(Credit: Netflix)

Following an intense bidding war, Netflix most recently acquired the rights to a fresh hostage drama, starring Emmy-nominated actor Adam Driver, Rabbit, Rabbit.

Described as being in the DNA of Dog Day Afternoon, Netflix landed a straight-to-series order, set in a truck stop in Southern Illinois.

Rabbit, Rabbit takes place at the very truck stop when a convict on the run is cornered by law enforcement, forcing him to take hostages in exchange for a negotiation for his freedom. But the high-stakes situation ultimately accelerates into a messy social experiment with those held captive, resulting in an emotional gambling game with a seasoned FBI crisis negotiator, highly skilled and trained in “tactical empathy.”

Peter Craig, best known for writing the screenplay for Top Gun: Maverick, who also served as the creator for Apple TV series Dope Thief, is writing Rabbit, Rabbit. Philip Barantini, who directed the groundbreaking one-shot Emmy-winning Netflix limited series Adolescence, is taking the directorial responsibilities.

According to Deadline, the script was actually sent out via the Embershot software, allowing buyers to read the story only through the app while offering writers and their teams data, noting the time of read and who read it. The service rose to fame primarily after Zach Cregger revealed that he sent out his script for Weapons using the same. It is assumed that Netflix took the project in the preliminary stages, giving it a straight-to-series order. Rabbit, Rabbit is, in fact, expected to begin filming as early as next year.

Ozark producer MRC TV, which enjoys a first-look deal with Craig’s Night Owl, will produce Rabbit, Rabbit. Craig and Bryan Unkeless will serve as executive producers for Night Owl, while Brantini and Samantha Beddoe will executive-produce on behalf of It’s All Made Up Productions. In addition to starring in the forthcoming series, Driver will also executive-produce the same.

Barantini oversees It’s All Made Up Productions with Beddo, which has a peripheral investment from Last Week Tonight producer, Avalon. The company is also behind the production of the Boiling Point series, starring Stephen Graham, for the BBC. It produced a feature film relatively recently, directed by Cal McMau and written by Hunter Andrews and Eoin Doran, starring Tom Blyth and David Jonsson, called Wasteman, which was screened at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Craig, known for his credits for The Town, launched the Night Owl production company with Unkeless. It has a first-look TV deal with Ozark producer MRC and currently has two projects simmering on Netflix. The first is the Shelby Van Pelt novel adaptation, Remarkably Bright Creatures, starring Sally Field, which is in post-production. The second one is Fight for ’84, based on the true story of the 1984 US Olympic Boxing Team’s coach. Fight for ’84 stars Jamie Foxx and is now in production.

WME represents Driver, while CAA, Untitled, Independent Talent Group, and JSSK represent Barantini. Craig, Unkeless and Beddoe are repped by Untitled Entertainment and CAA. Untitled and Felker Toczek Suddleson McGinnis Ryan LLP also represents Unkeless. While Netflix has yet to give out the rest of the details, to know more, stay tuned for further updates.