Netflix's most-awaited series ‘Zero Day’, featuring Robert De Niro, has created a huge buzz among viewers. The intense political thriller is about a catastrophic cyberattack that brings the U.S. to its knees and leads a former president, George Mullen (played by De Niro), out of retirement to solve the crisis. But is Zero Day based on a true story? Let's find out.
Is Zero Day based on a true story?
No, Zero Day isn't based on a real story, yet it draws from actual political tensions, cyberwarfare threats, and media manipulation. The show is fictional, written by Eric Newman and Noah Oppenheim, who wanted to question modern society's attempt at dealing with truth and misinformation.
As Vanity Fair reports, the premise of the show is based on actual fears of cybersecurity weaknesses and the growing threat of AI-fueled disinformation campaigns that can destabilize a country. Although the plot is fictional, the threats it depicts are all too real.
How realistic is the show’s cyberattack plot?
The show features a realistic cyberattack scenario in which critical infrastructure, government networks, and media networks are hacked. Cybersecurity experts aver that such huge attacks, though dramatized in the show, are actual threats to governments currently.
In 2021, for instance, the United States Colonial Pipeline cyberattack resulted in fuel shortages in several states. Russia, China, and North Korea-sponsored cyberattacks have also been a growing challenge. The series demonstrates how warfare has shifted from traditional physical battlegrounds to virtual battlegrounds.
Characters based on actual politicians?
Although the plot is fictionalized, there are characters inspired by actual politicians.
Robert De Niro's George Mullen is a high public trust past president, one of a similar nature to presidents such as Barack Obama, George W. Bush, or Bill Clinton.
Lizzy Caplan's Alexandra Mullen is inspired by a mixture of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC), Chelsea Clinton, and the Bush daughters.
Zero Day achieves greater realism through the incorporation of elements of actual political personalities while still being a work of fiction.
Zero Day is fiction with a pinch of reality
While Zero Day is not based on a true story, it effectively mirrors modern concerns about cyber threats, political propaganda, and digital-age warfare. The series might be a fictional thriller, but it highlights very real dangers facing global cybersecurity today.
Altogether, this series, despite having a different plot, reminds us of George Orwell’s famous novel 1984. Like the series, the novel also explores themes of secrecy and government operations.
For those who love political dramas with real-world relevance, Zero Day is a must-watch!