Robert De Niro’s upcoming Netflix political thrillerZero Daywill mark a new direction for the double Oscar-winner, with him set to play a former U.S. president in the TV miniseries. It’s his first role with political connotations in almost two decades and brings to mind a classic satire of American politics from the 1990s, in which De Niro played the supporting role alongside Dustin Hoffman’s corrupt Hollywood producer.Wag the Dogwas widely praised when it came out in December 1997, not least because its plot was strangely prescient about the last years of Bill Clinton’s presidency. However, it’s largely been forgotten since then.
Wag the Dogis well worth watching for any fans of De Niro’s work, as well as anyone with a certainnostalgia for ’90s moviesand politics. Both the movie and the upcoming seriesZero Dayrevolve around the manipulation of the truth. While an old-fashioned spin doctor gets the president out of trouble inWag the Dog,a global cyberattack will spark an investigation into political conspiracy theories inZero Day. The parallels are undeniable, and it could be that De Niro’s well-publicized stance on one of Clinton’s successors has motivated his decision to take a leading TV role for the first time.
Wag The Dog Features De Niro As The President’s Spin Doctor
His Character Seemed To Prefigure Reality
Wag the Dogsees De Niro play a role that’s virtually unique in his 50-year career in Hollywood, asa political spin doctor hired to hide a sexual indiscretion committed by the Presidentof the United States in the Oval Office. De Niro’s charge Conrad Brean enlists the help of Hollywood producer, Stanley Motss, played by Hoffman, to stage a fake war in the Balkans, which can distract the country from the sex crime the president has allegedly committed.
“War is showbusiness.” - Robert De Niro as Conrad Brean inWag the Dog
De Niro and Hoffman have a pointed dynamic and deliver endless razor-sharp dialogue forming satirical commentary in a movie that movies lightning fast. De Niro’s most notable line in the movie, “War is showbusiness,” is just one example. Furthermore, political commentators in the late 1990s were astonished at how accurately the movie appeared to predict subsequent events in American history. Both the Clinton–Lewinsky scandal and the United States' intervention in the Kosovo War took place after the release ofWag the Dog, and cemented the film’s place as one of the most far-sightedpolitical comediesin history, if nothing else.
In Zero Day De Niro Will Play A Former President Investigating The Truth
De Niro’s role in hisNetflix showZero Day, by contrast, will see him on the other side of attempts to manipulate the public narrative. Although he plays the fictional former American president, George Mullen, this time, he’s on the right side of the truth. Rather than trying to cover up his own indiscretion,Mullen is tasked with heading a committee in search of the perpetrators behind a cyberattackthat has killed thousands and endangered the entire country.
The series will apparently address the theme of conspiracy theories, with De Niro’s President Mullen himself the victim of lies being spread to disrupt his investigation and threaten the preexisting social order.Zero Daywon’t haveWag the Dog’s satirical edge, but it will have De Niro’s most anticipated performance in years. De Niro has also overseen the making of the series as executive producer. Given his record of co-producing crime classics likeWhen They See UsandThe Irishmanin recent years, the stage is set for one of Netflix’s most exciting new releases.
Zero Day
Cast
Zero Day follows former U.S. President George Mullen as he leads the Zero Day Commission to uncover the perpetrators behind a catastrophic cyber attack. Tasked with navigating chaos and mounting casualties nationwide, Mullen confronts formidable challenges to maintain national security and stability.
