Michelle Rodriguez knows a thing or two about driving above the speed limit. The 43-year-old actress is best known for her role as Letty Ortiz, a mechanic, car thief, and street racer in the Fast & Furious film franchise. Now, Rodriguez sees competitors putting the pedal to the metal in the Discovery reality show Getaway Driver, which has one season under its belt.
Getaway Driver features what showrunner and creator Adam Vetri considers a “simple high-speed chase concept.” Set in a “post-apocalyptic world,” competitors will get behind the wheel of their own cars and attempt to escape an abandoned property before a pursuing driver “incapacitates” their vehicle.
Vetri said the production team looked at some of the series’s settings: abandoned chemical plants, old malls, broken down buildings, and Mad Max-style deserts. “The feeling of post-apocalyptic was definitely a vibe that we were going for,” Vetri told Deadline.
Vetri said it was “a miracle” that he was able to talk Michelle Rodriguez into hosting the show. When he pitched the idea to her, she only had one request. “She said to me, ‘Look, I like the idea, I like what you’re saying, I like your energy, but I am one of the faces of arguably the largest car franchise on the planet,” Vetri said. “If I’m gonna do something with cars, it needs to be f—ing awesome.”
Vetri promised her that he would “make something that’s visually awesome and energetic and incredibly fun to watch,” and she accepted. He added: “The thing that I love about Michelle is she really knows her brand.”