DMZ (miniseries)

DMZ is an American dystopian drama miniseries created by Roberto Patino. It is based on the comic book series by Brian Wood and Riccardo Burchielli. DMZ premiered on HBO Max on March 17, 2022. A portion premiered at SXSW on March 12, 2022.

Premise

Alma Ortega, a medic, becomes a symbol of hope in a demilitarized zone on Manhattan Island while trying to find her son, who wandered off during their evacuation during the Second American Civil War.

Cast

Main

Rosario Dawson as Alma "Zee" Ortega, a medic who spent the last 8 years looking for her son
Hoon Lee as Wilson, the leader of Chinatown, Manhattan, who knew Alma before the war
Freddy Miyares as Skel, Parco's assassin and Alma's son formerly known as Christian Ortega
Jordan Preston Carter as Odi, an orphaned kid inside the DMZ who becomes friends with Alma
Venus Ariel as Nico, Odi's friend
Amandla Jahava as Nicole
Benjamin Bratt as Parco Delgado, Alma's ex and a leader of the Spanish Harlem Kings who controls a part of Upper Manhattan

Recurring

Mamie Gummer as Rose
Agam Darshi as Franklin
Rey Gallegos as Cesar
Henry G. Sanders as Cedric
Jade Wu as Susie, Wilson's advisor
Sydney Park as Tenny, Skel's love interest
Juani Feliz as Carmen, Parco's wife
Nora Dunn as Oona, the woman who controls the water supply
Rutina Wesley as Athena

In addition, Bryan Gael Guzman co-stars as Christian Ortega, Alma's teenage son in flashbacks.

Production

Development

In February 2014, it was announced that Syfy was planning on making a TV series adaptation of the comic with former writers and executive producers Andre Jacquemetton and Maria Jacquemetton, with David Heyman as executive producer for the potential series. On October 1, 2019, it was announced that HBO Max was developing a TV series adaptation of the comic with Ava DuVernay directing the pilot with Roberto Patino writing the pilot and as showrunner the series. It was also announced that DuVernay and Patino would both executive produce under their respective overall deals with Warner Bros. Television.
On November 19, 2020, HBO Max gave DMZ a limited series order of four episodes, with Patino set to write all of the episodes. In July 2021, Ernest Dickerson joined the series as an executive producer and directed three episodes. The series premiered on March 17, 2022.

Casting

On January 22, 2020, Rosario Dawson was cast as Alma. On February 6, 2020, Benjamin Bratt was cast as Parco Delgado. On February 18, 2020, Freddy Miyares was cast as Skel. Upon the limited series order announcement, Hoon Lee and Jordan Preston Carter joined the main cast. On July 12, 2021, Rutina Wesley, Mamie Gummer, Nora Dunn, and Henry G. Sanders were cast in undisclosed capacities while Venus Ariel, Jade Wu, Rey Gallegos, Agam Darshi, and Juani Feliz were cast as series regulars.

Filming

On October 1, 2019, the pilot was scheduled to go into production in early 2020, with filming on the pilot wrapping on March 16, 2020. Filming for the pilot took place in Atlanta. The pilot was picked up, and filming for the remaining three episodes took place in 2021.