Rosario Dawson is an actor who thrives in gritty works of genre, from Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof, to comic book adaptations like Sin City and the dearly departed Netflix Daredevil-universe, to the upcoming USA mystery Briarpatch. Now, she's adding a new gritty piece of comic book genre storytelling to her resume. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Dawson is set to star in DMZ, the forthcoming HBO Max comic book series from director/executive producer Ava DuVernay.

The show, based on the Vertigo comic from Brian Wood and Riccardo Burchielli, takes place in a near-future Manhattan. And where the rest of the country has split into two sides locked in acrimonious civil war, Manhattan serves as the nation's one demilitarized zone: or DMZ. Dawson will star as Alma, a medic who helps save lives and must deal with the vicious gangs, warlords, and power-seeking folks who now run the streets of New York City -- all while trying to search for her missing son.

DuVernay, known for films like Selma and TV shows like When They See Us, will direct the pilot. Westworld's Roberto Patino will write and serve as showrunner. The project is a result of DuVernay's overall deal with Warner Bros. TV, and will, with any luck, serve as a brand new piece of near-future watercooler TV for the nascent HBO Max service. Their The Handmaid's Tale or Westworld, if you will. According to Deadline, the project was previously going to be adapted for Syfy by Gravity producer David Heyman and Mad Men executive producers Andre and Maria Jacquemetton.

For more on Dawson, here's the first trailer for her upcoming series Briarpatch. Plus: wouldn't you love to see her play She-Hulk? And in the world of DuVernay, here's the latest intel on New Gods.