Ava DuVernay (Selma, Middle of Nowhere, Queen Sugar) will be directing DMZ for HBO Max, a pilot adapted from the comic book series by Brian Wood and Riccardo Burchielli, Collider has confirmed.
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DMZ takes place in a near-future where an American civil war has left Manhattan a demilitarized zone (hence the title) that is isolated from the rest of the world. The story follows a female medic who is desperately searching for her lost son in the DMZ while contending with gangs, militias, and warlords all the while saving lives along the way.
Filming on the pilot is scheduled to begin in early 2020. DuVernay will follow-up the pilot project with The New Gods, the DC Comics feature adaptation being helmed by DuVernay for Warner Bros.
Robert Patino (Westworld, Sons of Anarchy, Fear Street) will serve as showrunner and executive producer for DMZ.
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DuVernay received a 2017 Oscar nomination for Best Documentary Feature for 2016’s 13th for which she won an Emmy. DuVernay’s limited series When They See Us also earned three Emmy nominations. Her upcoming slate includes Battle at Versailles and the upcoming TV series Cherish the Day.
