Hijack on OTT: When & Where to watch Idris Elba's gripping race-against-clock thriller

Idris Elba is no stranger to trying out something new as an actor, especially on the small screen. Having made an indelible mark with his role as the conniving drug kingpin Russell "Stringer" Bell in The Wire, Elba made recurring and highly memorable appearances on TV and streaming shows with The Office (US version, as Charles Miner), Luther (main lead DCI John Luther), Guerrilla (as Kentoro "Kent" Abbasi) and Turn Up Charlie (co-creator, executive producer and main lead Charlie Ayo) being his most noteworthy credits.

He would reprise his role as John Luther in the Netflix original 'Luther: The Fallen Sun, which served as the film continuation of the BBC show 'Luther'.

And retaining his penchant for long-form storytelling, Idris Elba has joined forces with another top streamer for an exciting new show titled Hijack. The British thriller miniseries has Elba headlining it as Sam Nelson, a season corporate negotiator tasked with saving everyone onboard a flight that has just been hijacked.

"When Flight KA29 is hijacked during its seven-hour journey from Dubai to London, corporate negotiator Sam Nelson tries to use his professional skills to save everyone on board," reads the synopsis of the show. Also starring in 'Hijack' are Archie Punjabi, Christine Adams, Max Beesley, Eve Myles, Neil Maskell, Kate Phillips and others.

Hijack is an Apple TV+ original production which will debut on the streaming platform on June 28, 2023. The show has been created by George Kay and Jim Field Smith with the former writing all the episodes and Smith directing them. Idris Elba serves as one of the executive producers.

Speaking about the role and the idea of starring in a show that has echoes of films like Die Hard and Air Force One, Elba said that it was a conscious decision on the creative team's part to not make the central character a cop, a detective or anyone with the natural instincts to solve the scenario of a hijack. Instead, the creators opted for a top corporate negotiator who must employ his skills in a rather unconventional and grave situation. 

When asked by Variety about a potential season 2 of 'Hijack', Elba said that he wouldn't mind making a return but not `without a compelling context.