Buckle Up: Netflix Is Remaking The Getaway

If you thought The Getaway had had its time in the sun, think again. Netflix is dusting off Jim Thompson's classic crime caper for another run, and there's quite a bit going on behind the scenes already.

A (Very Quick) History Lesson

So, for those who haven't kept up: The Getaway started as a 1958 crime novel by Jim Thompson—a story packed wall-to-wall with shady characters, and hardly anyone left with their dignity, let alone their lives. Then in 1972, Sam Peckinpah (never one for subtlety) turned it into a film dripping with that heavy, early-70s macho swagger. He even softened up some of Thompson's nastier characters, which is saying something.

Fast-forward to 1994, and Roger Donaldson took a swing at a remake. Solid enough, but what people mostly remember is that the film starred real-life couple Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger, following in the footsteps of Steve McQueen and Ali MacGraw, who famously fell for each other on set—while MacGraw was still married to Robert Evans, who happened to be a Hollywood legend in his own right. Awkward.

What's Netflix Cooking Up?

Now, word is Netflix has got hold of the rights for yet another version. This time, the directing reins are in the hands of Philip Barantini—the chap responsible for Netflix's well-liked mini-series Adolescence. The script comes from Peter Craig, whose CV is nothing to sneeze at: The Town, The Batman, and Bad Boys for Life among his credits. So, yes, the man knows his way around a high-stakes plot.

Here's the nutshell version of the story: Doc McCoy, a convict who’s just been denied parole, puts his fate in his wife Carol’s hands. She strikes a dodgy deal with Jack Benyon, a crooked Texan, who’ll pull some strings for Doc if he’ll help out on a final bank heist. Naturally, nothing goes to plan. After the job, Benyon’s lot turns on Doc, and he and Carol bolt across Texas, cash in hand, with police and assorted criminals on their tail. Their aim? Make it over the border to Mexico before someone catches—or kills—them.

Who's Behind the Scenes?

• Peter Craig and Bryan Unkeless are producing under their Night Owl Stories banner.
• Andrew Mittman is representing 1.21 as producer.
• Philip Barantini and Samantha Beddoe are on board from It’s All Made Up.
• Executive producing duties fall to Kai Dolbashian (1.21), Rey Reyes, and Gregory Cohen (Night Owl).

Extra Trivia For You

Fun bit of film nerd detail: Walter Hill wrote the original ’72 screenplay. When the ’94 remake rolled around, it was partly because he wanted to direct his own earlier draft of the script—before Peckinpah changed things for the McQueen version. Naturally, studio troubles intervened, Hill left, Donaldson stepped in, and Amy Holden Jones (of Indecent Proposal fame) gave the script another polish. As ever in Hollywood, nothing is straightforward.

'When convict Doc McCoy is refused parole, he enlists his wife, Carol, to strike a deal with crooked Texan Jack Benyon, who agrees to pull strings for Doc in return for his help on one last bank heist. The job is a success, but Benyon's men betray Doc, and he and Carol must take off across Texas with the money, running from both the law and other criminals, aiming to get to Mexico before they're caught, or worse, killed.'