Hijack (2023)

Expert negotiator Sam Nelson is in for the ride of his life—and so is everyone on board with him—after a group of hijackers take control. Sam will try every move in his playbook to take them down...as the stakes grow higher by the second.

Realistic Cabin Creation: To achieve a realistic aircraft cabin, the production team built a 146-foot-long set filled with authentic-looking equipment. The set was designed to be detachable in many places to accommodate the large crew and actors, and certain areas were enlarged.
Avionics Authenticity: The cockpit's avionics were rigged to a real flight simulator to ensure a high level of genuineness. Built-in cameras and adjustable lighting technology were used throughout the set to enhance the feeling of being on an actual moving aircraft.
Virtual Production Integration: Virtual production technology, including LED volumes, was used to create immersive environments for the actors, displaying realistic visuals outside the plane windows. This allowed for real-time reactions from the cast and saved time compared to using traditional blue screens.
Real-Time Tension: The show was filmed to feel as close to a real hijack situation as possible, using a real Airbus A330 plane (retired from service) to create a claustrophobic environment. Director Jim Field Smith aimed to capture the immediacy of people reacting in the moment, employing unbroken shots to enhance the feeling of being inside the hijack.
Costume Color Coding: The costume designer used subtle color coding to differentiate between characters and classes, with economy passengers wearing sharper, more vibrant colors, while first-class passengers had more muted tones. Even the hijackers' costumes reflected this dichotomy, with the leader in a grey hoodie (first class) and another in a Hawaiian shirt (economy).