After more than two years of turbulence, Idris Elba is finally cleared for takeoff again. Hijack Season 2 has officially landed a release date, with Apple TV‘s own app seemingly confirming that the hit thriller will return on in January. The update arrives as Hijack has been climbing back up the Apple TV charts worldwide, re-entering the top 10 in multiple countries. Fans are clearly eager to revisit one of Elba’s most intense and underrated performances before the series makes its long-awaited return early next year, and maybe that’s just a bit of manifesting from all of us who thoroughly enjoyed the original show.

This time, Elba‘s Sam Nelson is on a train instead of a plane. But the hijacking is just the same, naturally. This guy needs to just starting walking places. Apple also released a brief teaser, which you can see below.

According to the Apple TV app, Season 2 of Hijack will premiere globally on Tuesday, January 14, 2026. Filming wrapped earlier this year in February, meaning the series has been deep in post-production ever since. Apple reportedly delayed the show’s return to secure a prime spot on its packed release calendar, which has recently included titles like Slow Horses, Silo, and The Morning Show.

Is ‘Hijack’ Worth Watching?

When Hijack first debuted in June 2023, the series became one of Apple TV’s biggest success stories. The tense, real-time thriller follows a seven-hour flight from Dubai to London that’s hijacked midair — with Elba starring as Sam Nelson, a skilled corporate negotiator who must use his wits to save everyone onboard.

The first season also starred Ben Miles (Andor) and Neil Maskell (Kill List), alongside a strong ensemble of international performers. Created by George Kay (Lupin) and Jim Field Smith, the seven-episode series earned a 90% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, though audiences were divided, landing the show a 51% audience rating. Collider‘s own review by Nate Richard was mixed:

Hijack is directed in part by Smith, who steers the thriller away from feeling cheap. It has a clear cinematic look to it, despite the limited locations on the screen. Several of the cliffhangers at the end of each episode also do some of the heavy lifting of keeping the viewer invested, even if some are a bit too predictable. That being said, you never really get a sense of the real-time element that the show has. While Hijack doesn’t need the luminous countdown clock that 24 had, it would have benefited from some sort of looming visual to make the series more immersive.

Hijack Season 2 is set to premiere on January 14, 2026, exclusively on Apple TV.

via Collider