Full Breakdown
Netflix Announces *Six Minutes to Freedom* – Film on 1989 Delta Force Rescue
5/16/2026, 1:54:30 AM
Film Announcement and Core Premise
Netflix is developing a feature film titled *Six Minutes to Freedom*, with Ric Roman Waugh attached as director. The project adapts the non-fiction work co-written by former CIA asset Kurt Muse and journalist John Gilstrap, which recounts Operation Acid Gambit—the 1989 Delta Force raid that liberated an American hostage in Panama. The screenplay is being developed by Jared Rosenberg, and production is being overseen by Toby Jaffe through RDV Films.
Operation Acid Gambit: Historical Context
Kurt Muse, a Panama-based businessman who operated a covert radio network to undermine Manuel Noriega’s regime in the late 1980s, was captured by Noriega’s secret police and endured harsh imprisonment. During the United States’ December 1989 invasion of Panama, Delta Force executed a rapid extraction, freeing Muse before the broader military advance could reach his detention site. The operation required precise coordination under a narrow time window to prevent his execution.
Key Personnel and Production Entities
Ric Roman Waugh brings a background in stunt coordination and action direction, with credits including *Angel Has Fallen*, *Snitch*, and *Kandahar*. His production entity, CineMachine Media Works, operates under a first-look agreement with Lionsgate. Toby Jaffe, who launched RDV Films, serves as producer; the company recently attached Ramin Bahrani to *The Rancher* and is developing the espionage thriller *Panic Officer*. Representation for Waugh is provided by Range Media Partners and Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole.
Development Timeline
The clandestine radio effort began in the late 1980s, culminating in Muse’s capture prior to the December 1989 rescue. The Delta Force operation took place in December 1989, during the U.S. invasion of Panama. In May 2026, Deadline reported that Waugh had secured the directing role and that Rosenberg’s screenplay was in development. Production responsibilities are assigned to RDV Films, with executive production by Rosenberg, following the acquisition of the book option.
Data and Statistics
The rescue was executed within a six-minute window between the Delta Force insertion and the arrival of advancing U.S. forces, a constraint highlighted in the source material. This narrow interval unfolded amid the December 1989 U.S. invasion of Panama.
Official Statements & Responses
Deadline notes that Ric Roman Waugh “has inked a deal to direct *Six Minutes to Freedom*,” indicating formal agreement with the production partners. Toby Jaffe is identified as producer, and Jared Rosenberg is credited as executive producer, reflecting the collaborative structure behind the project. No additional public comments from the involved parties are recorded in the source.
Implications and Reach
The production adapts the 1989 Operation Acid Gambit into a mainstream visual format, using Muse’s first-hand account and the documented six-minute window as narrative anchors. By presenting the rescue within the context of the U.S. invasion of Panama, the film provides a cinematic depiction of Delta Force’s involvement. Distribution through Netflix will make the story widely accessible to global audiences.
