Over 50 years of British sci-fi television, the genre went from one golden age to another. The 1970s gave us bleakly devastating visions of the future, the 1980s gave us space invasions and comedy, the 1990s blended crime drama with sci-fi, and the 2000s remade shows from the 1970s and gave us Christopher Eccleston as two kinds of god.
Then came the 2010s, the birth of transatlantic co-productions and streaming. British sci-fi television was no longer the cheaper, shoddier counterpart to its US equivalent. The production values were glossy, the cast reached A-list heights, and the writing was what you’d expect from the most recent golden age of television. The age of cheap and cheerful sitcom-adjacent British science fiction was over… almost.
Dirk Gently (2010)
Stream on: BritBox (US); purchase-only on Prime Video (UK)
One final homemade hero! Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency is Douglas Adams’ less well-known creation. He...
Then came the 2010s, the birth of transatlantic co-productions and streaming. British sci-fi television was no longer the cheaper, shoddier counterpart to its US equivalent. The production values were glossy, the cast reached A-list heights, and the writing was what you’d expect from the most recent golden age of television. The age of cheap and cheerful sitcom-adjacent British science fiction was over… almost.
Dirk Gently (2010)
Stream on: BritBox (US); purchase-only on Prime Video (UK)
One final homemade hero! Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency is Douglas Adams’ less well-known creation. He...
- 4/19/2024
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
Britain’s contributions to the cinematic form have been vast and glorious. Aardman Animation. Alfred Hitchcock. Olivia Colman. 007. High up that list, too, is the British gangster movie – sure, America may often get the genre limelight with classics like Goodfellas, The Godfather trilogy, and Scarface, but nobody does dark, gritty, violent, and darkly humorous quite like the British. You certainly wouldn’t catch football-hardman-turned-movie-hardman Vinnie Jones rolling down the street with some poor geezer’s bonce trapped in his car window anywhere else, that’s for sure!
And so, with tracksuits on, geezer nicknames doled out, and knuckles dusted, Team Empire assembled a list of the very best British gangster movies ever made. From comedy classics, to bruising turn-of-the-century tales of brutality and crime, to contemporary subversions of the genre formula, we’ve covered all bases. These are films of culture, sophistication, genius. A little bit more than an 'ot dog,...
And so, with tracksuits on, geezer nicknames doled out, and knuckles dusted, Team Empire assembled a list of the very best British gangster movies ever made. From comedy classics, to bruising turn-of-the-century tales of brutality and crime, to contemporary subversions of the genre formula, we’ve covered all bases. These are films of culture, sophistication, genius. A little bit more than an 'ot dog,...
- 4/3/2024
- by Empire Staff
- Empire - Movies
Netflix Releases First Look at “Squid Game” Season 2
The game is about to begin (again). Netflix has released a first look at the upcoming second season of its record-setting series “Squid Game.”
The new, brief clip from Season 2 comes as part of Netflix’s complete 2024 slate announcement, with more favorites like “Bridgerton” and “The Umbrella Academy” set to release new seasons across the year.
Watch the Next On Netflix 2024: The Series & Films Preview below:
The streamer also released new photos for “Squid Game” with protagonist Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), the Recruiter (Gong Yoo), and a new character played by Park Gyu-young.
The series, which debuted on Netflix in September 2021, revolves around 456 players, deep in financial hardship, who risk their lives to play a series of deadly children’s games for the chance to win the ₩45.6 billion prize. The Season 1 cast also included Park Hae-soo, Jung Ho-yeon, O Yeong-su, Heo Sung-tae,...
The game is about to begin (again). Netflix has released a first look at the upcoming second season of its record-setting series “Squid Game.”
The new, brief clip from Season 2 comes as part of Netflix’s complete 2024 slate announcement, with more favorites like “Bridgerton” and “The Umbrella Academy” set to release new seasons across the year.
Watch the Next On Netflix 2024: The Series & Films Preview below:
The streamer also released new photos for “Squid Game” with protagonist Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), the Recruiter (Gong Yoo), and a new character played by Park Gyu-young.
The series, which debuted on Netflix in September 2021, revolves around 456 players, deep in financial hardship, who risk their lives to play a series of deadly children’s games for the chance to win the ₩45.6 billion prize. The Season 1 cast also included Park Hae-soo, Jung Ho-yeon, O Yeong-su, Heo Sung-tae,...
- 2/1/2024
- by Ashley Steves
- The Streamable
Hijack has been renewed. Apple TV+ has picked up the thriller series starring Idris Elba for a second season. The show premiered in June and landed on the Nielsen Streaming Originals Top 10 list.
Starring Elba, Neil Maskell, Eve Myles, Christine Adams, Max Beesley, Archie Panjabi, Ben Miles, and Kate Phillips, the first season follows a plane hijacking during a seven-hour flight. Elba plays a business negotiator who uses his skills to save the lives of passengers on their way to London. Story details for season two have not been revealed yet.
Read More…...
Starring Elba, Neil Maskell, Eve Myles, Christine Adams, Max Beesley, Archie Panjabi, Ben Miles, and Kate Phillips, the first season follows a plane hijacking during a seven-hour flight. Elba plays a business negotiator who uses his skills to save the lives of passengers on their way to London. Story details for season two have not been revealed yet.
Read More…...
- 2/1/2024
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
Strap in, dear readers, because Hijack, AppleTV+’s high concept thriller has just been renewed for season 2. More here.
AppleTV+’s winning streak continues with the news that Hijack, their 2023 hit TV show starring Idris Elba, has been renewed for season 2.
The 7-part season 1 originally premiered on AppleTV+ in late June 2023. The series starred Elba as Sam, a business negotiator, who finds himself on a hijacked flight and must negotiate the plane’s safe landing. It was met with positive reviews and a strong word of mouth, making it one of the streaming service’s top shows in 2023.
No one seems more surprised by the news than Idris Elba himself.
“I was floored by the overwhelming audience response after season one,” said Elba, who executive produces as well as stars. “It’s top secret what new situation unfolds for Sam Nelson but I can assure you we will bring the high octane back!
AppleTV+’s winning streak continues with the news that Hijack, their 2023 hit TV show starring Idris Elba, has been renewed for season 2.
The 7-part season 1 originally premiered on AppleTV+ in late June 2023. The series starred Elba as Sam, a business negotiator, who finds himself on a hijacked flight and must negotiate the plane’s safe landing. It was met with positive reviews and a strong word of mouth, making it one of the streaming service’s top shows in 2023.
No one seems more surprised by the news than Idris Elba himself.
“I was floored by the overwhelming audience response after season one,” said Elba, who executive produces as well as stars. “It’s top secret what new situation unfolds for Sam Nelson but I can assure you we will bring the high octane back!
- 1/31/2024
- by Maria Lattila
- Film Stories
To celebrate Second Sight Films new releases Dog Soldiers & Bull we have a horrifyingly great Halloween competition for you to win Boxsets of both films!
Bull arrives on Limited Edition Blu-ray on 26 September 2022 in a collectable box set presented in a rigid case with brand new artwork from James Neal a soft-cover book with brand-new essays.
Bull– British acting great Neil Maskell puts the fear of God into those that destroyed his family, in the wickedly twisted, brutal, anxiety inducing Bull, from writer/director Paul Andrew Williams. Bull (Maskell – Kill List, Utopia) is back after ten years away with only one mission… vengeance. Returning to his hometown he tracks down every member of the ruthless crime family – that left him for dead and kidnapped his only son – and will stop at nothing to make them pay for their crimes. This deeply damaged soul, once a caring father, is now a...
Bull arrives on Limited Edition Blu-ray on 26 September 2022 in a collectable box set presented in a rigid case with brand new artwork from James Neal a soft-cover book with brand-new essays.
Bull– British acting great Neil Maskell puts the fear of God into those that destroyed his family, in the wickedly twisted, brutal, anxiety inducing Bull, from writer/director Paul Andrew Williams. Bull (Maskell – Kill List, Utopia) is back after ten years away with only one mission… vengeance. Returning to his hometown he tracks down every member of the ruthless crime family – that left him for dead and kidnapped his only son – and will stop at nothing to make them pay for their crimes. This deeply damaged soul, once a caring father, is now a...
- 10/22/2023
- by Competitions
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Sometimes a movie scene is so scary that it haunts you for years to come. It could be a jump-scare that jolts your soul clean out of your body; an image so incomprehensible that your brain can never truly hope to resolve it; an atmospheric nightmare that fills you with palpable dread from head to toe. That’s the power of a great horror movie – the right shot, or sound, or cut feels like it could completely change your body chemistry. For some filmgoers, it’s a reason to never watch a scary film ever again; for others, it’s the exact reason they watch them in the first place.
With Halloween approaching, allow the minds of the Empire team to share the movie scenes that have scared them more than any other – horrifying endings, deeply dark childhood frights, emotionally-devastating delights, and ghouls simply saying, ‘Boo!’ Read it with the lights out.
With Halloween approaching, allow the minds of the Empire team to share the movie scenes that have scared them more than any other – horrifying endings, deeply dark childhood frights, emotionally-devastating delights, and ghouls simply saying, ‘Boo!’ Read it with the lights out.
- 10/20/2023
- by Ben Travis, Sophie Butcher, John Nugent, Beth Webb, Alex Godfrey, James Dyer, Nick de Semlyen
- Empire - Movies
Further openers are Sony’s ’Equalizer 3’, Mub’s ’Passages’ and Lionsgate’s ‘Cobweb’ .
Seventeen new films launch into UK-Ireland cinemas this weekend in a sign of the release schedule returning to its pre-pandemic state; as exhibitors look for a post-Barbenheimer success, and to capitalise on this year’s National Cinema Day, on Saturday, September 2.
Tickets for all films are available for £3 at over 630 cinemas across the UK and Ireland; last year’s National Cinema Day brought in 1.46m admissions.
Angel Studios is releasing Alejandro Monteverde’s biographical drama Sound Of Freedom, about a government agent-turned-vigilante who aims to rescue children from sex traffickers,...
Seventeen new films launch into UK-Ireland cinemas this weekend in a sign of the release schedule returning to its pre-pandemic state; as exhibitors look for a post-Barbenheimer success, and to capitalise on this year’s National Cinema Day, on Saturday, September 2.
Tickets for all films are available for £3 at over 630 cinemas across the UK and Ireland; last year’s National Cinema Day brought in 1.46m admissions.
Angel Studios is releasing Alejandro Monteverde’s biographical drama Sound Of Freedom, about a government agent-turned-vigilante who aims to rescue children from sex traffickers,...
- 9/1/2023
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
There is something of In Bruges about this Belgium-set tale of whistleblowers in hiding, with a little bit of David Brent
Neil Maskell is the charismatic British actor known for his complex, seriocomic tough-guy performances in the movies of Ben Wheatley and Paul Andrew Williams; now he makes a worthwhile feature debut as writer-director in this diverting if slightly lightweight black-comic sketch about political paranoia, on which Wheatley has an executive producer credit.
Amit Shah and Sura Dohnke play Ewan and Silke, a married couple who are whistleblowers hiding out in Belgium, having revealed a government secret to a newspaper.
Neil Maskell is the charismatic British actor known for his complex, seriocomic tough-guy performances in the movies of Ben Wheatley and Paul Andrew Williams; now he makes a worthwhile feature debut as writer-director in this diverting if slightly lightweight black-comic sketch about political paranoia, on which Wheatley has an executive producer credit.
Amit Shah and Sura Dohnke play Ewan and Silke, a married couple who are whistleblowers hiding out in Belgium, having revealed a government secret to a newspaper.
- 8/29/2023
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
From terrifying audiences in Kill List to squaring up to Elba in airline thriller Hijack, the actor has made his name playing a host of wrong’uns. Now he’s leaving the baddies behind to direct a Belgium-based whistleblower drama
If you know Neil Maskell as an actor, you might fancy you’d know him as a film-maker, too. And you’d be right. But you’d also be very wrong. “I think if you see Klokkenluider it’s not really the work of … ” Maskell pauses to determine where his directorial film debut diverges from his onscreen persona. “I was gonna say a ‘tough guy’, but that’s not very fair, because I know some very intelligent tough guys. But it’s not the work of, like, a thug.”
In fact, the title alone – a Dutch word meaning “whistleblower” – sets Klokkenluider above the violent Brit-flicks Maskell once starred in. He is calling today from Antwerp,...
If you know Neil Maskell as an actor, you might fancy you’d know him as a film-maker, too. And you’d be right. But you’d also be very wrong. “I think if you see Klokkenluider it’s not really the work of … ” Maskell pauses to determine where his directorial film debut diverges from his onscreen persona. “I was gonna say a ‘tough guy’, but that’s not very fair, because I know some very intelligent tough guys. But it’s not the work of, like, a thug.”
In fact, the title alone – a Dutch word meaning “whistleblower” – sets Klokkenluider above the violent Brit-flicks Maskell once starred in. He is calling today from Antwerp,...
- 8/22/2023
- by Ellen E Jones
- The Guardian - Film News
"You have absolutely no idea what's coming." Central City Media in the UK has unveiled an official trailer for an indie dark comedy called Klokkenluider (Dutch for "whistleblower"), the feature directorial debut of British actor Neil Maskell. This premiered at last year's London Film Festival, and still doesn't have any US release set yet. A hapless government whistleblower hides out in a remote Belgian cottage with his wife and two incompetent bodyguards. As a newspaper journalist travels to the safe-house, unlikely relationships form under the atmosphere of fear, uncertainty and boredom. Klokkenluider also has perhaps the greatest game of charades ever committed to film! The film's "kitchen sink drama and conspiracy thriller elements combine to create an unsettling comedy gem." The film stars Tom Burke, Jenna Coleman, Amit Shah, Roger Evans, & Sura Dohnke. And it's exec produced by Ben Wheatley. This looks damn good! I'm in. // Continue Reading ›...
- 8/11/2023
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
This article contains spoilers
Kill List star Neil Maskell delivers an astounding performance in the 2021 low budget movie Bull, which has been a smash hit on streaming since Netflix acquired it. The bloody crime thriller, directed by Paul Andrew Williams, follows Maskell’s vicious enforcer as he returns to his old stomping ground ten years after some deadly and mysterious events have transpired between him and his fellow gang members.
The gang, headed up by Bull’s horrible father-in-law, Norm (David Hayman), are still kicking around – but not for long. Bull is determined to mete out vengeance upon those who he believes double-crossed him, but they can’t quite believe he’s even there, as they seem certain it’s impossible.
What Happens In Bull?
Bull begins with a small group of men burying something at dawn in a field, then shifts forward a decade in time, as we see Bull begin his killing spree.
Kill List star Neil Maskell delivers an astounding performance in the 2021 low budget movie Bull, which has been a smash hit on streaming since Netflix acquired it. The bloody crime thriller, directed by Paul Andrew Williams, follows Maskell’s vicious enforcer as he returns to his old stomping ground ten years after some deadly and mysterious events have transpired between him and his fellow gang members.
The gang, headed up by Bull’s horrible father-in-law, Norm (David Hayman), are still kicking around – but not for long. Bull is determined to mete out vengeance upon those who he believes double-crossed him, but they can’t quite believe he’s even there, as they seem certain it’s impossible.
What Happens In Bull?
Bull begins with a small group of men burying something at dawn in a field, then shifts forward a decade in time, as we see Bull begin his killing spree.
- 8/11/2023
- by Kirsten Howard
- Den of Geek
Hijack just wrapped its first season on Apple TV+, and some viewers wonder if there will be a second season of the thriller series.
The series follows business negotiator Sam Nelson (Idris Elba) as he tries to find a way to save the day during a seven-hour hijacking ordeal over the city of London. Spoiler Alert. The season ended with a crash landing. The rest of the cast includes Neil Maskell, Eve Myles, Christine Adams, Max Beesley, Archie Panjabi, Ben Miles, and Kate Phillips.
Read More…...
The series follows business negotiator Sam Nelson (Idris Elba) as he tries to find a way to save the day during a seven-hour hijacking ordeal over the city of London. Spoiler Alert. The season ended with a crash landing. The rest of the cast includes Neil Maskell, Eve Myles, Christine Adams, Max Beesley, Archie Panjabi, Ben Miles, and Kate Phillips.
Read More…...
- 8/6/2023
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
The AppleTV+ original series Hijack took an exciting ‘real time’ approach to its storytelling, and the result was a seven-episode roller coaster ride. The premise is quite straightforward: a plane heading toward London gets hijacked. Sam Nelson, a negotiator, manipulates the hijackers and tries to avert disaster. Sam, played by Idris Elba, is a character whose traits may seem familiar. A natural charm, a rational mind, attention to detail, and a courageous heart. Basically, he is the archetypal protagonist with minor changes and is made in the image of so many male hero figures we have seen in the past. There is another character in the series that has quite an interesting arc. The lead hijacker, Stuart, introduced to us as ‘Gerald,’ goes through quite a nerve-wracking series of events, which eventually end up being tragic for him. There is no doubt in my mind that viewers will not sympathize with him,...
- 8/2/2023
- by Ayush Awasthi
- Film Fugitives
"We need someone to land the plane." Apple TV has debuted an extended preview for their streaming series Hijack, with the final episode arriving on August 2nd this week. This is essentially a full recap of the six episodes before. Told in real time, Hijack is a tense thriller that follows the journey of a hijacked plane as it makes its way to London across a seven-hour flight, and authorities on the ground scramble for answers. This "Six Hours of Turbulence" is a peek into the first six hours of Kingdom 29's seven-hour flight from Dubai to London. Starring and executive produced by SAG Award winner and Emmy Award nominee Idris Elba, Hijack was created by George Kay ("Lupin") and Jim Field Smith. The series also stars Archie Panjabi, Christine Adams, Max Beesley, Eve Myles, Neil Maskell, Aimée Kelly, Jasper Britton, Harry Michell, Mohamed Elsandel, & Ben Miles. This has been getting solid reviews from critics,...
- 8/1/2023
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Danny Dyer is in talks to star in a sequel to 'The Football Factory'.The 46-year-old former 'EastEnders' actor has met with the cult film’s original director Nick Love to discuss a new script, ahead of the movie's 20th anniversary next year.The film followed a group of football hooligans, including Danny's Chelsea supporter Tommy Johnson, who started to question his morals, and those of his friends.A source told The Sun newspaper's Bizarre column: "Danny is a free agent after leaving EastEnders and he has been in talks with the director Nick about a sequel to 'The Football Factory'."The film ended with Danny’s character Tommy recovering from being battered by a group of Millwall fans."The idea is that the new project would follow Tommy in the years that followed, what happened in the firm and the new generation coming up behind him.
- 8/1/2023
- by Colette Fahy 2
- Bang Showbiz
This Hijack review contains no spoilers.
Who remembers the last time we got a gripping airplane thriller with an intense script and a charismatic lead actor? Well, hopefully, many of you since Jean-Francois Richet’s B flick, Plane, starring Gerard Butler, has only come out at the beginning of the year, and it was a surprisingly enjoyable ride. Apple TV+’s latest 7-part miniseries, Hijack, aims to ride a similar, if more high-level, wave, and for the most part, it does it with utter confidence thanks to its sharp writing and a surly Idris Elba as its lead.
The hook for Hijack to attract viewers is a plot that unfolds in real-time (each episode covering about an hour of a 7-hour flight from Dubai to London) featuring an accomplished, mostly British cast, including regulars like Neil Maskell, Max Beesley, and Ben Miles. Of course, the main appeal of George Kay...
Who remembers the last time we got a gripping airplane thriller with an intense script and a charismatic lead actor? Well, hopefully, many of you since Jean-Francois Richet’s B flick, Plane, starring Gerard Butler, has only come out at the beginning of the year, and it was a surprisingly enjoyable ride. Apple TV+’s latest 7-part miniseries, Hijack, aims to ride a similar, if more high-level, wave, and for the most part, it does it with utter confidence thanks to its sharp writing and a surly Idris Elba as its lead.
The hook for Hijack to attract viewers is a plot that unfolds in real-time (each episode covering about an hour of a 7-hour flight from Dubai to London) featuring an accomplished, mostly British cast, including regulars like Neil Maskell, Max Beesley, and Ben Miles. Of course, the main appeal of George Kay...
- 7/3/2023
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
Idris Elba is coming back to the small screen, this time for the high-wire thriller series “Hijack” on Apple TV+, which premieres Wednesday, June 28. The show follows a minute-by-minute accounting of a hijacked flight, and presents the series in a unique real-time format. You can watch Hijack with a 7-Day Free Trial of Apple TV+.
How to Watch ‘Hijack’ Series Premiere When: Wednesday, June 28, 2023 Where: Apple TV+ Stream: Watch with a 7-Day Free Trial of Apple TV+. 7-Day Free Trial$6.99 / month apple.com About ‘Hijack’ Series Premiere
Told in real time, “Hijack” is a tense thriller that follows the journey of a hijacked plane as it makes its way to London over a seven hour flight, and authorities on the ground scramble for answers. Elba will star as ‘Sam Nelson,’ an accomplished negotiator in the business world who needs to step up and use all his guile to try and...
How to Watch ‘Hijack’ Series Premiere When: Wednesday, June 28, 2023 Where: Apple TV+ Stream: Watch with a 7-Day Free Trial of Apple TV+. 7-Day Free Trial$6.99 / month apple.com About ‘Hijack’ Series Premiere
Told in real time, “Hijack” is a tense thriller that follows the journey of a hijacked plane as it makes its way to London over a seven hour flight, and authorities on the ground scramble for answers. Elba will star as ‘Sam Nelson,’ an accomplished negotiator in the business world who needs to step up and use all his guile to try and...
- 6/28/2023
- by David Satin
- The Streamable
Were it not for, you know, its terror-at-35,000-feet concept, Apple TV+’s Hijack would be the TV equivalent of a classic plane read: slick, exciting, unfussy. As it stands, it’s ideal for a lazy weekend planted firmly on the couch. Creators George Kay (Lupin) and Jim Field Smith (Litvinenko) may not be pushing the bounds of the medium, nor is star Idris Elba elevating his craft to new heights. But there’s something to be said for a show that knows exactly what it wants to be, and pulls it off without pretension.
Its premise is as straightforward as its title. Unfolding in real time, 24-style, the seven-hour miniseries chronicles a seven-hour flight from Dubai to London. By the end of the first chapter, a small group of nefarious agents, led by the sneering Stuart (Neil Maskell), have taken control of the plane. Over the next six, the...
Its premise is as straightforward as its title. Unfolding in real time, 24-style, the seven-hour miniseries chronicles a seven-hour flight from Dubai to London. By the end of the first chapter, a small group of nefarious agents, led by the sneering Stuart (Neil Maskell), have taken control of the plane. Over the next six, the...
- 6/27/2023
- by Angie Han
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
We present our interviews from the Hijack World Premiere in London. The AppleTV+ series stars Idris Elba, Christine Adams, Max Beesley, Eve Myles, Neil Maskell, Jasper Britton, Harry Michell, Aimee Kelly, Mohamed Elsandel and Ben Miles.
Created by George Kay and Jim Field Smith, the series follows the journey of a hijacked plane as it makes its way to London over a seven-hour flight, and authorities on the ground scramble for answers. Elba will star as ‘Sam Nelson,’ an accomplished negotiator in the business world who needs to step up and use all his guile to try and save the lives of the passengers — but, his high-risk strategy could be his undoing. Archie Panjabi will play the role of ‘Zahra Gahfoor,’ a counter-terrorism officer who is on the ground when the plane is hijacked and becomes part of the investigation.
The series takes flight on Apple TV+ on Wednesday, June 28, 2023, with the first two episodes,...
Created by George Kay and Jim Field Smith, the series follows the journey of a hijacked plane as it makes its way to London over a seven-hour flight, and authorities on the ground scramble for answers. Elba will star as ‘Sam Nelson,’ an accomplished negotiator in the business world who needs to step up and use all his guile to try and save the lives of the passengers — but, his high-risk strategy could be his undoing. Archie Panjabi will play the role of ‘Zahra Gahfoor,’ a counter-terrorism officer who is on the ground when the plane is hijacked and becomes part of the investigation.
The series takes flight on Apple TV+ on Wednesday, June 28, 2023, with the first two episodes,...
- 6/27/2023
- by Jon Lyus
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
The confined space of airplanes, along with the assortment of strangers stuffed inside them and the looming potential for catastrophe, has always made them the ideal setting for a nail-biting thriller. The latest entry in the canon is Hijack, which follows a commercial flight traveling from Dubai to London that is, you guessed it, hijacked.
The journey is shown over the course of the series’s seven hour-long episodes, allowing us to witness how events play out in real time. Inside the plane, Sam Nelson (Idris Elba) and his fellow passengers concoct a series of schemes to try and outfox the terrorists, while, on the ground below, politicos and police race against the clock to figure out what to do about it.
Like many modern television shows, Hijack probably should have been a feature film, a format that’s a more natural fit for this brand of claustrophobic thriller. Even...
The journey is shown over the course of the series’s seven hour-long episodes, allowing us to witness how events play out in real time. Inside the plane, Sam Nelson (Idris Elba) and his fellow passengers concoct a series of schemes to try and outfox the terrorists, while, on the ground below, politicos and police race against the clock to figure out what to do about it.
Like many modern television shows, Hijack probably should have been a feature film, a format that’s a more natural fit for this brand of claustrophobic thriller. Even...
- 6/16/2023
- by Ross McIndoe
- Slant Magazine
One of the most buzzed-about shows of the summer is coming this weekend: Max launches music drama series “The Idol” on Sunday, June 4. Jocelyn’s (played by Lily-Rose Depp) career was derailed by a breakdown on her last tour. Now, she wants to reclaim her status as America’s sexist pop star and believes that Tedros (The Weeknd) — a nightclub owner with a shady past and possible cult ties — can help her. But will romance blind her to reality?
Check out “The Idol” trailer: 7-Day Free Trial $9.99+ / month Max via amazon.com
Get 20% Off Your Next Year of Max When Pre-Paid Annually
Apple TV’s upcoming thriller “Hijack,” starring and executive produced by Idris Elba, is set to debut on June 28. The action drama is told in real time — a hijacked plane makes its way to London during a seven-hour flight, as authorities on the ground try to save the lives of passengers.
Check out “The Idol” trailer: 7-Day Free Trial $9.99+ / month Max via amazon.com
Get 20% Off Your Next Year of Max When Pre-Paid Annually
Apple TV’s upcoming thriller “Hijack,” starring and executive produced by Idris Elba, is set to debut on June 28. The action drama is told in real time — a hijacked plane makes its way to London during a seven-hour flight, as authorities on the ground try to save the lives of passengers.
- 5/31/2023
- by Fern Siegel
- The Streamable
Apple TV+ dropped the official trailer for “Hijack,” the upcoming thriller series that is set to premiere with two episodes on Wednesday, June 28. The seven-episode season will be available on the streamer, with the remaining five episodes dropping the following five weeks, until the finale on August 2.
According to the official logline, “’Hijack’ is a thriller that follows the journey of a hijacked plane as it makes its way to London over a seven-hour flight, and authorities on the ground scramble for answers.”
“Hijack” stars Idris Elba as Sam Nelson, the business negotiator who steps up to save the lives of his fellow passengers. Elba is joined by Christine Adams, Max Beesley, Eve Myles, Neil Maskell, Jasper Britton, Harry Michell, Aimee Kelly, Mohamed Elsandel and Ben Miles.
Created by writer George Kay and director Jim Field Smith; the two also serve as executive producers alongside Elba, Jamie Laurenson, Hakan Kousetta and Kris Thykier.
According to the official logline, “’Hijack’ is a thriller that follows the journey of a hijacked plane as it makes its way to London over a seven-hour flight, and authorities on the ground scramble for answers.”
“Hijack” stars Idris Elba as Sam Nelson, the business negotiator who steps up to save the lives of his fellow passengers. Elba is joined by Christine Adams, Max Beesley, Eve Myles, Neil Maskell, Jasper Britton, Harry Michell, Aimee Kelly, Mohamed Elsandel and Ben Miles.
Created by writer George Kay and director Jim Field Smith; the two also serve as executive producers alongside Elba, Jamie Laurenson, Hakan Kousetta and Kris Thykier.
- 5/26/2023
- by Charna Flam, McKinley Franklin and Sophia Scorziello
- Variety Film + TV
Idris Elba wants you to buckle up.
Apple TV+ today unveiled the trailer for “Hijack,” the upcoming thriller starring and executive produced by Elba (“Luther”).
Created by George Kay and Jim Field Smith, who also wrote and lead directed the series respectively, the seven-part series also stars Archie Panjabi.
Told in real time, “Hijack” is a thriller that follows the journey of a hijacked plane as it makes its way to London over a seven-hour flight, as authorities on the ground scramble for answers. Elba will star as ‘Sam Nelson,’ an accomplished negotiator in the business world who needs to step up and use all his guile to try and save the lives of the passengers — but, his high-risk strategy could be his undoing.
Panjabi will play the role of ‘Zahra Gahfoor,’ a counter-terrorism officer who is on the ground...
Apple TV+ today unveiled the trailer for “Hijack,” the upcoming thriller starring and executive produced by Elba (“Luther”).
Created by George Kay and Jim Field Smith, who also wrote and lead directed the series respectively, the seven-part series also stars Archie Panjabi.
Told in real time, “Hijack” is a thriller that follows the journey of a hijacked plane as it makes its way to London over a seven-hour flight, as authorities on the ground scramble for answers. Elba will star as ‘Sam Nelson,’ an accomplished negotiator in the business world who needs to step up and use all his guile to try and save the lives of the passengers — but, his high-risk strategy could be his undoing.
Panjabi will play the role of ‘Zahra Gahfoor,’ a counter-terrorism officer who is on the ground...
- 5/26/2023
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Idris Elba’s determined to stop hijackers from downing a plane with 200 passengers in Apple TV+s first official trailer for Hijack. The trailer reveals Idris Elba’s character, Sam Nelson, has a particular set of skills that make him the perfect negotiator. It also helps that he’s one of the passengers on the hijacked plane and can work on a solution from the inside.
Emmy Award winner Archie Panjabi (The Good Wife), Christine Adams (Black Lightning), Max Beesley (Jamestown), Eve Myles (Torchwood), Neil Maskell (Peaky Blinders), Jasper Britton (Anonymous), and Harry Michell (Devils) also star. The cast also includes Aimee Kelly (This England), Mohamed Elsandel, and Ben Miles (Andor).
The thriller was created by writer George Kay (Lupin) and director Jim Field Smith (Criminal). Kay, Field Smith, Elba, Jamie Laurenson, Hakan Kousetta, and Kris Thykier executive produce.
Hijack premieres on Apple TV+ on June 28, 2023 with the release of the first two episodes.
Emmy Award winner Archie Panjabi (The Good Wife), Christine Adams (Black Lightning), Max Beesley (Jamestown), Eve Myles (Torchwood), Neil Maskell (Peaky Blinders), Jasper Britton (Anonymous), and Harry Michell (Devils) also star. The cast also includes Aimee Kelly (This England), Mohamed Elsandel, and Ben Miles (Andor).
The thriller was created by writer George Kay (Lupin) and director Jim Field Smith (Criminal). Kay, Field Smith, Elba, Jamie Laurenson, Hakan Kousetta, and Kris Thykier executive produce.
Hijack premieres on Apple TV+ on June 28, 2023 with the release of the first two episodes.
- 5/25/2023
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
Idris Elba in “Hijack,” premiering June 28, 2023 on Apple TV+. Apple TV+ has unveiled the trailer for “Hijack,” the upcoming, high octane thriller starring and executive produced by SAG Award-winner and Emmy Award-nominee Idris Elba (“Luther”). Created by George Kay and Jim Field Smith, who also wrote and lead directed the series respectively, the seven-part series also stars Emmy Award and NAACP Image Award-winner Archie Panjabi. “Hijack” takes flight on Apple TV+ on Wednesday, June 28, 2023, with the first two episodes, followed by one new episode every Wednesday through August 2. Told in real time, “Hijack” is a tense thriller that follows the journey of a hijacked plane as it makes its way to London over a seven hour flight, and authorities on the ground scramble for answers. Elba will star as ‘Sam Nelson,’ an accomplished negotiator in the business world who needs to step up and use all his guile to try...
- 5/25/2023
- by Hollywood Outbreak
- HollywoodOutbreak.com
"We got one job to do right now - just get through it for them." Apple has unveiled a trailer for the thriller series Hijack. Much like the movie Plane from earlier this year, this remarkably simple title does indeed hint that the series is about a hijacking on a plane. Because, you know, what else could you call a hijacking thriller other than just Hijack? Told in real time, this tense thriller follows the journey of a hijacked plane as it makes its way to London over a seven-hour flight, and as authorities on the ground scramble for answers. Starring and executive produced by SAG Award winner and Emmy Award nominee Idris Elba, Hijack was created by George Kay ("Lupin") and Jim Field Smith. The series also stars Archie Panjabi, Christine Adams, Max Beesley, Eve Myles, Neil Maskell, Aimée Kelly, Jasper Britton, Harry Michell, Mohamed Elsandel, and Ben Miles.
- 5/25/2023
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Apple TV+ has unveiled the trailer for ‘Hijack,’ the upcoming, high-octane thriller starring and executive produced by SAG Award-winner and Emmy Award-nominee Idris Elba.
Created by George Kay and Jim Field Smith, the series follows the journey of a hijacked plane as it makes its way to London over a seven-hour flight, and authorities on the ground scramble for answers. Elba will star as ‘Sam Nelson,’ an accomplished negotiator in the business world who needs to step up and use all his guile to try and save the lives of the passengers — but, his high-risk strategy could be his undoing. Archie Panjabi will play the role of ‘Zahra Gahfoor,’ a counter-terrorism officer who is on the ground when the plane is hijacked and becomes part of the investigation.
The series also stars Christine Adams, Max Beesley, Eve Myles, Neil Maskell, Jasper Britton, Harry Michell, Aimee Kelly, Mohamed Elsandel and Ben Miles.
Created by George Kay and Jim Field Smith, the series follows the journey of a hijacked plane as it makes its way to London over a seven-hour flight, and authorities on the ground scramble for answers. Elba will star as ‘Sam Nelson,’ an accomplished negotiator in the business world who needs to step up and use all his guile to try and save the lives of the passengers — but, his high-risk strategy could be his undoing. Archie Panjabi will play the role of ‘Zahra Gahfoor,’ a counter-terrorism officer who is on the ground when the plane is hijacked and becomes part of the investigation.
The series also stars Christine Adams, Max Beesley, Eve Myles, Neil Maskell, Jasper Britton, Harry Michell, Aimee Kelly, Mohamed Elsandel and Ben Miles.
- 5/25/2023
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
It’s Passenger 57 meets 24. Or perhaps just 24. Idris Elba stars in a new series from AppleTV+ called Hijack. The title pretty much cues you in on the concept. A group of terrorists takes over a seven-hour flight. What they want is not yet revealed, but they have allies on the ground that are helping to make their demands. However, something they didn’t count on is an experienced business negotiator already on the flight. This negotiator, portrayed by Elba, is preparing to deal with them…in more ways than one. The show takes during the events surrounding the seven-hour international flight and will be told in real-time.
The Hollywood Reporter has unveiled details about the new Apple original. “The action takes place in real-time, over the course of the seven-hour flight from Dubai to London. The clock starts ticking as Sam (played by Idris Elba) tries first to negotiate...
The Hollywood Reporter has unveiled details about the new Apple original. “The action takes place in real-time, over the course of the seven-hour flight from Dubai to London. The clock starts ticking as Sam (played by Idris Elba) tries first to negotiate...
- 5/25/2023
- by EJ Tangonan
- JoBlo.com
Idris Elba has proven to be one of the best action stars, and his next role is destined to be one of his best.
Apple TV+ on Thursday dropped the full-length trailer for Hijack, a new drama series.
Hijack will debut globally with the first two episodes on Wednesday, June 28, on Apple TV+.
The series was created by George Kay and Jim Field Smith (Criminal Truth Seekers), who also wrote and directed the series, respectively.
Told in real-time, Hijack is a tense thriller that follows the journey of a hijacked plane as it makes its way to London over a seven-hour flight, and authorities on the ground scramble for answers.
Elba will star as Sam Nelson, an accomplished negotiator in the business world who needs to step up and use all his guile to try and save the lives of the passengers — but his high-risk strategy could be his undoing.
Apple TV+ on Thursday dropped the full-length trailer for Hijack, a new drama series.
Hijack will debut globally with the first two episodes on Wednesday, June 28, on Apple TV+.
The series was created by George Kay and Jim Field Smith (Criminal Truth Seekers), who also wrote and directed the series, respectively.
Told in real-time, Hijack is a tense thriller that follows the journey of a hijacked plane as it makes its way to London over a seven-hour flight, and authorities on the ground scramble for answers.
Elba will star as Sam Nelson, an accomplished negotiator in the business world who needs to step up and use all his guile to try and save the lives of the passengers — but his high-risk strategy could be his undoing.
- 5/25/2023
- by Paul Dailly
- TVfanatic
Idris Elba Fights to Save 200 Passengers in First ‘Hijack’ Trailer: ‘It’s Either Us or Them’ (Video)
Idris Elba steps up to save 200 passengers after terrorists take control of a flight bound for London in the first trailer for the limited series “Hijack,” which Apple TV+ released on Thursday.
Elba, who also produces via the deal between his Green Door Pictures and Apple TV+, plays Sam Nelson, a businessman who’s skilled at high-pressure negotiations and becomes the logical choice to try to talk the hijackers down. “Let me make you an offer,” he says in the trailerk which you can watch above.
Meanwhile, however, he’s secretly coordinating a counter attack with his fellow passengers. “It’s either us or them and I can tell you it’s not gonna be us,” the “Luther” star tells another hostage.
The seven-part series, which plays out in real time, is from “Criminal” duo George Kay and Jim Field Smith. They also produce through their Idiotlamp Productions.
Also Read:...
Elba, who also produces via the deal between his Green Door Pictures and Apple TV+, plays Sam Nelson, a businessman who’s skilled at high-pressure negotiations and becomes the logical choice to try to talk the hijackers down. “Let me make you an offer,” he says in the trailerk which you can watch above.
Meanwhile, however, he’s secretly coordinating a counter attack with his fellow passengers. “It’s either us or them and I can tell you it’s not gonna be us,” the “Luther” star tells another hostage.
The seven-part series, which plays out in real time, is from “Criminal” duo George Kay and Jim Field Smith. They also produce through their Idiotlamp Productions.
Also Read:...
- 5/25/2023
- by Sharon Knolle
- The Wrap
The first trailer for Apple TV+’s tense Idris Elba-led drama Hijack has dropped.
In the clip, we see Elba’s character Sam, an experienced negotiator in the business world, board a flight that is then taken over by armed men. The clock starts ticking as Sam tries to first negotiate and then outsmart the terrorists, but in so doing uncovers a larger conspiracy. The action takes place in real time, over the course of the seven-hour flight from Dubai to London.
On the ground in London, a counterterrorism team led by Archie Panjabi (The Good Wife) becomes embroiled in the investigation and scrambles to find answers before passengers start dying.
The series, created by George Kay (Lupin) and Jim Field Smith (Criminal), also stars Christine Adams, Max Beesley, Eve Myles, Neil Maskell, Jasper Britton, Harry Michell, Aimee Kelly, Mohamed Elsandel and Ben Miles.
In addition to writing and directing,...
In the clip, we see Elba’s character Sam, an experienced negotiator in the business world, board a flight that is then taken over by armed men. The clock starts ticking as Sam tries to first negotiate and then outsmart the terrorists, but in so doing uncovers a larger conspiracy. The action takes place in real time, over the course of the seven-hour flight from Dubai to London.
On the ground in London, a counterterrorism team led by Archie Panjabi (The Good Wife) becomes embroiled in the investigation and scrambles to find answers before passengers start dying.
The series, created by George Kay (Lupin) and Jim Field Smith (Criminal), also stars Christine Adams, Max Beesley, Eve Myles, Neil Maskell, Jasper Britton, Harry Michell, Aimee Kelly, Mohamed Elsandel and Ben Miles.
In addition to writing and directing,...
- 5/25/2023
- by Abid Rahman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Idris Elba in ‘Hijack,’ premiering June 28, 2023 on Apple TV+
Idris Elba, the Emmy Award-winning star of Luther, stars in and executive produces the new thriller Hijack, which will premiere on Apple TV+ on Wednesday, June 28, 2023. The seven-episode drama, created by George Kay (Lupin) and Jim Field Smith (Criminal), has just released the first set of photos from the upcoming season.
In addition to Idris Elba, Hijack stars Emmy Award winner Archie Panjabi (The Good Wife), Christine Adams (Black Lightning), Max Beesley (Jamestown), Eve Myles (Torchwood), Neil Maskell (Peaky Blinders), Jasper Britton (Anonymous), Harry Michell (Devils), Aimee Kelly (This England), Mohamed Elsandel, and Ben Miles (Andor).
George Kay writes and executive produces, with Jim Field Smith directing and executive producing. In addition, Jamie Laurenson, Hakan Kousetta and Kris Thykier executive produce, and 60Forty Films, Idiotlamp Productions, and Green Door Pictures produce.
Apple TV+ released the following synopsis of the thriller:
“Told in real time,...
Idris Elba, the Emmy Award-winning star of Luther, stars in and executive produces the new thriller Hijack, which will premiere on Apple TV+ on Wednesday, June 28, 2023. The seven-episode drama, created by George Kay (Lupin) and Jim Field Smith (Criminal), has just released the first set of photos from the upcoming season.
In addition to Idris Elba, Hijack stars Emmy Award winner Archie Panjabi (The Good Wife), Christine Adams (Black Lightning), Max Beesley (Jamestown), Eve Myles (Torchwood), Neil Maskell (Peaky Blinders), Jasper Britton (Anonymous), Harry Michell (Devils), Aimee Kelly (This England), Mohamed Elsandel, and Ben Miles (Andor).
George Kay writes and executive produces, with Jim Field Smith directing and executive producing. In addition, Jamie Laurenson, Hakan Kousetta and Kris Thykier executive produce, and 60Forty Films, Idiotlamp Productions, and Green Door Pictures produce.
Apple TV+ released the following synopsis of the thriller:
“Told in real time,...
- 5/5/2023
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
Are you ready for Idris Elba and Archie Panjabi to share the small screen?
Apple TV+ on Friday unveiled photos and a premiere date for the exciting new thriller.
Hijack will debut globally with the first two episodes on Wednesday, June 28, on Apple TV+.
The series was created by George Kay and Jim Field Smith (Criminal Truth Seekers), who also wrote and directed the series, respectively.
Told in real-time, Hijack is a tense thriller that follows the journey of a hijacked plane as it makes its way to London over a seven-hour flight, and authorities on the ground scramble for answers.
Elba will star as Sam Nelson, an accomplished negotiator in the business world who needs to step up and use all his guile to try and save the lives of the passengers — but his high-risk strategy could be his undoing.
Panjabi will play the role of Zahra Gahfoor, a...
Apple TV+ on Friday unveiled photos and a premiere date for the exciting new thriller.
Hijack will debut globally with the first two episodes on Wednesday, June 28, on Apple TV+.
The series was created by George Kay and Jim Field Smith (Criminal Truth Seekers), who also wrote and directed the series, respectively.
Told in real-time, Hijack is a tense thriller that follows the journey of a hijacked plane as it makes its way to London over a seven-hour flight, and authorities on the ground scramble for answers.
Elba will star as Sam Nelson, an accomplished negotiator in the business world who needs to step up and use all his guile to try and save the lives of the passengers — but his high-risk strategy could be his undoing.
Panjabi will play the role of Zahra Gahfoor, a...
- 5/5/2023
- by Paul Dailly
- TVfanatic
Hijack, a seven-episode Apple TV+ thriller starring Idris Elba and Archie Panjabi, has set a time of departure.
Created by George Kay and Jim Field Smith (of Netflix’s Criminal franchise), the real-time drama will release its first two episodes on Wednesday, June 28, followed by weekly drops. Check out the first photos above and below.
More from TVLineSilo Recap: 'I Want to Go Out!' -- Grade the Apple TV+ Drama PremiereEmmys Nix Schmigadoon! Category Change for Season 2Silo Stars and EPs Share a Look at Life in Apple TV+'s Dystopian Drama, Weigh In on Snowpiercer Comparisons
Hijack follows...
Created by George Kay and Jim Field Smith (of Netflix’s Criminal franchise), the real-time drama will release its first two episodes on Wednesday, June 28, followed by weekly drops. Check out the first photos above and below.
More from TVLineSilo Recap: 'I Want to Go Out!' -- Grade the Apple TV+ Drama PremiereEmmys Nix Schmigadoon! Category Change for Season 2Silo Stars and EPs Share a Look at Life in Apple TV+'s Dystopian Drama, Weigh In on Snowpiercer Comparisons
Hijack follows...
- 5/5/2023
- by Matt Webb Mitovich
- TVLine.com
Thanks to the runaway success of The Blair Witch Project in 1999, found footage movies quickly became the hottest thing in horror. By relying on camcorders, surveillance footage, and other unlikely camera sources, filmmakers could not only add some verisimilitude to their stories but could also do it on the cheap. But just as quickly, found footage became the most hated subgenre, as fans and critics decried its rigid constraints, laughing at the ridiculous ways characters justified recording when they should be running.
Just as the subgenre died, a new and more relevant approach emerged: desktop movies taking place entirely on computer screens, using webcams, streaming video, and recordings to tell their stories. Not only do desktop movies offer more variety in visual style, but they also better reflect our actual lives, as we spend a lot of time staring at computer and phone screens.
Exciting as the subgenre certainly is,...
Just as the subgenre died, a new and more relevant approach emerged: desktop movies taking place entirely on computer screens, using webcams, streaming video, and recordings to tell their stories. Not only do desktop movies offer more variety in visual style, but they also better reflect our actual lives, as we spend a lot of time staring at computer and phone screens.
Exciting as the subgenre certainly is,...
- 1/21/2023
- by Kirsten Howard
- Den of Geek
This year brought the return of Ghostface, Predator, Pinhead, Michael Myers, and Leatherface. Beyond the franchises, 2022 unleashed an onslaught of new releases that introduced new voices and horror icons to the genre. The indie scene continued to thrive, but horror surprised audiences at the box office more than once.
In other words, horror continues to dominate while it stretches its boundaries and flexes its creative muscles. The best horror movies of 2022 induced thrills, chills, delightfully gory kills, and even a few tears. If there’s one thing this past year made clear, it’s that horror-loving audiences are ready for a return to crowd-pleasing, fun horror that doesn’t skimp on scares.
Because it was such a strong year for horror, here are the top 15 best horror movies of 2022.
15. Hellraiser
The arbiters of pain and suffering are back in the Hellraiser franchise’s eleventh feature, this time with a reimagining...
In other words, horror continues to dominate while it stretches its boundaries and flexes its creative muscles. The best horror movies of 2022 induced thrills, chills, delightfully gory kills, and even a few tears. If there’s one thing this past year made clear, it’s that horror-loving audiences are ready for a return to crowd-pleasing, fun horror that doesn’t skimp on scares.
Because it was such a strong year for horror, here are the top 15 best horror movies of 2022.
15. Hellraiser
The arbiters of pain and suffering are back in the Hellraiser franchise’s eleventh feature, this time with a reimagining...
- 12/23/2022
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
Click here to read the full article.
AMC+ and Sundance Now’s Litvinenko and the second season of Netflix’s Last Chance U: Basketball are premiering in the same week, but you can expect that precious few reviews will note that the two shows — one a scripted docudrama and the other an unscripted docuseries — suffer, to different degrees, from a common flaw: If you’re dedicated to actively depicting reality, that can sometimes require accepting, or even embracing, the narrative limitations of reality.
In Last Chance U: Basketball, the return to East Los Angeles College in the aftermath of a year lost to Covid-19 forces coach John Mosley to struggle with finding the soul of a team that needs to replace all of its stars from last season. He bemoans a directionless squad that lacks leadership and cohesion and, for several episodes, that means the season does as well. The...
AMC+ and Sundance Now’s Litvinenko and the second season of Netflix’s Last Chance U: Basketball are premiering in the same week, but you can expect that precious few reviews will note that the two shows — one a scripted docudrama and the other an unscripted docuseries — suffer, to different degrees, from a common flaw: If you’re dedicated to actively depicting reality, that can sometimes require accepting, or even embracing, the narrative limitations of reality.
In Last Chance U: Basketball, the return to East Los Angeles College in the aftermath of a year lost to Covid-19 forces coach John Mosley to struggle with finding the soul of a team that needs to replace all of its stars from last season. He bemoans a directionless squad that lacks leadership and cohesion and, for several episodes, that means the season does as well. The...
- 12/15/2022
- by Daniel Fienberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Warning: This review contains spoilers for all four episodes of Litvinenko
Truth is stranger than fiction, they say – and Litvinenko shows why this is a gift to crime dramas. So often fictional crime dramas try to be too slick, too perfectly believable, but real life is messier, more mundane, more ridiculous than what most of us can imagine, and all the better for it.
Litvinenko doesn’t muck about, either – after the briefest of glimpses into what normal life looks like for the Litvinenko family in 2006 within five minutes we’re in hospital, and a wan, now-bald Litvinenko (David Tennant) is telling detectives he’s been poisoned, helping them solve his own murder even as he’s dying.
Yes, David Tennant with a Russian accent requires a mighty suspension of disbelief, but if any actor can take such a jarring adjustment and guide us via a convincing, skilful performance to a rapid place of acceptance,...
Truth is stranger than fiction, they say – and Litvinenko shows why this is a gift to crime dramas. So often fictional crime dramas try to be too slick, too perfectly believable, but real life is messier, more mundane, more ridiculous than what most of us can imagine, and all the better for it.
Litvinenko doesn’t muck about, either – after the briefest of glimpses into what normal life looks like for the Litvinenko family in 2006 within five minutes we’re in hospital, and a wan, now-bald Litvinenko (David Tennant) is telling detectives he’s been poisoned, helping them solve his own murder even as he’s dying.
Yes, David Tennant with a Russian accent requires a mighty suspension of disbelief, but if any actor can take such a jarring adjustment and guide us via a convincing, skilful performance to a rapid place of acceptance,...
- 12/15/2022
- by Lauravickersgreen
- Den of Geek
The world was a different place in 2006 when former Fsb agent Alexander Litvinenko hit global headlines. This was years before Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, the poisoning of Sergei Skripal in 2018, and even longer before its invasion of Ukraine earlier this year. This was a strange time when Vladimir Putin was still hanging out with George W Bush and Tony Blair; still a tolerated member of the international community. But, as screenwriter George Kay’s new drama on the Itvx streaming service shows, that all began to change with a drop of polonium in a teapot.
The Litvinenko story unravelled extremely quickly. Three weeks after falling ill, Litvinenko was dead – and by that point, his face had been splashed on newspapers around the world. Kay’s series takes the same approach: within the first few seconds, Litvinenko is vomiting into a toilet. By the end of the episode, he will be dead.
The Litvinenko story unravelled extremely quickly. Three weeks after falling ill, Litvinenko was dead – and by that point, his face had been splashed on newspapers around the world. Kay’s series takes the same approach: within the first few seconds, Litvinenko is vomiting into a toilet. By the end of the episode, he will be dead.
- 12/15/2022
- by Nick Hilton
- The Independent - TV
Exclusive: The Deuce and Revenge actress Margarita Levieva has signed with Paradigm in all areas. In addition, we’ve learned she booked a guest star role on Disney+’s upcoming The Acolyte. She continues to be repped by Silver Lining Entertainment.
The Acolyte is a mystery-thriller that will take viewers into a galaxy of shadowy secrets and emerging dark-side powers in the final days of the High Republic era. A former Padawan reunites with her Jedi Master to investigate a series of crimes, but the forces they confront are more sinister than they ever anticipated. Levieva joins a cast that includes Amandla Stenberg, Lee Jung-jae, Manny Jacinto, Jodie Turner-Smith, Dafne Keen, Rebecca Henderson, Charlie Barnett, Dean-Charles Chapman and Carrie-Anne Moss in the Lucasfilm series which is currently shooting in the UK with creator, showrunner and executive producer Leslye Headland.
Levieva was most recently seen starring in the hit Netflix series In From The Cold,...
The Acolyte is a mystery-thriller that will take viewers into a galaxy of shadowy secrets and emerging dark-side powers in the final days of the High Republic era. A former Padawan reunites with her Jedi Master to investigate a series of crimes, but the forces they confront are more sinister than they ever anticipated. Levieva joins a cast that includes Amandla Stenberg, Lee Jung-jae, Manny Jacinto, Jodie Turner-Smith, Dafne Keen, Rebecca Henderson, Charlie Barnett, Dean-Charles Chapman and Carrie-Anne Moss in the Lucasfilm series which is currently shooting in the UK with creator, showrunner and executive producer Leslye Headland.
Levieva was most recently seen starring in the hit Netflix series In From The Cold,...
- 12/2/2022
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
There are such a fine myriad of film festivals around the world, with all major cities spotlighting domestic talent, and showcasing the latest films from around the world to local audiences and visiting guests. While a small collective, namely Berlin, Cannes & Venice stand out on the European festival calendar, there’s another contender on the block; a simply brilliant celebration of cinema, with a mighty fine programme, and it takes place in the capital city of Estonia.
The Tallinn Black Nights Festival just closed its doors on the 26th edition of this annual, winter event, and we here at HeyUGuys were fortunate enough to have been invited along. Named ‘Black Nights’, we presume, because it gets dark every day around mid-afternoon, it’s a bitterly cold fortnight, where naturally you find yourselves gravitating towards the warm, cosiness of a cinema complex – and when doing so, there sure was a lot to indulge in.
The Tallinn Black Nights Festival just closed its doors on the 26th edition of this annual, winter event, and we here at HeyUGuys were fortunate enough to have been invited along. Named ‘Black Nights’, we presume, because it gets dark every day around mid-afternoon, it’s a bitterly cold fortnight, where naturally you find yourselves gravitating towards the warm, cosiness of a cinema complex – and when doing so, there sure was a lot to indulge in.
- 12/2/2022
- by Stefan Pape
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Writers know better than most how taking historical figures and dropping them into a world of fictional characters can sometimes run the risk of overwhelming the story at hand. The plot at the center of "Peaky Blinders," for instance, shares several parallels and intersections with actual historical events taking place during the time period that creator Steven Knight chose to cover -- specifically set during the moment in time between both World Wars in early 1900s Birmingham, England. While audiences have gravitated towards the drama of Tommy Shelby leading the Peaky Blinders from the local horse-racing scene in Small Heath to the seat of power at the center of the entire British empire, Knight wrote his scripts in such a way that he could easily integrate several historical figures into the action as well.
From mere name-drops to brief appearances to major supporting roles, the six seasons of "Peaky Blinders...
From mere name-drops to brief appearances to major supporting roles, the six seasons of "Peaky Blinders...
- 11/10/2022
- by Jeremy Mathai
- Slash Film
David Tennant has a lot more on his plate than his return to the world of "Doctor Who," as Itvx revealed in the first look at the British actor from the upcoming miniseries, "Litvinenko." The image is a recreation of the internationally famous photo of Russian defector Alexander Litvinenko in a University College Hospital bed shortly before his passing, taken in the midst of one of the most dangerous criminal investigations in the history of London's Metropolitan Police.
For the uninitiated, Litvinenko was a former Russian Federal Security Services and Kgb officer who died of polonium-210 poisoning in November 2006, claiming that he had been poisoned on the direct orders of Vladimir Putin as punishment for his dissident. He was a prominent critic of Putin, advising U.K. intelligence on the Russians, and coining the term "mafia state."
In the days leading up to his death, Litvinenko provided a litany of information...
For the uninitiated, Litvinenko was a former Russian Federal Security Services and Kgb officer who died of polonium-210 poisoning in November 2006, claiming that he had been poisoned on the direct orders of Vladimir Putin as punishment for his dissident. He was a prominent critic of Putin, advising U.K. intelligence on the Russians, and coining the term "mafia state."
In the days leading up to his death, Litvinenko provided a litany of information...
- 11/7/2022
- by BJ Colangelo
- Slash Film
The first image of David Tennant as Alexander Litvinenko has been released.
Tennant will portray the late Russian spy in the drama series, Litvinenko, about the death of Litvinenko in 2006.
His death came 22 days after being poisoned with a rare and difficult-to-detect radioactive substance, Polonium-210, at a London hotel.
Prior to his death, he gave interviews to the police from his hospital bed, containing information that would ultimately lead investigators to the people responsible for his poisoning.
Created by George Kay, Litvinenko will tell the story of his widow, Marina (Margarita Levieva), and her battle to convince the British government to publicly name her husband’s killers and acknowledge the Russian State’s role in his murder.
The first image released by ITV shows Tennant as the spy in a hospital bed, with no hair and a gaunt appearance.
It is a nearly exact replica of a photo of Litvinenko...
Tennant will portray the late Russian spy in the drama series, Litvinenko, about the death of Litvinenko in 2006.
His death came 22 days after being poisoned with a rare and difficult-to-detect radioactive substance, Polonium-210, at a London hotel.
Prior to his death, he gave interviews to the police from his hospital bed, containing information that would ultimately lead investigators to the people responsible for his poisoning.
Created by George Kay, Litvinenko will tell the story of his widow, Marina (Margarita Levieva), and her battle to convince the British government to publicly name her husband’s killers and acknowledge the Russian State’s role in his murder.
The first image released by ITV shows Tennant as the spy in a hospital bed, with no hair and a gaunt appearance.
It is a nearly exact replica of a photo of Litvinenko...
- 11/7/2022
- by Nicole Vassell
- The Independent - TV
It’s unsurprising the actor has yet to direct another film after giving so much to this blistering debut, acted at full tilt by a remarkable cast
Twenty-five years ago, Gary Oldman opened an artery of anguish with his brilliant, wrenchingly emotional debut as writer-director inspired by his own father and his childhood in south London, positioned between Terence Davies and Martin Scorsese. The title conveys with horrible force both violence and the cost of violence. “Nil by mouth” is what you see over an intravenously fed patient’s hospital bed – and yet the phrase is also a metaphor for the dad’s dysfunction, the walled-off emotional aridity; nil by mouth, no kissing, no talking, nothing.
It is an urban pastoral and social-realist tragedy. Watched again now, you can appreciate how formally accomplished it is, how emotionally extravagant, and acted at full tilt by a remarkable cast. Ray Winstone is Ray,...
Twenty-five years ago, Gary Oldman opened an artery of anguish with his brilliant, wrenchingly emotional debut as writer-director inspired by his own father and his childhood in south London, positioned between Terence Davies and Martin Scorsese. The title conveys with horrible force both violence and the cost of violence. “Nil by mouth” is what you see over an intravenously fed patient’s hospital bed – and yet the phrase is also a metaphor for the dad’s dysfunction, the walled-off emotional aridity; nil by mouth, no kissing, no talking, nothing.
It is an urban pastoral and social-realist tragedy. Watched again now, you can appreciate how formally accomplished it is, how emotionally extravagant, and acted at full tilt by a remarkable cast. Ray Winstone is Ray,...
- 11/3/2022
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Klokkenluider Photo: Courtesy of London Film Festival
Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF) has announced its First Feature Competition titles.
The selection includes ten world premieres and eight international premieres in competition, with two international premieres screening out of competition, among the slate of 20 debuts.
Among the premieres are Fisnik Maxville’s The Land Within, which sees the direct move from documentary to fiction with the tale of the exhumation of a mass grave. Also moving from docs to fiction is Ivan Gergolet, who brings The Man Without Guilt, which the festival says is "a thoughtful and challenging appraisal of moving past tragic events".
There's one UK-made film in the line-up, comedy-thriller Klokkenluider, directed by actor-turned-director Neil Maskell (Kill List), which will make its international bow after premiering at the London Film Festival this month. It tells the story of a hapless government whistleblower and his partner who are hiding out in a remote Belgian.
Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF) has announced its First Feature Competition titles.
The selection includes ten world premieres and eight international premieres in competition, with two international premieres screening out of competition, among the slate of 20 debuts.
Among the premieres are Fisnik Maxville’s The Land Within, which sees the direct move from documentary to fiction with the tale of the exhumation of a mass grave. Also moving from docs to fiction is Ivan Gergolet, who brings The Man Without Guilt, which the festival says is "a thoughtful and challenging appraisal of moving past tragic events".
There's one UK-made film in the line-up, comedy-thriller Klokkenluider, directed by actor-turned-director Neil Maskell (Kill List), which will make its international bow after premiering at the London Film Festival this month. It tells the story of a hapless government whistleblower and his partner who are hiding out in a remote Belgian.
- 10/14/2022
- by Amber Wilkinson
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Titles include Ivan Gergolet’s ‘The Man Without Guilt’ and Neil Maskell’s ’Klokkenluider’
Estonia’s Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (November 11-27) has unveiled its first feature line-up which includes 10 world and 10 international premieres.
Scroll down for full line-up
Among the world premieres are Italian director Ivan Gergolet’s debut fiction feature The Man Without Guilt, a Slovenia-Italy-Croatia co-production that received €140,000 in Eurimages funding last year. Gergolet’s documentary feature Dancing With Maria screened at Venice’s Critics’ Week in 2014 and was nominated for a European Film Award.
Also premiering is Fisnik Maxville’s The Land Within, about the...
Estonia’s Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (November 11-27) has unveiled its first feature line-up which includes 10 world and 10 international premieres.
Scroll down for full line-up
Among the world premieres are Italian director Ivan Gergolet’s debut fiction feature The Man Without Guilt, a Slovenia-Italy-Croatia co-production that received €140,000 in Eurimages funding last year. Gergolet’s documentary feature Dancing With Maria screened at Venice’s Critics’ Week in 2014 and was nominated for a European Film Award.
Also premiering is Fisnik Maxville’s The Land Within, about the...
- 10/13/2022
- by Ellie Calnan
- ScreenDaily
Kill List star Neil Maskell makes his feature directorial debut with the dark comedy Klokkenluider, which had its world premiere at the BFI London Film Festival. The title is Dutch for “whistleblower,” and Maskell’s script sees a couple hiding out in a remote Belgian cottage, nervously preparing to spill the beans to a newspaper journalist. When they’re joined by two bodyguards, tensions rise but relationships are formed. It’s an involving character-driven drama/thriller that recalls cult British fare such as Black Mirror, as well as the work of Maskell’s regular cohort Ben Wheatley.
After some slightly clunky establishing scenes between It guy Ewan (Amit Shah) and his wife Silke (Sura Dohnke), the film settles into a more confident comedic tone upon the arrival of Chris (Tom Burke) and Glynn (Roger Evans). A mismatched pair of heavies for hire, they’re tasked with keeping the couple safe – and also,...
After some slightly clunky establishing scenes between It guy Ewan (Amit Shah) and his wife Silke (Sura Dohnke), the film settles into a more confident comedic tone upon the arrival of Chris (Tom Burke) and Glynn (Roger Evans). A mismatched pair of heavies for hire, they’re tasked with keeping the couple safe – and also,...
- 10/11/2022
- by Anna Smith
- Deadline Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
Netflix’s long-awaited The Sandman — based on Neil Gaiman’s much-loved comic series — proved to be something of a hit for the streamer, amassing a billion minutes of viewing and storming to the top of its own charts just three days after its release back in August. The series also managed to charm both critics and fans, praised for its lavish fantasy world and the emotional depth of it characters.
A significant amount of the noise has centered on Johanna Constantine, the occult detective with a penchant for exorcisms. Jenna Coleman plays two iterations of the character: one based in the modern day (effectively a gender-flipper version of DC superhero John Constantine), the other her identical 18th-century ancestor. Although Johanna only appeared in a few episodes, it wasn’t long before there were calls for her to be given her own spinoff series.
Netflix’s long-awaited The Sandman — based on Neil Gaiman’s much-loved comic series — proved to be something of a hit for the streamer, amassing a billion minutes of viewing and storming to the top of its own charts just three days after its release back in August. The series also managed to charm both critics and fans, praised for its lavish fantasy world and the emotional depth of it characters.
A significant amount of the noise has centered on Johanna Constantine, the occult detective with a penchant for exorcisms. Jenna Coleman plays two iterations of the character: one based in the modern day (effectively a gender-flipper version of DC superhero John Constantine), the other her identical 18th-century ancestor. Although Johanna only appeared in a few episodes, it wasn’t long before there were calls for her to be given her own spinoff series.
- 10/7/2022
- by Alex Ritman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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