Idris Elba’s Apple TV Thriller Surges On Streaming Ahead Of Season 2

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Idris Elba looking ahead while standing in the snow in Hijack season 2 episode 1

Nick Bythrow is a Lead Writer for ScreenRant. He has been writing for the site since September 2022. He graduated from Hampshire College in 2022, where he triple majored in Journalism, Communications, and Media Studies. When he's not writing about TV and movies for ScreenRant and his blog, Frayed Branches, Nick is penning speculative fiction and poetry on Amazon. He lives outside Boston, Massachusetts.

Idris Elba's Apple TV thriller series, which earned Stephen King's approval, Hijack, has earned a resurgence on streaming ahead of its season 2 return. The story of Hijack follows Elba's Sam Nelson, a business negotiator who becomes integral to brokering deals between airplane hijackers and people on the ground. The series was a critical hit and viewership success.

Hijack season 2 sees Elba return to his role as Sam, this time boarding a Berlin underground train where hostages are taken captive. Much like before, the protagonist acts as an important liaison between the people outside the train, trying to prevent catastrophe as the hijackers plot out a larger mission. Season 2 begins Wednesday, January 14 on Apple TV.

However, FlixPatrol reports that, ahead of Hijack season 2's premiere, the series has become a global hit for Apple TV. The show is currently Number 3 in the world on the platform as of January 13, 2025. This includes having a Number 1 spot in Grenada and Belize. In the United States, the show currently ranks at Number 4.

Idris Elba looking grim while sitting on a plane in Hijack season 1

Hijack season 1 ended with Sam almost getting killed by Atterton, one of the core hijackers, who he locks himself inside the plane with in order to recapture him. He succeeds, but the show emphasizes how the hijacking was just one part of a larger plan by the group the perpetrators were working for.

The surge of global interest is likely because of how close season 2 is to coming out. The series' return is also a long-awaited one, with season 1 having aired in the summer of 2023. Given the wait of over two years between seasons, Hijack's return promises a new setting that still has the old familiar elements of Sam's first trip.

So far, it seems like Elba's character is going to be in danger partially because of what happened during season 1. The series hasn't dropped the original hijacking plot, with season 2 expanding on its purpose as Sam tries to make peace on the train. However, there's no guarantee he'll be able to save everyone.

Hijack season 2 will consist of eight episodes, one more than season 1, signifying a much longer journey as the hijacking puts Sam and a whole host of new characters in danger. His family and the previous investigators will be important to the plot too. Given how successful the show has become ahead of season 2, it's clearly a highly anticipated release.

Hijack season 2 begins January 14, 2026 on Apple TV, and will air new episodes every Wednesday.