Gareth Evans

Gareth Huw Evans (born 6 April 1980) is a Welsh film director, screenwriter, editor, and action choreographer. He is best known for the Indonesian action crime films Merantau, The Raid (2011), and The Raid 2 (2014), and for bringing the Indonesian martial art of pencak silat into world cinema through these films. He is also known for co-creating, co-writing, co-directing, and executive producing the Sky Atlantic/AMC action crime drama television series Gangs of London (2020–present), alongside Matt Flannery, based on the 2006 video game of the same name.

Early life Evans was born on 6 April 1980 and raised in Hirwaun, Cynon Valley. He graduated from the University of Glamorgan with an MA in screenwriting.

Career After directing a small-budget film called Footsteps, Evans was hired as a freelance director for a documentary about the Indonesian martial art pencak silat.

In late 2016, Evans started working on his next film, Apostle, which stars Dan Stevens. The film was released by Netflix on 12 October 2018.

In October 2017, TheWrap reported that Evans had pitched his idea for a Deathstroke solo film and is in early talks to write and direct. Evans also passed on directing a Justice League Dark film. However, in April 2020, Evans said that the film had been delayed and that he was no longer actively involved with the project.

In February 2021, it was reported that Evans signed an exclusive deal to produce and direct films for Netflix. His first film under that deal was Havoc, starring Tom Hardy and Forest Whitaker, which was filmed in 2021. After numerous delays due to scheduling reshoots and the SAG-AFTRA strike, the film was released on 25 April 2025. Later that year, Evans completed principal photography on A Colt Is My Passport, a reimagining of the Takashi Nomura 1967 film of the same name.

Personal life Evans lived in Jakarta, Indonesia with his wife, Maya Barack-Evans, and their daughter, until the family moved back to Wales in 2015.

Filmography Short film Year Title Director Writer Producer Editor Notes 2003 Samurai Monogatari 2013 Safe Haven Segment of V/H/S/2 (Co-directed with Timo Tjahjanto) 2016 Pre Vis Action Also cinematographer

Feature film Year Title Director Writer Producer Editor Notes 2006 Footsteps Role: Porn Den Videographer 2009 Merantau 2011 The Raid Also action choreographer 2014 The Raid 2 2018 Apostle Also action design team 2025 Havoc TBA A Colt Is My Passport Post-production

Television Year Title Director Writer Creator Notes 2020 Gangs of London Episodes 1, 5, and most action sequences

Awards In November 2011, The Raid won the Midnight Madness Award at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2011.