Idris Elba stars as Sam Nelson, a corporate negotiator trapped in real-time crisis scenarios across two seasons. For Season 1, production designer Andrew Purcell built a 164-foot aircraft fuselage set across two soundstages, with a fully mechanical cockpit on a hydraulic gimbal facing LED walls. Cinematographer Ed Moore BSC designed a three-ton 'sun truss' rig with 70 Robe BMFL fixtures on a Kinesys motorised system to simulate sunlight tracking across the plane during a Dubai-to-London flight. Every in-flight screen on every seat worked in real-time continuity. Season 2 relocated to a meticulously replicated Berlin U-Bahn train built from scratch at Eastbrook Studios, with a six-camera rig capturing real underground footage for LED playback during the 136-day shoot.
Hijack
George Kay, Jim Field Smith
George Kay
Apple TV+
2
15
42–58 minutes
Thriller Drama Action
Eastbrook Studios, Dagenham, England, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England, Madrid, Spain, Berlin, Germany
Season 1
Corporate negotiator Sam Nelson boards Kingdom Airlines Flight 29 from Dubai to London, unaware that the seven-hour journey is about to become a fight for survival when hijackers seize control of the aircraft.
As the hijacking unfolds at 30,000 feet, Sam uses his negotiation skills to manage the volatile situation while authorities on the ground scramble to respond to the crisis.
The passengers discover a shocking truth about the hijackers' weapons as Sam works to keep both sides calm while buying time.
Communication with the plane is lost, escalating tensions both on board and among the authorities trying to manage the crisis from the ground.
With less than an hour until landing, Sam's negotiation strategies are pushed to their limits as the hijackers' true motives begin to emerge.
Sam advises passengers to comply slowly with demands as the situation reaches a critical turning point with London approaching.
In the gripping season finale, Flight 29 approaches London as Sam must use everything he has to bring the crisis to a resolution before it is too late.
Season 2
Sam Nelson finds himself in Berlin when commuters on a U-Bahn underground train are taken hostage, pulling him into another real-time crisis.
As authorities scramble to establish communication with the hostage-takers, Sam attempts to assess the situation from inside the underground train.
The hostage-takers' demands escalate as Sam navigates the cramped confines of the Berlin underground, uncovering connections to a larger conspiracy.
A sudden change in the hostage-takers' plans forces Sam to adapt his approach as the situation takes an unexpected turn deep beneath Berlin.
A communications blackout plunges the underground crisis into darkness as Sam and the passengers face their most dangerous moment yet.
The train reaches a critical junction point as Sam must make a pivotal decision that will determine the fate of everyone on board.
Contact is finally established between the hostage-takers and authorities as the crisis hurtles toward its climax beneath the streets of Berlin.
In the season finale, Sam must use every skill he possesses to bring the underground crisis to an end as the train approaches its final stop.