‘Daybreak’ First Trailer: The Apocalypse Turns High School Into a Stylish Survival Game in Netflix Series

A nuclear blast makes high school drama even harder in this new comedy series, based on a graphic novel.
Daybreak Netflix
Ursula Coyote/Netflix

High school is tough enough as it is. “Daybreak,” a new Netflix series launching next month, takes a look at what might happen if you added the apocalypse on top of it.

The 10-episode season centers on the students and staff of Glendale High School, who after an ominous and dangerous mushroom cloud, are thrust into a barren wasteland with different warring tribes trying to control life in the aftermath. As the teaser trailer for the series shows, much of the same divisions that haunted these students in a time before nuclear annihilation still stick around as everyone scavenges for dwindling supplies.

Told with a wink and a nod to the tropes of post-apocalyptic stories, “Daybreak” still keeps some of the attitude of a high school-set comedy. Part of the fun of the show seems to be watching which groups can keep the upper hand as things get even more serious. (The cheerleaders look like they are not to be messed with.)

Matthew Broderick stars as Principal Michael Burr, whose morning announcements form the ironic backdrop for the cataclysmic future about to gobble up most of the student body in a fight for survival. Much of the rest of the series’ ensemble is made up of those helping to bring the members of these warring factions to life. Those cast members include Colin Ford, Sophie Simnett, Austin Crute, Alyvia Alyn Lind, Cody Kearsley, Jeanté Godlock, Gregory Kasyan.

Burr isn’t the only GHS staff member left to make sense of all this, as Krysta Rodriguez co-stars as one of the school’s biology teachers. The series, based on Brian Ralph’s graphic novel of the same name, was co-created by Brad Peyton and Aron Eli Coleite, the latter of whom serves as the series showrunner.

Watch the sneak peek for the series (complete with plenty of intimidating-looking improvised weapons) below:

“Daybreak” premieres October 24 on Netflix.

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