Netflix has landed another big fish after signing an exclusive deal with The Raid 2 director Gareth Evans. The multi-year deal will have Evans producing and directing films exclusively for the streamer, with the first project being an action-thriller titled Havoc with Tom Hardy on board to star.
Evans will write and direct the pic as well as produce for One More One Productions, alongside Hardy, Ed Talfan for Severn Screen, and Aram Tertzakian for XYZ Films. Per Deadline, Havoc is set after a drug deal gone wrong, when a bruised detective must fight his way through a criminal underworld to rescue a politician’s estranged son while unraveling a deep web of corruption and conspiracy that ensnares his entire city.
Netflix and Evans have been looking to strike a deal for some time but wanted to make certain that Hardy was signed to Havoc before sharing the details of the union with the masses. In short, not only did Netflix and Evans want to hit fans with the good news, but they also wanted to announce a killer project as an example of what can be achieved when two powerhouses join forces. Evans previously directed the horror-thriller Apostle for the streamer, starring Dan Stevens, Paul Higgins, and Richard Elfyn, among others. As the story goes, Netflix loved what they saw, and have been keeping Evans on their shortlist of filmmakers to court for an exclusive deal ever since.
In addition to films like Footsteps, Merantau, and Apostle, Evans co-wrote The Raid: Redemption, and both wrote and directed The Raid 2. In other words, the dude has got talent, and now he's partnering with Tom Hardy for an action-driven mystery. Sign me up for that business. My body is ready. Hopefully, Evans's new Netflix deal is the continuation of a great relationship, and we can expect several worthwhile projects from this newly-inked union. Bring it on.