Idris Elba’s Apple TV+ Thriller Hijack Reveals First Look Photos and Release Date

May 5, 2023, 10:17am

Apple TV+ released the first photos from Hijack, a real-time thriller starring and executive produced by Idris Elba (Luther). Hijack is a seven-part series that follows a plane that its hijacked on its way to London during a seven-hour flight. Elba plays a negotiator named Sam Nelson who has to work to save the lives of the plane passengers. However, his high-risk strategy could be his downfall. The series is is created by George Kay (Lupin, Criminal) and Jim Field Smith (Criminal, Truth Seekers), who also wrote and directed the series, respectively. As for its release date, Hijack will debut its first two episodes on Wednesday, June 28th.

One of the other leading roles is played by Emmy Award and NAACP Image Award winner Archie Panjabi (The Good Wife, Snowpiercer, Blindspot), who portrays the counterterrorism officer Zahra Gahfoor. From the first look photos, it appears that Elba is on the hijacked plane, while Panjabi is working from the ground. Hijack also stars Christine Adams, Max Beesley, Eve Myles, Neil Maskell, Jasper Britton, Harry Michell, Aimée Kelly, Mohamed Elsandel and Ben Miles.

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Hijack joins a long list of Apple TV+ original series, including Ted Lasso, Silo, Mythic Quest, Servant, and more. Ted Lasso debuted back in March on Apple TV+, and there have been rumblings Season 3 could be its last.

Idris Elba Reveals His Hardest Role Ever

Speaking with ET Canada (via People), Idris Elba said that being named People’s Sexiest Man alive in 2018 was his hardest role ever, even more challenging than Luther or playing Bloodsport in The Suicide Squad. What made the role so challenging? For Elba, it was the photographs.

Elba explained that the issue for him was the photographs, with the actor saying he doesn’t “always photograph great” but he went on to note that the photographer he worked with for his Sexiest Man Alive cover, David Burton, knew just what to do.

“I said to the photographer, ‘I don’t always photograph great in pictures, this picture needs to be great,’” Elba said. “[They’re like] ‘No, no, no. We’ve done this a million times, we know how to do it.’ And I was like, ‘Ok, I’ll just be me.’ Then they do this sort of thing where they make your favorite camera angle work for the cover.”

You can find the first-look photos of Idris Elba’s Hijack below. The series debuts with its first two episodes on Wednesday, June 28th.