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Ahead of Sunday’s telecast of the Primetime Emmy Awards on ABC, Nielsen has unveiled its ranking for the most-watched titles and talent nominated this year.

“The nominees for the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards demonstrate the power of both new and long-running programming to attract viewers’ time and attention,” the ratings firm said in a Thursday statement. “By understanding how audiences are voting with their time, brands and platforms can ensure they’re reaching audiences where they are and create meaningful partnerships with the talent they are investing their time in.”

In order to align with Emmy rules, Nielsen focused on the eligibility period of June 1, 2023, to May 31, 2024. For the Best Drama and Best Comedy categories, Nielsen measured time spent watching the season that occurred within that window for which a given title was nominated. Meanwhile, Best Actor and Actress nominees included any titles — both movies and series — in which...

Out with the old, in with the new: All six nominees for Lead Actor in a Drama at this year’s Emmys are first-time nominees in this category. But which one should walk away a winner?

This represents a complete overhaul from last year’s field of nominees, who were all from shows that either ended or didn’t air in the past year, including winner Kieran Culkin from Succession. Among the new crop, two are enjoying their first Emmy nominations ever: Shōgun star Hiroyuki Sanada, tabbed as an early favorite for his work as cunning feudal lord Toranaga; and Dominic West,...

Fans of the AppleTV+ series Hijack have been forced to endure a long wait for the second season of the popular thriller.

The bad news is that they'll need to wait at least a few more months, as filming for Hijack Season 2 is currently underway in the UK.

The good news is that star Idris Elba will be joined by a top-tier supporting cast when the show eventually makes its way back to our screens.

Deadline reported today that three very talented stars are currently on set in London.

First off is Toby Jones, a British actor, who might he might be best known for his work in American period pieces, such as Frost/Nixon, My Week With Marilyn, and Infamous (in which he memorably portrayed Truman Capote).

While he's gained a reputation as an esteemed "actor's actor," Jones is no stranger to the world of action and green screens.

Related:...

Please make sure your seat backs and tray tables are in their full upright position because it’s time for Hijack to return to the runway for Season 2. Production on the Idris Elba-led thriller series is now reportedly off the ground. The show, which debuted on Apple TV+ last summer, was renewed by the streamer in January after initially being billed as a limited series. Now, new details about how it will take off once again are starting to arrive, so here’s a look at everything we know about Hijack Season 2 so far. When will Hijack Season 2 premiere? A release date for Hijack Season 2 has not been announced just yet by Apple TV+. However, Deadline reports that production has officially begun on the season in the United Kingdom. Who will star in Hijack Season 2? Idris Elba will return to his role as Sam Nelson and will executive produce alongside Jamie Laurenson,...

Toby Jones, Lisa Vicari and Christiane Paul are set to join season two of Apple TV+’s Hijack, produced by and starring Idris Elbra.

Since its debut, Hijack has become one of Apple TV+’s top dramas. Details on the story for season two are being kept under wraps, but Elba will reprise his role as Sam Nelson — a corporate negotiator who in the first season used his skills to bring about a resolution to the hijacking of a flight on which he was a passenger.

Hijack, which concluded its seven-episode first season in August, drew solid viewership for Apple TV+, becoming the second series on the platform (after Ted Lasso) to earn a spot on Nielsen’s weekly top 10 streaming chart. Reviews were generally favorable as well, with The Hollywood Reporter‘s TV critic Angie Han noting that co-creators George Kay and Jim Field Smith “keep the tension at a delicious thrum.

Another Hijack scenario is taking shape, with the first new castings for Season 2 of the Apple TV+ thriller.

MCU vet Toby Jones, FBI: International vet Christiane Paul and Dark alum Lisa Vicari all have joined the cast for Season 2, TVLine has learned — though no character information has yet been divulged.

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Clare-Hope Ashitey (Seven Seconds), Christian Näthe (Leipzig Homicide) and Karima McAdams (Deep State) have also been cast,...

Netflix Releases First Look at “Squid Game” Season 2

The game is about to begin (again). Netflix has released a first look at the upcoming second season of its record-setting series “Squid Game.”

The new, brief clip from Season 2 comes as part of Netflix’s complete 2024 slate announcement, with more favorites like “Bridgerton” and “The Umbrella Academy” set to release new seasons across the year.

Watch the Next On Netflix 2024: The Series & Films Preview below:

The streamer also released new photos for “Squid Game” with protagonist Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), the Recruiter (Gong Yoo), and a new character played by Park Gyu-young.

The series, which debuted on Netflix in September 2021, revolves around 456 players, deep in financial hardship, who risk their lives to play a series of deadly children’s games for the chance to win the ₩45.6 billion prize. The Season 1 cast also included Park Hae-soo, Jung Ho-yeon, O Yeong-su, Heo Sung-tae,...

Idris Elba stars in Apple TV+’s ‘Hijack’

Emmy Award nominee Idris Elba (Luther) will return to star in and executive produce a second season of Apple TV+’s Hijack. The first season premiered in June 2023 and followed Elba as Sam Nelson, a passenger on board a plane that’s hijacked. Sam’s negotiating skills were pivotal in bringing about a positive resolution.

The renewal announcement didn’t include any details on what Sam will encounter in season two.

“I was floored by the overwhelming audience response after season one. It’s top secret what new situation unfolds for Sam Nelson, but I can assure you we will bring the high octane back!” stated Idris Elba.

Created by George Kay (Lupin) and Jim Field (Criminal), the seven-episode first season is one of Apple TV+’s top dramas. It currently sits at 88% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics praising Elba’s performance in the real-time thriller.

Back in Die Hard 2, John McClane uttered the legendary line: “How could the same shit happen to the same guy twice?” Foiling one terrorist plot is something – but getting tangled up in a second one? That’s seriously bad luck. Well, Idris Elba’s Sam Nelson is about to find himself in McClane mode: after navigating a high-stakes plane hijacking in Apple TV+’s Hijack, he’s going to be taking on another suspenseful situation in an upcoming Season 2. The streamer has confirmed that the show will be back for more, with Elba returning too.

Little is known about what the next season will entail. Will Nelson somehow find himself on another hijacked plane? Will it be another mode of transport altogether? Or will it sidestep the whole hijacking thing, and simply pit him in another generally hostage-based negotiation? Whatever it entails, Elba promises more excitement to come. “I...

Idris Elba will be taking to the skies again as his 2023 series, Hijack, has now been renewed by Apple to have a follow-up season for their streaming service, according to Deadline. Told in real-time, Hijack is a tense thriller that follows the journey of a hijacked plane as it makes its way to London over a seven-hour flight, and authorities on the ground scramble for answers. The series comes from George Kay and Jim Field Smith.

The first season was a hit as it became one of the most-viewed dramas on AppleTV+ and would even crack the Nielsen Streaming Originals Top 10 list. Elba served as an executive producer on the show in addition to starring in it and responded to the reception, saying, “I was floored by the overwhelming audience response after season one. It’s top secret what new situation unfolds for Sam Nelson but I can assure you...

Sam Nelson is going to be getting into another dangerous situation. Apple TV+ has renewed Hijack for a second season. The hit thriller followed a hijacked flight in real time across seven episodes in Season 1. The series is created by George Kay and Jim Field Smith and since its debut in June 2023, has become one of Apple TV+’s top dramas. “I was floored by the overwhelming audience response after season one,” Elba said in a statement. “It’s top secret what new situation unfolds for Sam Nelson but I can assure you we will bring the high octane back!” Added Jay Hunt, creative director, Europe, Apple TV+, “Global audiences were on tenterhooks watching Idris’s riveting performance in Hijack, and we’re thrilled to be working again with 60Forty and Idiotlamp on an equally compelling season two.” When TV Insider spoke with Elba ahead of the Season 1 premiere, he’d said,...

Strap in, dear readers, because Hijack, AppleTV+’s high concept thriller has just been renewed for season 2. More here.

AppleTV+’s winning streak continues with the news that Hijack, their 2023 hit TV show starring Idris Elba, has been renewed for season 2.

The 7-part season 1 originally premiered on AppleTV+ in late June 2023. The series starred Elba as Sam, a business negotiator, who finds himself on a hijacked flight and must negotiate the plane’s safe landing. It was met with positive reviews and a strong word of mouth, making it one of the streaming service’s top shows in 2023.

No one seems more surprised by the news than Idris Elba himself.

“I was floored by the overwhelming audience response after season one,” said Elba, who executive produces as well as stars. “It’s top secret what new situation unfolds for Sam Nelson but I can assure you we will bring the high octane back!

Hijack’s Sam might as well not bother unpacking his luggage: Apple TV+ has renewed the Idris Elba-led airline thriller for a second season, TVLine has learned.

“I was floored by the overwhelming audience response after Season 1,” Elba, who also serves as an executive producer on the series, said in a statement. “It’s top secret what new situation unfolds for Sam Nelson, but I can assure you we will bring the high octane back!”

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Apple TV+ has booked a return flight for its drama series Hijack.

The tech behemoth’s streaming service has ordered a second season of the thriller starring and executive produced by Idris Elba. Details on the story for season two are being kept under wraps, but Elba will reprise his role as Sam Nelson — a corporate negotiator who in the first season used his skills to bring about a resolution to the hijacking of a flight on which he was a passenger.

“I was floored by the overwhelming audience response after season one,” Elba said in a statement. “It’s top secret what new situation unfolds for Sam Nelson, but I can assure you we will bring the high octane back!”

Hijack, which concluded its seven-episode first season in August, drew solid viewership for Apple TV+, becoming the second series on the platform (after Ted Lasso) to earn a spot...

It’s a good day for fans of Idris Elba’s nail-biting limited series “Hijack.”

Apple TV+ has confirmed that Elba is set to return as negotiator Sam Nelson in a second season of the high-octane drama, which quickly became one of the streamer’s top shows when it dropped last year.

Told almost in real-time, the series follows Nelson on a seven-hour plane ride from Dubai to London which is hijacked by terrorists. A seasoned negotiator, Nelson quickly steps in to try and diffuse the situation before anyone gets killed – but soon realizes there is more to the hijackers’ plot than first seems. Archie Panjabi, Christine Adams, Max Beesley and Ben Miles also starred.

“I was floored by the overwhelming audience response after Season 1,” Elba said. “It’s top secret what new situation unfolds for Sam Nelson, but I can assure you we will bring the high octane back!

George Kay looks conflicted. Speaking to Deadline before the resolution of the writers strike, the British WGA member had put down his pen on an Amazon Studios movie project and ducked a U.S. publicity round for his Apple TV+ series Hijack. But it’s fair to say that the strikes coincided with Kay having a serious moment.

Not unlike the protagonist in Hijack, Idris Elba’s brooding professional negotiator Sam Nelson, Kay has spent years maneuvering his way between three complex projects for Apple, Netflix and ITV/Sundance—only for them all to launch within four months of each other.

Just like Nelson’s character in Hijack—“He gets brought in, by big companies…when it all kicks off,” Nelson’s wife explains to a police officer in the show—Kay’s the man you bring in when you want to deliver a character-led thriller that will keep viewers hooked over several episodes.

Hijack star Idris Elba as well as the Apple TV+ thriller’s exec producers have all acknowledged that a major obstacle ahead of any Season 2 renewal would be finding a reason to drop Sam Nelson into another nail-biting crisis.

After all, as (barely) explained in the Hijack premiere by his estranged wife Marsha, Sam is no cop or Special Forces vet but just a guy who “gets brought in by big companies, if there’s a merger or takeover,” because he is “the best at handling it.”

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Hijack just wrapped its first season on Apple TV+, and some viewers wonder if there will be a second season of the thriller series.

The series follows business negotiator Sam Nelson (Idris Elba) as he tries to find a way to save the day during a seven-hour hijacking ordeal over the city of London. Spoiler Alert. The season ended with a crash landing. The rest of the cast includes Neil Maskell, Eve Myles, Christine Adams, Max Beesley, Archie Panjabi, Ben Miles, and Kate Phillips.

Read More…...

Spoiler Alert: This story contains spoilers for the season finale of “Hijack,” which dropped on Aug. 4 on Apple TV+.

“Will Kingdom Airlines Flight 29 land safely?” is the question that “Hijack” fans have been asking since the moment arch negotiator Sam Nelson (Idris Elba) first spotted a suspicious-looking toiletry bag being passed from one passenger to another in the aircraft’s plush first class cabin.

Now, after five nail-biting weeks, audiences will finally find out whether Nelson has managed to outwit the hijackers. To mark the season finale, “Hijack” executive producer Hakan Kousetta sat down with Variety to discuss fan reactions, that nerve-wracking ending and whether Elba is likely to return as Nelson for a second season.

Firstly, what has the reaction been like to the series so far?

It’s a very bingeable series, and the weekly release strategy of Apple is obviously wonderfully brilliant in terms of creating that watercooler conversation thing.

Apple TV’s Hijack came in for a landing this Wednesday, with the last of the thriller’s seven episodes. Was the landing smooth, or a bit bumpy, for Sam Nelson and the others aboard KA29?

The woman who shot dead the captain and seized control of the cockpit is named Amanda, and her first order of business was deleting KA29’s flight plan, shutting off autopilot and setting a new course. Sam meanwhile finagles the only loaded gun away from Stuart — who has no idea who Amanda is — and then assures the other hijackers that the jig is up.

Note: The following contains spoilers for “Hijack” Season 1 finale.

The ultra-tense final episode of “Hijack” hit Apple TV+ on Wednesday, following Sam Nelson’s (Idris Elba) last-ditch efforts to talk the hijacker(s) into landing the plane safely, as the government debated whether to shoot the flight down to stop it from crashing over London and cause mass casualties.

TheWrap chatted with the Apple TV+ series co-creators, George Kay and Jim Field Smith, about how they set the stage for the “Amanda twist.” And how the smooth-talking Sam could possibly help end an even tougher situation: The standoff between the AMPTP and writers’ and actors’ guilds.

TheWrap: The finale was very tense. Did you have a bar where you said, “It’s not intense enough, we need to add another wrinkle?”

Jim Field Smith: Once you start it being tense, you can’t make it less tense. When you call a show “Hijack,...

The AppleTV+ original series Hijack took an exciting ‘real time’ approach to its storytelling, and the result was a seven-episode roller coaster ride. The premise is quite straightforward: a plane heading toward London gets hijacked. Sam Nelson, a negotiator, manipulates the hijackers and tries to avert disaster. Sam, played by Idris Elba, is a character whose traits may seem familiar. A natural charm, a rational mind, attention to detail, and a courageous heart. Basically, he is the archetypal protagonist with minor changes and is made in the image of so many male hero figures we have seen in the past. There is another character in the series that has quite an interesting arc. The lead hijacker, Stuart, introduced to us as ‘Gerald,’ goes through quite a nerve-wracking series of events, which eventually end up being tragic for him. There is no doubt in my mind that viewers will not sympathize with him,...

Sam Nelson, played by Idris Elba, is a character that will go down as one of Elba’s best because of his nuanced performance and the highly gripping nature of the series. Hijack, told its story in a ‘real time’ format through the seven episodes, and Idris got to essay the role of the master negotiator Sam Nelson. We have all fantasized at some point or another about what we would do if we were the ones who had to fight off hijackers.

Spoilers Ahead

The character of ‘Sam Nelson’ is our own fantasy depicted on screen. He tries every trick in the book to manipulate the hijackers and manages to save the day. It was no easy task. He wasn’t prepared for his plane to be hijacked. I mean, who is? Yet, keeping his calm in unbearably tense situations, he manages to get the better of the hijackers.

The seventh episode of the AppleTV+ limited series Hijack aired, and with it, the series came to its conclusion. It was truly a fun ride while it lasted. But every good thing must come to an end eventually, no matter how much you don’t want it to. The final episode had the responsibility of neatly tying up all loose ends, and it tried to do that but, in the process, hurried through the plot. In the previous episode, Robin Allen was shot dead, and now that the plane was nearing London, the question became, will it land safely or will it crash? There were over 200 people on the plane. Saving them by providing external help seemed impossible, even for Louise and Neil. The plan had to be executed from inside the plane. Sam was put on the spot again, and it was left to his negotiating acumen to get the plane to land safely.

Amid clamor from fans, Idris Elba has said he is open to a second season of his Apple TV+ drama series Hijack, but he has some requirements in mind. The series stars Elba as top corporate negotiator Sam Nelson, who finds himself thrust into the hero role when a group of ruthless terrorists hijacks a plane he’s on. Created by George Kay and Jim Field Smith, the seven-part mini-series debuted on June 28 and is set to conclude this Wednesday, August 2. But if the show were to return for a second season, Elba has said he would want it to focus on something other than a hijacking. In an interview with Variety, The Wire alum spoke about the show’s success and the difficulties with bringing his character back for a second outing. “What would be the acceptable scenario that [Sam] comes back?” Elba said. “Because we’ve thought about this,...

Past the halfway mark already, Hijack is getting ready to enter the third act of the limited 7-episode series. The new episode serves as a bridge between the exposition and the climax and, hence, is the weakest in the series in terms of the thrills you’d expect. It felt like the episode had the burden of explaining a lot about the hijackers and their intentions, removing the veil from the mysterious criminals. The most annoying part, though, is how the actors seem to sacrifice their characters’ traits so quickly in this episode for their dialogues, which lose their organicity pretty quickly. The circumstances of the episode leave Idris Elba’s character Sam Nelson running back and forth, trying to make changes to his strategies. The secrets about the deaths that occurred in the previous episodes aren’t revealed in toto, but we get the hint that whoever the hijackers...

Idris Elba’s Sam Nelson finds himself in an interesting position — zip-tied, yet trying to do right by one of the hijackers — in TVLine’s exclusive sneak peek from Episode 4 of Apple TV+’s Hijack (out Wednesday, July 12).

When last we tuned into the real-time thriller, there was a lot going on. Sam and some neighbors in first class had deduced that the hijackers were wielding guns loaded with blanks, so when an unrelated commotion broke out — as Nasir tried to fetch his uncle’s insulin from an overhead bin, drawing pissy Jaden’s ire — Sam sneaked to the back...

The central conflict of Hijack Episode 3 can be better explained through the concept of Schrödinger’s cat. In one of the scenes, Sam Nelson’s ex-wife, Marsha, explains that more than one possibility can be true. There is always a duality until we investigate for ourselves to find out the actual truth. In the third episode, we come across two such paradoxes. On the ground, the authorities in London are still trying to figure out whether Kingdom 2-9 is hijacked or not. While on the plane itself, Sam Nelson has come across a similar dilemma. He found that the bullets in the hijacker’s gun could be fake, and that changed everything. There are more passengers on the plane than the hijackers, and the latter can easily be defeated. But what’s stopping Sam and the other passengers: the confusion regarding the bullets. One wrong move and someone can lose their life.

This Hijack review contains no spoilers.

Who remembers the last time we got a gripping airplane thriller with an intense script and a charismatic lead actor? Well, hopefully, many of you since Jean-Francois Richet’s B flick, Plane, starring Gerard Butler, has only come out at the beginning of the year, and it was a surprisingly enjoyable ride. Apple TV+’s latest 7-part miniseries, Hijack, aims to ride a similar, if more high-level, wave, and for the most part, it does it with utter confidence thanks to its sharp writing and a surly Idris Elba as its lead.

The hook for Hijack to attract viewers is a plot that unfolds in real-time (each episode covering about an hour of a 7-hour flight from Dubai to London) featuring an accomplished, mostly British cast, including regulars like Neil Maskell, Max Beesley, and Ben Miles. Of course, the main appeal of George Kay...

Idris Elba stars in Apple TV+’s ‘Hijack’

Apple TV+’s Hijack, which premiered on June 28, 2023 with the release of the first two episodes, is a seven-episode, edge-of-your-seat thriller told in real-time. As the title suggests, the series involves the hijacking of an airplane. Five-time Emmy nominee Idris Elba (Luther) stars as Sam Nelson, one of the trapped passengers and a man who just happens to possess a specific set of skills that makes him the perfect negotiator.

The action in Hijack takes place onboard the fictional Kingdom Airlines 29 (KA29), originating out of Dubai and bound for London. The series utilized a real Airbus A330 plane (retired from service) to bring that claustrophobic feeling of being trapped in a situation completely out of your control to life.

For series star Idris Elba, shooting in such a confined environment might have been difficult, but it paid off onscreen.

“This is a real plane,...

There may be only two episodes out of the new Apple TV+ drama Hijack, but we’re already hooked. A story told in real time? Idris Elba as a corporate negotiator trying to put his skills to use when his flight home is hijacked? Waiting to see how he manages to get out of a very tricky, very volatile situation? Give us more! But would Elba be game to do another season as Sam Nelson trying to negotiate himself out of some other situation? We like Sam, so we want to see it! “I like Sam, too,” Elba tells TV Insider. “Look, I’m going to be honest here. I’d like to see Sam come back, but I just don’t want to see another Hijack. It’s got to be clever, and we can see him make decisions that are impossible to make. And I think that’s...

The following contains spoilers from the premiere of Hijack, which is now streaming the first two episodes (of seven) on Apple TV+.

Hijack, a seven-episode real-time thriller from Apple TV+, took flight on Wednesday, positing Idris Elba’s Sam Nelson on a seven-hour flight from Dubai to London.

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Alas, not long into...

[Warning: The below contains Major spoilers for Hijack Episodes 1 “Final Call” and 2 “3 Degrees.”] All Sam Nelson (Idris Elba) wanted to do was get home to London and win back his ex-wife (Christine Adams‘ Marsha). Instead, in Hijack, told in real time over the course of the seven-hour flight, he must use his skills as a corporate negotiator to keep himself (and everyone else on board) alive. Over the first two episodes (now streaming on Apple TV+), Sam tries to talk to the hijackers and stop passengers from making any moves, sends a text to his ex about the “serious” incident on the flight, and starts to work with the pilot, Captain Robin Allen (Ben Miles), to alert those on the ground of what’s going on with a change of heading. Here, Elba explains why Sam is “naive” at this point in the season. Given the real-time aspect and the space in which the action takes place for Sam,...

Idris Elba may jump into action in the new TV series “Hijack”, but in real life, that wouldn’t be the case.

The actor — who plays Sam Nelson in the Apple TV+ thriller — spoke to Et Canada’s Jed Tavernier at the London, U.K. premiere, with the host questioning whether he’d be on hand to help in a real-life hijacking scenario, like his character.

When asked, all of Elba’s castmates told Tavernier they’d be comfortable with the 50-year-old springing to action in their defense.

Elba admitted, “Here’s the thing, when I get on the plane, I don’t know about you, but as soon as I’m in my seat, I’m sleeping.

“So I would have missed the whole thing. I would’ve been like, ‘Yo, what’s going on? What happened?’ Because I sleep on planes.”

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Imitation is the sincerest form of television, but some aspects of hit shows are easier to imitate than others. Fox’s 24, for instance, inspired other dramas built around international intrigue, most notably Homeland (which shared several producers). But nobody else attempted to set an entire series in real time. Oh, you’d occasionally see a show do a real-time episode, like the online-ordering fiasco from The Bear Season One, but no one has been brave or foolish enough to attempt it on a regular basis.

It’s not hard to understand why.

Idris Elba is coming back to the small screen, this time for the high-wire thriller series “Hijack” on Apple TV+, which premieres Wednesday, June 28. The show follows a minute-by-minute accounting of a hijacked flight, and presents the series in a unique real-time format. You can watch Hijack with a 7-Day Free Trial of Apple TV+.

How to Watch ‘Hijack’ Series Premiere When: Wednesday, June 28, 2023 Where: Apple TV+ Stream: Watch with a 7-Day Free Trial of Apple TV+. 7-Day Free Trial$6.99 / month apple.com About ‘Hijack’ Series Premiere

Told in real time, “Hijack” is a tense thriller that follows the journey of a hijacked plane as it makes its way to London over a seven hour flight, and authorities on the ground scramble for answers. Elba will star as ‘Sam Nelson,’ an accomplished negotiator in the business world who needs to step up and use all his guile to try and...

Sam Nelson knows that the assailants aren’t pro. So his peace negotiation with the hijackers shouldn’t be that difficult. But what is their aim? Do they want to send a message? And where do they intend to take the plane? Also, no one on the plane can use his or her phone. So the only two people who know about the situation and aren’t on the flight are Marsha and Daniel. So, will they try to contact the authorities? Episode 2 of Hijack takes things up a notch. Here’s how.

Spoilers Ahead

False Alarm

Sam’s nightmare comes true when the two guys who he had stopped earlier take another chance at grabbing one of the terrorists (Jaden) and almost succeed. Sam even manages to grab a gun and point it at Stuart, and we can see the fear in his eyes—the fear of death—the...

Personally speaking, there hasn’t really been any character in a film or series that Idris Elba couldn’t pull off. Be it a genie, a detective, or a villainous cyborg, Idris’s on-screen presence, in whatever form he takes, is very strong. In Hijack, we find him on a plane that is hijacked. But who is he? How will he be able to subvert the schemes of the hijackers? This is a game of patience and skillful thinking. Hijack Episode 1 is just the beginning of a very long flight.

Spoilers Ahead

The Flight

Sam Nelson is on his way to see his wife, Marsha. He is boarding the Kingdom Airlines A330 flight from Dubai to London. We are unsure whether they are divorced or not, but they are separated, and Marsha is now with another man [Daniel]. Sam and Marsha’s son is with her. Sam’s chat reveals that...

In the new Apple TV+ series “Hijack,” Archie Panjabi plays counter-terrorist agent Zarah, who gets a tip that there has been a “serious incident” on board a plane bound for London — a tip that is, at first, written off as a false alarm.

Meanwhile, Idris Elba (who also produces) plays businessman Sam Nelson, who’s trying to outwit the hijackers on board with a series of high-stakes gambits that may or may not work out.

The first two episodes of the series from co-creators Jim Field Smith and George Kay debut June 28 on Apple TV+. Panjabi, who previously starred on Peacock’s “Departure” and TNT’s “Snowpiercer,” promises viewers will be “at the edge of your seat for the eight-episode series, which unfolds in real time.

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Archie Panjabi Masterfully Ducks ‘Good Wife’ Feud Question

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Were it not for, you know, its terror-at-35,000-feet concept, Apple TV+’s Hijack would be the TV equivalent of a classic plane read: slick, exciting, unfussy. As it stands, it’s ideal for a lazy weekend planted firmly on the couch. Creators George Kay (Lupin) and Jim Field Smith (Litvinenko) may not be pushing the bounds of the medium, nor is star Idris Elba elevating his craft to new heights. But there’s something to be said for a show that knows exactly what it wants to be, and pulls it off without pretension.

Its premise is as straightforward as its title. Unfolding in real time, 24-style, the seven-hour miniseries chronicles a seven-hour flight from Dubai to London. By the end of the first chapter, a small group of nefarious agents, led by the sneering Stuart (Neil Maskell), have taken control of the plane. Over the next six, the...

We present our interviews from the Hijack World Premiere in London. The AppleTV+ series stars Idris Elba, Christine Adams, Max Beesley, Eve Myles, Neil Maskell, Jasper Britton, Harry Michell, Aimee Kelly, Mohamed Elsandel and Ben Miles.

Created by George Kay and Jim Field Smith, the series follows the journey of a hijacked plane as it makes its way to London over a seven-hour flight, and authorities on the ground scramble for answers. Elba will star as ‘Sam Nelson,’ an accomplished negotiator in the business world who needs to step up and use all his guile to try and save the lives of the passengers — but, his high-risk strategy could be his undoing. Archie Panjabi will play the role of ‘Zahra Gahfoor,’ a counter-terrorism officer who is on the ground when the plane is hijacked and becomes part of the investigation.

The series takes flight on Apple TV+ on Wednesday, June 28, 2023, with the first two episodes,...

The skies are particularly unfriendly in the Apple TV+ thriller Hijack, a gripping 24-style exercise in escapism that seems an oddly unnerving choice for the height of summer’s travel season. For those staying grounded, however, this is a white-knuckle winner. Unfolding on a seven-hour flight from Dubai to London over seven episodes, this roller coaster of ticking-clock suspense stars Luther’s Idris Elba in more muted but no less confrontational form as corporate negotiator Sam Nelson. His reasoning skills, and sometimes his fists, get a workout when Kingdom Flight 29 is overtaken by desperate hijackers who don’t always seem in control of their actions. Sam sizes the situation up as the second episode begins: “If it’s all going wrong in the first hour, imagine what can happen in the next six.” Indeed. While Sam tries to keep this airborne powder keg from exploding — not easy when the terrified...

The last couple of years alone have seen Idris Elba showcase a rather broad range. From gunslinging villains (Rufus Buck in The Harder They Fall) and beloved yet destructive TV detectives given a big-screen moment (Luther in Luther: The Fallen Sun), via wish-granting genies (The Djinn in Three Thousand Years of Longing) to returning Norse gods (Heimdall in Thor: Love and Thunder), animated video game characters (Knuckles in Sonic the Hedgehog 2) and a man who takes on a lion with his bare hands (Dr. Nate Samuels in Beast), it’s been a rather eclectic mix.

Hijack is — also — something altogether different.

The seven-part series, which launches on Apple TV+ on Wednesday, June 28 and which Elba also exec produced via his Green Door production company (and the solitary projects from its now-ended deal with the streamer), sees him play Sam Nelson, a business negotiator on board a flight from Dubai...

It’s been more than 20 years since “24” first aired on Fox; its real-time conceit, with a relentless ticking clock moving characters toward collision, made it the kind of hit that’s difficult to duplicate. “Hijack,” a new drama on Apple TV+, doesn’t precisely aim for the sort of thrills and chills “24” generated, but it is indeed another real-time drama about a terrorist plot. Unfortunately, the central device doesn’t quite work, and “Hijack” ends up feeling like a flight to nowhere in particular.

Here, Idris Elba plays Sam Nelson, a corporate type who finds himself at the center of international drama when his return flight from Dubai to London on the fictional Kingdom Air gets taken over by a group of armed criminals. They eventually gain control of the cockpit through blackmailing the pilot, proving their craftiness and the extent of their preparation; it falls to Sam to play quick-thinking action hero.

“First-look deals are a lot of kicking tires,” Idris Elba said today, as he revealed his high-profile partnership with Apple TV+ has run down following the launch of psychological thriller Hijack.

The deal with Elba and his Green Door Pictures outfit was struck in July 2020 and the only show to emerge from it was Hijack, which is co-written by Lupin’s George Kay and Jim Field Smith.

Launching on the streamer Wednesday, Elba stars alongside the likes of Archie Panjabi, The Crown’s Ben Miles and Max Beesley as Sam Nelson, an accomplished business negotiator forced to use his guile to save the lives of passengers onboard a hijacked plane making its way to London. Elba is also EPing the series, which comes from 60FortyFilms and Idiotlamp Productions in association with Green Door.

Speaking at a London press conference, Elba said “the cycle of the [first-look] deal has now gone through...

"Hijack" is a new 'high octane' crime thriller, starring and executive produced by Idris Elba ("Luther"), created and directed by George Kay ("Lupin"), streaming June 28, 2023 on AppleTV+:

"...told in real time, 'Hijack' is a tense thriller that follows the journey of a hijacked plane as it makes its way to London over a seven hour flight, while authorities on the ground scramble for answers. 

"'Sam Nelson' (Elba) is an accomplished negotiator in the business world who needs to step up and use all his guile to try and save the lives of the passengers - but, his high-risk strategy could be his undoing..."

Click the images to enlarge...

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Plot: Told in real time, “Hijack” is a tense thriller that follows the journey of a hijacked plane as it makes its way to London over a seven hour flight, and authorities on the ground scramble for answers.

Review: Idris Elba has proven himself to be a multi-hyphenate powerhouse who can provide voice-over for animated fare, play a superhero, perform action in genres ranging from science fiction to fantasy, and even get some laughs in comedies. Elba is even an experienced DJ. The gun can do no wrong, and while his filmography is jammed with diverse projects, the instant I started watching Hijack, I knew the creative team brought him on board because of his voice. Idris Elba has a presence that few actors are capable of, and that gravitas helps rescue Hijack from being a bust. Told in a real-time approach, Hijack is a tense thriller about a plane...

Flying on an airplane has to rank right up there with the least enjoyable experiences we face these days — so imagine my surprise when spending a few hours on a plane with Apple TV+’s Hijack actually turned out to be downright pleasurable. The new hostage drama starring Idris Elba (premiering Wednesday, June 28; I’ve seen three of the seven episodes) is a good old-fashioned pulse-pounder that takes full advantage of its claustrophobic setting with perfectly calibrated tension and high-intensity action scenes.

Elba plays Sam Nelson, a passenger on a flight from Dubai to London that’s set to take about seven hours,...

The confined space of airplanes, along with the assortment of strangers stuffed inside them and the looming potential for catastrophe, has always made them the ideal setting for a nail-biting thriller. The latest entry in the canon is Hijack, which follows a commercial flight traveling from Dubai to London that is, you guessed it, hijacked.

The journey is shown over the course of the series’s seven hour-long episodes, allowing us to witness how events play out in real time. Inside the plane, Sam Nelson (Idris Elba) and his fellow passengers concoct a series of schemes to try and outfox the terrorists, while, on the ground below, politicos and police race against the clock to figure out what to do about it.

Like many modern television shows, Hijack probably should have been a feature film, a format that’s a more natural fit for this brand of claustrophobic thriller. Even...

"Hijack" is the new 'high octane' crime thriller, starring and executive produced by Idris Elba ("Luther"), created and directed by George Kay ("Lupin"), streaming June 28, 2023 on AppleTV+:

"...told in real time, 'Hijack' is a tense thriller that follows the journey of a hijacked plane as it makes its way to London over a seven hour flight, while authorities on the ground scramble for answers. 

"'Sam Nelson' (Elba) is an accomplished negotiator in the business world who needs to step up and use all his guile to try and save the lives of the passengers - but, his high-risk strategy could be his undoing..."

Click the images to enlarge...