Netflix is positioning this as a match made in heaven—Barantini's mastery of tension-filled, single-take filmmaking will bring fresh energy to McQueen's beloved classic. The streaming giant gets a proven auteur, and Barantini continues his meteoric rise from indie director to Netflix royalty.
Sources close to production say the real story is the Barantini-Craig partnership—they're already deep into Rabbit Rabbit with Adam Driver and Regina Hall. Getaway isn't just another remake; it's a strategic move that locks in one of Hollywood's most coveted directors for Netflix's future slate.
The original 1972 film was directed by Sam Peckinpah (The Wild Bunch) with screenplay by Walter Hill (48 Hrs., The Warriors). A previous remake in 1994 starred Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger. Peter Craig's credits include The Batman, Bad Boys for Life, and he just produced Netflix's hit adaptation Remarkably Bright Creatures.
Netflix is betting big that Barantini can inject new life into a franchise that's failed to capture lightning twice before. Whether this Getaway escapes the curse of underwhelming remakes will depend on whether his signature style translates to McQueen's hardboiled world.
Netflix is revving up for another high-profile remake, and they've snagged one of television's most celebrated new voices to take the wheel. Philip Barantini—the director who shattered streaming audiences with his devastating limited series Adolescence—has signed on to helm a new version of The Getaway, Steve McQueen's iconic 1972 action-crime thriller. The streaming giant announced Tuesday that Barantini will direct the remake in what sources describe as an exclusive multi-picture deal.
But this isn't just another legacy sequel cash-grab—the project comes loaded with serious Hollywood firepower. Peter Craig, the screenwriter behind Ben Affleck's The Town, The Batman, and Bad Boys for Life, will pen the script. Craig is currently on a hot streak after producing Netflix's hit adaptation Remarkably Bright Creatures.
Barantini's rise has been nothing short of stratospheric. Just five years ago, he was an actor best known for roles in Band of Brothers trying to make it as a director. His 2020 feature debut Villain flew under the radar, but 2021's Boiling Point—which he shot in a single unbroken take—earned multiple BAFTA nominations and announced him as a filmmaker with a distinctive vision.
Then Adolescence dropped on Netflix earlier this year, filmed entirely in continuous takes across four episodes, and became an instant cultural phenomenon. The original Getaway starred McQueen and Ali MacGraw as an ex-con and his wife forced to go on the run after a deadly double-cross during a Texas bank robbery. Walter Hill wrote the screenplay (adapting Jim Thompson's 1958 novel), and Sam Peckinpah directed—two legendary filmmakers whose collaboration defined 1970s action cinema.
The film was previously remade in 1994 starring Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger, though that version failed to capture the original's intensity. Here's where it gets interesting: Barantini and Craig are already working together on Rabbit Rabbit, a hostage drama mini-series currently in production starring Adam Driver and Regina Hall. Getaway marks their second collaboration with Netflix, suggesting the streaming giant is building an entire creative pipeline around this partnership.
Andrew Mittman of 1.21 secured the rights to The Getaway specifically to bring the project to Barantini and Craig. Barantini's next move after Rabbit Rabbit? Enola Holmes 3—also for Netflix. He's officially become the streaming platform's go-to director for prestige genre material.
