Interview: Idris Elba Talks Hijack Season 2 —Apple TV Thriller Goes Underground

Hijack is back and Idris Elba is proving that when it comes to high-stakes negotiation, it doesn’t matter if you’re 35,000 feet in the air or two floors underground in a Berlin subway. We got an exclusive early look at Season 2 of Apple TV’s pulse-pounding thriller, along with a virtual roundtable with Elba and series Co-Creator Jim Field Smith and trust us, this season is a claustrophobic, heart-pounding masterclass in tension, strategy and sheer human resourcefulness.

Season 2 swaps the airplane of Season 1 for a subterranean setting that pushes Sam Nelson, Elba’s savvy negotiator, into uncharted territory. The underground Berlin train isn’t just a backdrop, it’s practically a character in its own right, full of twists, turns and moral mazes. “It felt really powerful to let Sam physically and emotionally get lost underneath this city,” Elba explained. Isolated, out of his depth and without any familiar faces around him, Sam has to navigate a world that feels as threatening as it does unfamiliar. And yes, the yellow subway cars are an added bonus.

Elba revealed that the decision to move the action to a train was as much about creativity as realism. “You can only hijack a method of transport. You can’t hijack a building,” he said, emphasizing the claustrophobic microcosm that made Season 1 such a tense ride. And the move clearly pays off: viewers are dropped into a high-pressure environment that feels lived-in, tactile and, occasionally, nauseatingly real, exactly the effect the creators were aiming for.

 “It felt really powerful to let Sam physically and emotionally get lost underneath this city.”

One of the most fascinating aspects of Season 2 is how it strips Sam of the safety nets that made him so effective in Season 1. Gone are the boardroom strategies and careful manipulations; this time, he’s relying almost entirely on instinct, observation, and empathy. “He literally doesn’t know what he’s doing,” Elba said. “His power is his mind and his ability to move around people and listen.” Watching a character operate without the tools he’s known all his life is a fresh, tense experience that makes every choice feel consequential, not to mention exhausting for anyone watching with bated breath.

Behind the scenes, the production pushed boundaries as well. Filming in cramped subway cars over 136 days required meticulous choreography and a ton of patience. Even a simple conversation involved multiple cameras, precise blocking and careful attention to subtle facial expressions. Elba noted that these technically challenging scenes were often the hardest, especially when trying to convey restraint and suspense in close quarters. The result? Scenes that feel immediate, urgent, and completely immersive.

New characters also spice things up, with Lisa Vicari’s Clara providing an empathetic, audience-like perspective. Through these new voices, we see how Sam adapts, persuades and reacts under pressure, all while dealing with cultural and language barriers that make Berlin feel like an entirely alien battlefield. Every minor character, even the seemingly annoying ones, can dramatically affect outcomes, a storytelling twist that keeps the tension razor-sharp.

Elba’s passion for the craft shines throughout the conversation. Between navigating complex scenes, revisiting lessons from Season 1 and collaborating with director Jim Field Smith, he has a newfound appreciation for the precision and creativity required to make a thriller that feels as real as it does thrilling. And the recognition for Season 1? A well-earned pat on the back that fueled the team as they tackled this more intense, technically demanding second season.

Hijack Season 2 is an evolution. From the claustrophobic train to a Sam Nelson who is smarter, more vulnerable and more human than ever, Apple TV has crafted a thriller that will keep viewers glued to their screens, holding their breath with every stop of the train. Whether you’re here for Elba’s commanding performance, the nail-biting tension, or just to marvel at how terrifying a subway ride can get, Season 2 is shaping up to be unmissable.

As the doors close and the train begins its journey, one thing is clear: Sam Nelson may not know what he’s doing, but we sure as hell do, this ride is going to be wild.

Check out an exclusive clip below.