Idris Elba talks playing 'a fragile man' in Apple TV+ series Hijack
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Sam Nelson (Idris Elba) is about to have a hell of a flight.
Apple TV+'s upcoming thriller Hijack follows business professional Sam as he tries to serve as negotiator when the plane he's on is hijacked. The miniseries, on which Elba serves as EP in addition to being its star, will follow the situation in real time as he tries to bring the nightmare to a peaceful end. "I wanted to make something that has impact as an actor obviously, but also as a producer in terms of what my taste is," he says. "[Hijack] really ticked so many boxes."
Aidan Monaghan/Apple TV+ Idris Elba in 'Hijack'
In particular, the pulse of Hijack resonated with Elba. "It takes a fresh approach to a thriller and hostage situation," he teases. Part of that is allowing the ordeal to unfold in real time. The plane is taken over while flying from Dubai to London with the seven episodes following the flight minute-by-minute. "There's an amplified nature of having a ticking time bomb in a plane and what that does to human nature," he says.
Having George Kay, who is one of the creators of the Netflix international hit Lupin, as the co-creator and writer was another draw for Elba. "He really has a phenomenal taste profile for breaking down this sort of ticking clock drama," he explains.
Aidan Monaghan/Apple TV+ Archie Panjabi in 'Hijack'
While Sam is in the sky, Zahra Gahfoor (Archie Panjabi) is on the ground in London anchoring the other half of the story. As the plane crosses from one country's airspace to another's, different groups come into contact with the situation in the air. "It is an examination of the procedures and attitudes [within the government and law enforcement], and that becomes a focal point of the storytelling," Elba says about where Zahra fits into the story. The real-time component provides the show with an opportunity to explore the complexities of having various groups within different countries dealing with the plan as it crosses their airspace.
Compared to Elba's most popular roles, like John Luther, Sam is not the best equipped to save the day. Described as "a fragile man," Elba says Sam is someone who needs to get through this ordeal in order to get to his family in London, as opposed to his previous characters who were more attracted to exploring their inner demons. Sam isn't necessarily a hero, but rather someone who wants to make it out of this ordeal in one piece. "He's not an action star or a cop," he says. "He has the gift of the gab." This means that he'll have to rely on his brains to save the day when the plane he's on is taken over.
Aidan Monaghan/Apple TV+ Idris Elba in 'Hijack'
Hijack premieres June 28 on Apple TV+.
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