Available since June 28 on Apple TV+, the Hijack series stars Idris Elba and Archie Panjabi in a breathtaking hostage situation… at an altitude of more than 10,000 meters! Discover the filming secrets of this high-flying series.
Hijack, what is it about?
Told in real time, the Hijack series retraces the hijacking of a plane bound for London. During the 7 hour flight, authorities on the ground, including Zahra Gafoor (Archie Panjabi), scramble to find answers. Sam Nelson (Idris Elba), a recognized negotiator in the business world, must use all his ingenuity to save the lives of the other passengers. But his very risky strategy could well lead to his downfall.
A new episode of Hijack is available on Apple TV+ every Tuesday.
A dizzying production for a first-class series
What challenges in the first place in this British series is the exoticism of its setting. In the comfortable modernity of the first airline class, the contours of a cage are gradually taking shape, the narrowness of which comes into conflict with the brutal urgency of the situation. Taken hostage, the passengers reflect, build plans, sometimes try to fight against their attackers…
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An idea that came into the mind of screenwriter George Kay (Lupin) not after confinement, but during a train trip: “I was on the Eurostar and the train suddenly stoppedhe said at a press conference. Even though I knew everything was fine, the idea came to my mind like a flash. What if something happened? I looked at other travellers, businessmen, families, and wondered how our group would function if the incident was serious.”
A confined tension, the capture of which was a real challenge for Jim Field Smith, the director of the series: “The biggest point was that we shot almost exclusively inside an airplane. This poses two problems: first, succeeding in making this frame interesting, but also succeeding in giving the impression of movement of the vehicle in flight. […] And I added a level of difficulty saying that I didn’t want to fragment the plane into different parts.”
A shooting more difficult than expected for the hero of the series, Idris Elba : “As we didn’t want to disassemble the plane, all the action scenes were done with the means at hand. […] This adds a lot to the reality of the drama. The fight sequences were quite difficult to shoot. […] Fortunately, the first class seats leave a little room to stretch out your legs !”
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“I remember real giggles which were liberating given the situation!”
Archie Panjabiunforgettable for her role as Kalinda Sharma in The Good Wife, confides in the microphone of AlloCiné about her role in hi-jack.
AlloCiné: Can you tell us a bit about your character, Zahra?
Archie Panjabi: I play Zahra, who is an agent of the counter-terrorist forces. I’m working with the authorities from land to try to intercept the plane and rescue the hostages.
Despite her professional involvement in the situation, Zahra is not on the plane. How would she have reacted if that had been the case?
That’s an interesting question! I think that’s the question that every viewer will ask themselves. Since Zahra works for counter-terrorism, I think she would try to come up with a strategy, work in concert with the character of Idris Elba or negotiate with the hostage takers. Of course, she wouldn’t reveal that she works for counter-terrorism!
The series unfolds in real time. Was this felt on set?
I love the concept of filming in real time and find it very appropriate for such a series, where the spectators experience the flight at the same time as the passengers. As an actress, it’s also more pleasant, because we shoot the scenes in their chronological order. In other cases, we always spend a lot of time rereading scripts and schedules to find out what has already been shot or not, sorting it out in our heads. Turning chronologically removes this concern. It also adds a lot of suspense to the series, as a whole!
Your character is very zealous, very determined. Do you recognize yourself in his professional rigour?
You should ask the people I work with! I’m probably not as abrasive as Zahra, although that’s a quality I appreciate about her. For example, I love the way he knocks on doors with a lot of strength and determination. I remember hurting myself several times while filming these scenes!
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What is your most memorable memory of this shoot?
I spent most of the filming time in a crisis room, where there were six or seven of us. As filming progressed, our characters became more and more tense, but we became more and more comfortable with others. I remember real giggles that were liberating given the situation!
Find Hijack on Apple TV+.