‘Hijack’, Starring Idris Elba, Brings Back Classic Thriller Vibes – The Gentleman Report
During the intense filming of the series, emotions were running high. Archie Panjabi, who portrays a counterterrorism officer, shared that the director, Smith, did his best to keep the set relaxed. In an effort to lighten the mood between takes, the cast even burst into song and dance to unwind after a dialogue-heavy scene on the ground.
“We even created a little musical number out of it,” Panjabi revealed during the interview call with Elba. “We got carried away, just trying to maintain the energy.”
Elba jokingly added, “Coming soon: ‘Hijack: The Musical.’”
While “Hijack” incorporates modern elements such as realistic diversity, the main character’s intellectual nature, and psychological torment, there is a nostalgic appeal to the show. The collaboration of strangers dealing with immense pressure brings back memories of Sidney Lumet’s “12 Angry Men” (1957). The constant ticking of the clock towards disaster and the frantic race to prevent the worst outcome brings to mind Lumet’s “Fail Safe” (1964).
This retro quality was one of the main attractions for Elba. He is proud of the show but knows that its success hinges on viewership. Elba wants the audience to understand that while the onscreen experience is harrowing, it is also a fun and entertaining escape.
“It’s a well-executed form of escapism for me,” Elba explained. “It’s smart and relatable, hopefully to many people. We’re not trying to reinvent the wheel – it’s just really good, clever storytelling with intriguing characters.”
Panjabi shares the same sentiment. She revealed that when her agent initially sent her the first three episodes to gauge her interest, she quickly devoured them and immediately requested to see the rest. Concerned, her agent asked if she had any doubts.
No, Panjabi assured her agent: “I just need to know what happens to the passengers.”
During the intense shooting of the series, tensions would naturally run high. Archie Panjabi, who plays a counterterrorism officer, shared that Smith, the director, did his best to keep the set relaxed. At one point, in order to lighten the mood between takes, the cast even broke into song and dance to unwind after a dialogue-heavy scene on the ground.
“We even made a little number out of it,” Panjabi revealed during the interview call alongside Elba. “We got a bit carried away, just trying to maintain the energy.”
Elba jokingly added, “‘Hijack: The Musical,’ coming soon.”
While “Hijack” incorporates modern elements such as realistic diversity, the main character’s intellectual nature, and psychological torment, there is something nostalgically appealing about the show. The collaboration of strangers dealing with immense pressure brings back memories of Sidney Lumet’s “12 Angry Men” (1957). The constant ticking of the clock towards disaster and the frantic race to prevent the worst outcome brings to mind Lumet’s “Fail Safe” (1964).
This retro quality was one of the main attractions for Elba. He is proud of the show, but he knows that it won’t matter if people don’t watch it. Elba wants viewers to understand that although the onscreen experience is a harrowing one, which would be a nightmare in real life, it is also a fun and entertaining escape.
“It’s a form of well-executed escapism for me,” Elba explained. “It’s smart and relatable, hopefully for many people. We’re not trying to reinvent the wheel – it’s just really good, clever storytelling with intriguing characters.”
Panjabi shares the same sentiment. She revealed that when her agent initially sent her scripts for the first three episodes to gauge her interest, she quickly devoured them and immediately asked to see the rest. Concerned, her agent inquired if she had any doubts.
No, Panjabi assured her agent: “I just need to know what happens to the passengers.”
