, each major character is, in their own way, trying to figure out how to make the system work better and build more consensus—though some are deeply misguided in how they go about it.
As we moved into production, real-world events began to mirror elements of our story. On one hand, this reinforced just how prescient the idea was. On the other, it created the challenge of ensuring the show didn’t appear to be reacting to breaking news—something we deliberately sought to avoid. That said, it was crucial for us to consult experts like Jeremy Bash (for cybersecurity ) and Eric Schultz (for Executive Branch verisimilitude) to ensure our characters and scenarios reflected how these situations would realistically unfold.
It’s been fascinating to see the range of audience reactions—some believe the show leans conservative, while others see it as liberal. That was never our agenda. We weren’t interested in tipping the scale for either extreme, but rather in exploring the collective desire for unity and a shared understanding of truth.
Q: Was there a particular real-world event or concern that shaped the narrative?
There wasn’t a single event that shaped the story, but rather a growing sense of foreboding that the country was unprepared for a major cyber attack. Both Noah and co-creator Mike Schmidt come from the world of journalism, and through their expertise and conversations with insiders, it became clear that cyber warfare is one of—if not the—greatest threats to the fabric of our society.
At the same time, we were just as focused on the rise of “alternative facts” and the increasing difficulty of reaching a shared understanding of truth. In the past decade alone, there have been countless real-world examples of this, making it all too easy to draw inspiration from reality.
Q: What is like working with De Niro?
I’ve been in this business for 30 years and have worked with some of the biggest talents, but there is only one De Niro. He is, without question, the greatest of his generation, and working with him only reinforced why. His intelligence, talent, and passion are unmatched, and there’s a reason he remains such a dominant force.
Beyond being an extraordinary actor, he’s also a brilliant storyteller who sees the bigger picture—he understood the full scope of the narrative, even in the rare moments he wasn’t on screen, and was deeply invested in the final product. His keen interest in this world, having directed one of the great political dramas, The Good Shepherd, made him an essential producer in ensuring both the characters and the story felt authentic.
And of course, having him on board helped attract an A-list cast—because really, who wouldn’t want to work with the GOAT?” Jonathan Glickman, producer
Tammy Haddad was a long time consultant on Veep, Succession and a variety of (HBO) films.
