Robert De Niro’s Netflix Project Finally Gets The Green Light After Months Of Waiting
Robert De Niro will star in Netflix's Zero Day, his first leading role in a streaming series.
Although there aren’t many firsts left for a decorated actor like Robert De Niro, apparently, there are still some, even after being robbed by The Grinch. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Robert De Niro will star in the Netflix series Zero Day. Although the actor made his film debut decades ago, his role in the series will be his debut as a leading man in a television series.
Zero Day is a limited series starring Robert De Niro from Netflix that reflects the public’s fascination with conspiracies. The synopsis reads: “How do we find truth in a world in crisis, one seemingly being torn apart by forces outside our control? And in an era rife with conspiracy theory and subterfuge, how much of those forces are products of our own doing, perhaps even of our own imagining?” In addition to starring in the series, De Niro has been tapped by Netflix to executive produce as well.
The conspiracy thriller may have De Niro’s character questioning reality and conspiracy as plots, and tense thriller action unfold. The series is headed by Eric Newman, known for his work as the showrunner for Narcos, alongside former NBC News president Noah Oppenheim and New York Times writer Michael S. Schmidt. They will work with director Lesli Linka Glatter, known for her work on Homeland and Mad Men.
Robert De Niro started acting long before Netflix, landing his first major role in the satirical film Greetings in 1968. In 1973, De Niro began his first of what would become many collaborations with director Martin Scorsese when he appeared in the 1973 film Mean Streets, before breaking through with widespread critical and commercial acclaim for his role as a young Vito Corleone in Francis Ford Coppola’s crime drama The Godfather Part II in 1974.
Robert De Niro has had so many iconic roles that it is hard to count. He is especially known for his work in collaboration with director Martin Scorcese, with whom he’s made nine feature films and one short film. Their long-lasting collaborative relationship is ongoing, and in 2023, De Niro will star alongside Leonardo DiCaprio and Lily Gladstone as cattleman William Hale in the Scorsese-directed Apple TV+ film Killers of the Flower Moon, an adaptation of the book of the same name by David Grann.
Recent award-winning roles for De Niro include his turn as Bernie Madoff in HBO’s film The Wizard of Lies in 2018, and he worked as a producer on Ava DuVernay’s 2019 limited series When They See Us. He received Emmy nominations for both. Other recent appearances include roles in 2019’s films Joker and the Scorsese -directed film The Irishman, and 2022’s historical comedy Amsterdam alongside Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, John David Washington, Michael Shannon, Mike Myers, Timothy Olyphant, and Anya Taylor-Joy.
De Niro is considered by many to be one of the best actors of his generation and one of the greatest of all time. Although it is unclear why the series took a few months to get the green light from Netflix, considering everything De Niro touches seems to be met with critical and commercial success, fans of the actor should be happy to hear that the series is moving forward.
