Idris Elba will be getting back into his thriller bag for a new limited series coming to AppleTV+.
Titled Hijack, Elba will be taking on the role of “Sam Nelson, an accomplished negotiator in the business world who tries to step up and use all his guile to save the lives of the passengers. His high-risk strategy, however, could prove his undoing,” per The Hollywood Reporter. The series will also be told “in real time as a hijacked flight makes a seven-hour journey toward London and authorities on the ground search for answers.”
The Luther star will also executive produce this series under his Green Door Pictures as a part of his first-look deal with the popular streamer. George Kay has been tapped to write the series with Jim Field Smith set to direct. Jamie Laurenson and Hakan Kousetta of 60Forty are also set to produce alongside Kris Thykier.
Elba recently gave his vocal talents to Sonic The Hedgehog 2, which was released in theaters in early April. Prior to that, he starred alongside Regina King, Jonathan Majors, LaKeith Stanfield, RJ Cyler, and Zazie Beetz for Netflix’s popular Black western film, The Harder They Fall, directed by Jeymes Samuel.
Not to get on my soapbox or whatever (I totally am about to) but that movie (The Harder They Fall) is one of the best of 2021 and I’m still a bit salty that it didn’t get a lot of mainstream awards buzz. To put it in Michael Jordan’s terms: I took it personally. I’m still taking it personally and I probably will continue to take it personally until a sequel film has been announced, produced and released on one of the various streaming platforms.