Even during the darkest of times television can offer an escape from the cruel reality of life. But HBO Max‘s upcoming limited series DMZ will not be doing that. The first trailer for the live-action adaptation of Brian Wood and Riccardo Burchielli’s comic book series is more timely than anyone would like. Rosario Dawson plays Alma Ortega, a woman trying to save her son from the wreckage of a war-torn Manhattan.
This trailer would be bleak under the best circumstances. But a show about people surviving the aftermath of a brutal war—which never seemed to truly end—is a little on the nose at the moment.
The show is based on the DC comic series of the same name from Wood (author) and Burchielli (illustrator). It ran from 2006 to 2012. The four-part TV series adaptation also stars Benjamin Bratt, Hoon Lee, Freddy Miyares, Jordan Preston Carter, and Venus Ariel. Guest stars include Rutina Wesley, Nora Dunn, Jade Wu, Rey Gallegos, Mamie Gummer, Agam Darshi, Juani Feliz, and Henry G. Sanders.
The streaming site also shared an official logline for the show. From HBO Max:
DMZ leaps off the pages of the DC acclaimed graphic novel into the visual landscape of a dangerous and distorted Manhattan as one woman navigates a demilitarized zone in a harrowing quest to find her lost son.
Ava DuVernay and ARRAY Filmworks’ Paul Garnes are executive producers on the show along with Roberto Patino (Westworld). He created the series for HBO Max and serves as DMZ‘s showrunner. He also wrote the first episode, which DuVernay directed. Executive producer Ernest Dickerson (The Walking Dead, Juice) directs the other three episodes. DMZ premieres on HBO Max on March 17. It won’t be a distraction from real events. But at least we can watch it knowing it’s not really happening.