HBO Max has finally released the long-awaited trailer for its limited series DMZ. Rosario Dawson teams up with Ava DuVernay for the action drama based on a DC graphic novel. According to a press release provided to The Root, all four episodes will premiere Thursday, March 17.
The story is set in a New York City broken down and cut off from the rest of the country when the United States enters a second civil war. The city has become a dangerous no man’s land, which Dawson’s Alma must fight her way through to find her missing son.
Benjamin Bratt, Rutina Wesley and Henry G. Sanders co-star, with two-time Emmy winner DuVernay executive producing through her ARRAY Filmworks. She will also direct the first episode. Ernest Dickerson (Raised by Wolves, Godfather of Harlem) also executive produces and directs the remaining three episodes.
The trailer shows Alma walking through an abandoned wasteland that used to be Manhattan, then finding herself caught up in the fighting of the island’s various groups. Along the way, she becomes a leader and a symbol for those still trapped in the city. It’s an action-packed teaser that definitely makes the series look interesting and cinematic.
Dawson is always captivating, giving her strong characters just enough vulnerability to make them feel real and worth following. This also has a very Walking Dead post-apocalyptic feel to it, but without the zombies, so more human, less horror.
When I first heard about DMZ way back in the before times, I was excited about it. However, a United States torn apart by another civil war seems a little less fictional and a little too close to home to enjoy now. The only thing that could get me past that discomfort is Rosario Dawson and Ava DuVernay.
All four episodes of DMZ premiere Thursday, March 17 on HBO Max.