The Hot Zone (American TV series)

Did You Know?

• A first look still image of Julianna Margulies as Dr. Nancy Jaax was released on December 20, 2018.
• The series was removed from Disney+ on May 26, 2023.
• The series is available to stream internationally with Disney+ through its Star hub.

Cast and characters

Julianna Margulies portrays Col. Nancy Jaax, an Army veterinary pathologist. Noah Emmerich plays Col. Jerry Jaax, an Army veterinary surgeon. Liam Cunningham appears as Wade Carter, and Topher Grace as Dr. Peter Jahrling, a virologist. James D'Arcy plays Travis Rhodes, Paul James as Ben Gellis, Nick Searcy as Frank Mays, and Robert Wisdom as Col. Vernon Tucker. Robert Sean Leonard portrays Walter Humboldt, a liaison between Hazleton and its primate lab. Grace Gummer appears as Melinda Rhodes, and Lenny Platt as Capt. Kyle Ormond. In the second season, Tony Goldwyn plays Bruce Edwards Ivins, Daniel Dae Kim as Matthew Ryker, Harry Hamlin as Tom Brokaw, Dylan Baker as Ed Copak, Ian Colletti as Chris Moore, Dawn Olivieri as Dani Toretti, Denyce Lawton as Sheila Willis, and Morgan Kelly as Eric Sykes.

Production

National Geographic gave a series order on April 18, 2018, with executive producers including Lynda Obst, Kelly Souders, Brian Peterson, Jeff Vintar, and Ridley Scott. Production companies involved were Fox 21 Television Studios, Scott Free Productions, and Lynda Obst Productions. Kelly Souders and Brian Wayne Peterson joined as showrunners, executive producers, and writers on August 9, 2018. The premiere date of May 27, 2019 was announced on February 8, 2019. National Geographic renewed the series for a second season in November 2020. Julianna Margulies was cast in the lead role in July 2018. Additional cast members Noah Emmerich, Liam Cunningham, Topher Grace, Paul James, Nick Searcy, Robert Wisdom, and Robert Sean Leonard joined in September 2018, with James D'Arcy in a guest role. Grace Gummer was announced in a recurring capacity in December 2018. For the second season, Tony Goldwyn, Daniel Dae Kim, Harry Hamlin, Dylan Baker, Ian Colletti, Dawn Olivieri, and Denyce Lawton were announced in early 2021. Principal photography for the first season ran from September 13, 2018 to November 16, 2018 in Toronto and was also expected to film in South Africa. Exterior shots of the monkey lab loading docks were filmed at the former Life Savers Factory in Hamilton, Ontario, and commuter station scenes at the Hamilton Canadian National Railway Station.