Ric Roman Waugh to Direct Netflix’s New Film About Hostage Rescue, ‘Six Minutes to Freedom’
EXCLUSIVE: Filmmaker Ric Roman Waugh, known for his work on Angel Has Fallen, has secured a deal to direct Six Minutes to Freedom, a non-fiction narrative by Kurt Muse and John Gilstrap. The film centers on the dramatic 1989 Delta Force rescue of an American hostage in Panama.
The screenplay, penned by Jared Rosenberg, recounts Operation Acid Gambit—one of the most audacious military raids in history. The story follows Kurt Muse, a businessman who became a CIA asset while conducting a covert radio operation aimed at undermining Manuel Noriega’s regime during the late 1980s. Captured by Noriega’s secret police, Muse faced brutal imprisonment before being rescued by Delta Force during the U.S. invasion of Panama in December 1989. The mission was marked by meticulous planning and urgency, as Delta operators were under immense pressure to execute the rescue within a tight six-minute window to prevent Muse’s likely execution.
Toby Jaffe will produce the film through his new venture, RDV Films, with Rosenberg serving as an executive producer after initiating the project by optioning the book.
Waugh, who began his career as a stunt performer and coordinator, most recently collaborated with Jason Statham on the thriller Shelter, which explores the life of a reclusive man whose world changes after saving a drowning girl. His notable credits include Snitch, Shot Caller, Angel Has Fallen, National Champions, the Greenland films, and Kandahar.
Recently, Waugh established CineMachine Media Works, which is operating under a first-look deal at Lionsgate. He is represented by Range Media Partners and Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole.
Jaffe’s RDV Films has also brought Ramin Bahrani on board to direct its Texas thriller The Rancher, and is in development on an espionage thriller titled Panic Officer, based on a spec script by Ben Ripley, for New Regency.
