Hijack (TV series)
| Hijack | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Thriller |
| Written by | George Kay |
| Directed by | Jim Field Smith |
| Starring | |
| Country of origin |
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| Original language | English |
| No. of episodes | 3 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Production companies |
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| Original release | |
| Network | Apple TV+ |
| Release | 28 June 2023 – present |
Hijack (stylized as H/JACK) is a thriller miniseries created by George Kay and Jim Field Smith, starring Idris Elba. It premiered on 28 June 2023 on Apple TV+.
Premise
Sam, a talented business negotiator, must use his skills to broker a peaceful end to a hijacking of a seven-hour flight from Dubai to London.[1]
Cast and characters
Main
- Idris Elba as Sam Nelson, a corporate business negotiator.
- Neil Maskell as Stuart Atterton, the leader of the hijackers.
- Eve Myles as Alice Sinclair, a flight controller at London Heathrow Airport.
- Christine Adams as Marsha Smith-Nelson, Sam's estranged wife.
- Max Beesley as DI Daniel Farrell, Marsha's current boyfriend and a member of the Metropolitan Police.
- Archie Panjabi as DCI Zahra Gahfoor, Farrell's former partner and a member of SO15.
- Ben Miles as Captain Robin Allen, the pilot of Kingdom Airlines Flight 29.
- Kate Phillips as Collette Fisher, a flight attendant who is having an affair with Robin.
Recurring
- Zora Bishop as Deevia Khan, the lead flight attendant.
- Jasper Britton as Marcus, a vicar and passenger.
- Mohammad Faisal Mostafa as Abdullah, a Dubai air traffic controller who manages KA29.
- Aimée Kelly as Jamie Constantinou
- Jack McMullen as Lewis
- Mohamed Elsandel as Jaden
- Holly Aird as Amanda
- Gretchen Egolf as Adelaide
- Harry Michell as Hugo
- Jeremy Ang Jones as Arthur
- Antonia Salib as Neela Leesha, an airport security screener who leaves her station mysteriously.
- Fatima Adoum as Rashida
- Nebras Jamali as Nasir
- Lucia Aliu as Lizzy Blakefield
- Mei Henri as Naomi
- Chantelle Alle as Kacey
Episodes
| No. | Title [2] | Directed by | Written by | Original release date [3] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Final Call" | Jim Field Smith | George Kay | 28 June 2023 | |
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Corporate business negotiator Sam Nelson boards Kingdom Airlines flight KA29 from Dubai to London to return to his estranged wife. At the airport, he convinces gate staff to allow fellow passenger Alec on after he narrowly misses the gate closing. After takeoff, teenage passenger Naomi finds a bullet in the bathroom and tells Marcus, a friendly fellow passenger. Marcus, secretly part of a hijacking crew, informs leader Stuart and his colleagues to expedite the takeover. Using Glock 19 pistols hidden in toiletry bags, several hijackers take control of the plane, speaking both English and Arabic. Airport screener Neela Leesha, who allowed the guns on board, returns home when her husband and child are threatened. The hijackers access the cockpit by threatening Collette, a flight attendant who Captain Robin Allen is having an affair with. Before the Wi-Fi is turned off, Sam is able to text his wife about the incident, and she passes it to her boyfriend, DI Daniel Farrell, who works for the Metropolitan Police. | |||||
| 2 | "3 Degrees" | Jim Field Smith | George Kay | 28 June 2023 | |
|
Two passengers attack one of the hijackers, and Sam picks up his gun. The passengers are subdued, and Sam returns the pistol to Stuart, the hijacking leader. Farrell contacts his ex, DCI Zahra Gahfoor from SO15, who reaches out to colleagues at Heathrow Airport, who state the KA29 call was a false alarm. He relays this to Marsha. Abdullah, the Dubai flight controller whom Allen assured everything was fine, has doubts about KA29's status. He notices Neela leaving security screening on CCTV, before her shift ends. Allen is removed from the cockpit, and he and Sam start messaging each other via an inter-seat game. Allen tells Sam that the Iraqi military will be contacted when they enter their airspace and nobody responds. However, the hijackers force Allen to confirm to Baghdad there is no issue. At Heathrow, air traffic controller Alice Sinclair also questions the "false alarm" and notices a slight deviation in the flight plan, a post-9/11 indication for help. Arriving at Neela's house, Abdullah finds her and her family murdered and is killed by British assassins. | |||||
| 3 | "Draw a Blank" | Jim Field Smith | Adam Gyngell, Fred Fernandez Armesto, George Kay | 4 July 2023 | |
| 4 | "Not Responding" | Unknown | Unknown | 12 July 2023 | |
Production
It was announced in April 2022 that Apple TV+ had greenlit the miniseries, which would see Idris Elba starring and serving as an executive producer. George Kay would write the script, and Jim Field Smith would direct.[4] In May, Archie Panjabi joined the cast.[5]
Production began on 9 May 2022 in Aylesbury and was expected to continue until October 2022.[6] The series is to consist of seven episodes.[1]
Reception
The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 90% approval rating, with an average rating of 7/10, based on 40 reviews. The website's critic consensus reads, "Largely devoid of storytelling turbulence and benefitting greatly from its real-time pacing, Hijack is a glossy but effective thriller that achieves genuine liftoff."[7] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 66 out of 100, based on 24 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[8]
References
- ^ a b Lowry, Brian (28 June 2023). "Idris Elba boards an ill-fated flight in the real-time thriller 'Hijack'". CNN. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
- ^ "Hijack". Apple TV+. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
- ^ "Shows A-Z – Hijack on Apple TV+". The Futon Critic. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
- ^ Whittock, Jesse (11 May 2022). "Idris Elba to Lead Apple TV+ Thriller Series Hijack from Lupin Writer George Kay". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (12 May 2022). "Archie Panjabi Joins Idris Elba in Apple Thriller Drama Series Hijack". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
- ^ Daniels, Nia (9 May 2022). "Idris Elba starts filming Hijack in the UK for Apple TV+". Kemps Film and TV Production Services Handbook. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
- ^ "Hijack: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
- ^ "Hijack: Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved 29 June 2023.