Mo Ali Wraps Eps 4 & 5 on "Hijack" for Apple TV Staring Idris Elba

Apple TV+ today announced it has landed “Hijack,” a new seven-part thriller starring SAG-winning and Emmy Award-nominated Idris Elba (“Sonic the Hedgehog 2”, “Luther”), who will also serve as executive producer. This marks the first project that will hail from Elba’s first-look deal with Apple TV+ and his Green Door Pictures.

Told in real time, “Hijack” is a tense thriller that follows the journey of a hijacked plane as it makes its way to London over a seven hour flight, as authorities on the ground scramble for answers. Elba will star as Sam Nelson, an accomplished negotiator in the business world who needs to step up and use all his guile to try and save the lives of the passengers — but his high-risk strategy could be his undoing.

The series is written by George Kay (“Lupin,” “Criminal”) and will be directed by Jim Field Smith (“Criminal,” “The Wrong Mans”), who will both also serve as executive producers alongside Elba, Jamie Laurenson, Hakan Kousetta and Kris Thykier. “Hijack” will be produced by 60Forty Films and Idiotlamp Productions in association with Green Door.

Mo Ali To Direct Episode 4 of Sky One's Hit Show: Cobra

Mo Ali has been tapped up to direct episode 4 of the hugely popular political thriller. The series earned rave reviews for its addictive nature and an equally engaging storyline. And fans who have finished watching the first season are impatient to know when they can check out new episodes again. The show follows the global and political fallout from a devastating solar storm which caused everything from power outages to mass protests, was one of Sky One's most successful drama series in recent years, racking up over 2.2 million viewers and registering as one of the network's most binged box-sets online. (Not surprising, giving how propulsive and generally addictive its storylines were -- even if they often made no sense if you thought about them too hard.)

Season 2 will see Robert Carlyle returning in the role of Prime Minister Robert Sutherland. He will be joined by Victoria Hamilton as the PM’s chief of staff Anna Marshall. David Haig and Richard Dormer are also likely to reprise their characters of Archie Glover-Morgan (the Home Secretary) and Fraser Walker (the Director of the Civil Contingencies Secretariat). We additionally expect several of the following actors to make a comeback:

Lucy Cohu as Rachel (Robert’s wife), Marisa Abela as Ellie (Robert’s daughter), Edward Bennett as Peter Mott, Marsha Thomason as Francine Bridge, Steven Cree as Stuart Collier, Angus Wright as General Rodney Pickering, Ellie Kendrick as Stephanie Lodge, Emmanuel Imani as James Odubajo, Lisa Palfrey as Eleanor James, Con O’Neill as Harry Rowntree, Alexandre Willaume as Edin Tosumbegovic, Jonathan Harden as DI Miller, and Max Parker as John Cripps.

Breath Soundtrack OUT NOW!

We all know just how incredibly important and moving film music can be. It pulls at our heartstrings and brings us to tears during the most emotional parts of movies. Composers have a special kind of talent—they bond with a director, understand their vision, and become the instrument through which that director's vision is projected to the world (musically, that is). Sometimes, that relationship becomes everything—a profound connection that occurs only when two creatives completely understand the film.

That's why I'm so proud to share with you all the score for "Breathe" composed by Jonathon Deering- a good friend and fantastic collaborator.

Exclusive: "BREATHE" Starts Production In London

About the Project

Breathe gives audiences an insight into the healing, grieving, love, and mental health of black people during COVID in the UK. Told through the eyes of eight black British people at one moment in time this interconnected film of four stories gives us an intimate look into the lives and relationships of those emerging from lockdown, as they prepare to get back to a new kind of normal.

Produced by Kyla Frye and Mo Ali

An M.A.Films Production

"We hope through this film project, we can inspire change and spark, not only a conversation, but a movement in our industry” Mo Ali

Films

LACES

Written by Robert Bertrand

With society being strangled to its last breath, a young father is fearful of what the future holds for him and his son, and whether he should take his sons innocence from him before anyone else does.

Robert Bertrand, Writer

Robert Bertrand is a writer from an Afro-Caribbean background who focuses on social realist dramas with a touch of comedy. He has worked alongside writers Barrie Keefe, Roy Williams, and Rikki Beadle Blair. Robert has been part of the Royal Court Young Writers Programme. He has written for the theatre, film and television and has completed a tv drama writing course at the National Film and Television School taught by Peter Ansorge.

TURN TO STONE 

Written by Miles Mitchell

Long time friends Kwame and Justin reconnect after what feels like a lifetime apart. Lockdown measures have eased, so they agree to meet by the river Thames. Although they seem to pick up right where they left off, it’s apparent that recent events forever change them. The unprecedented action of opening up and talking about feelings, trauma, death, and failure is a massive moment in the pair’s friendship. To be hard is to be strong, or is it? They have been conditioned to be hard, but hard things break.

Miles Mitchell, Writer

Miles Mitchell trained at the Brit School and Rose Bruford Drama School. Miles plays the lead in upcoming feature film Stuck On a Swiss Island (RSI). TV credits include Irregulars (Netflix), Casualty (BBC), The Tempest (CBBC), Law & Order UK (ITV), King Lear (BBC) and Drifters (E4).

Theatre credits include Salomè (RSC), Dido Queen of Carthage (RSC), Great Britain (Theatre Royal Haymarket), The Comedy of Errors (National Theatre), A Taste of Honey (National Theatre) and King Lear (Royal Exchange).

Radio credits include These Are the Times (BBC Radio 4).

“Turn to Stone” is his writing debut.

LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE

Written by Sheila Nortley

When a young man reunites with his girlfriend after lockdown, the emotional turmoil of their recent miscarriage causes them to re-evaluate their relationship. Little Miss Sunshine sensitively explores the nuances of loss, grief, and love during isolation in a poignant two-hander.

Sheila Nortley

Writer

Sheila Nortley is a British-Ghanaian award-winning filmmaker who has written, produced and directed several internationally renowned projects. In 2013 she produced the independent feature Sable Fable which went on to win best film at the prestigious American Black Film Festival awards in Miami, Florida. In 2016 she won the Woman of The Future Awards in arts & culture for her work in film and was invited to Buckingham Palace. The following year her film Limbo was shot in Norfolk, Virginia and selected at various international festivals including the Cannes Pan-African Film Festival. 2018 feature film “The Strangers” was shot and principal photography for feature film “A Game of Two Halves” began in November 2019 – both penned by Sheila. She ended the year in writer’s rooms for two series in development with Netflix and Channel 4. Her latest short film “Sometimes I Feel” was selected for the Oscar-qualifying PAFF Festival in La 2020. Currently, Sheila is developing her next feature film with BFI and Film London. 

GET OVER IT

Written by D’Marie Dowe

Get Over it is a short film which centres around a mother who struggles to manage he daughter’s feel of the outside post-COVID. The pair take their first ventures outside after three months, and they both have different takes on how they see the world. Sasha sees opportunity and possibility, but her daughter Ebony is rigid with fear and sees the world as a dark. Dangerous, prejudiced place. Ebony eventually comes to terms with her fears.

D’Marie Dowe, Writer

D’Marie Dowe is a filmmaker. Her specialism is screenwriting; she graduated from LCC with a screenwriting MA. She was a BUFF script judge for five years and has several years’ experience of providing script coverage to independent production companies and writers. 

D’Marie has just directed a 30-minute film “Say Nothing” which examines the lack of social cohesion between the police and the black community.

D’Marie comes from a background of working with young people from inner-city London. She across genres but prefers dark action. Her writing tends to tell the Black British experience and focuses on unseen characters transitioning into adulthood. 

For more information:

Email: mafilms@moalidirector.co.uk

Film stills and press shots of cast and crew are available upon request.

QUEEN & SLIM followed by exclusive panel discussion with some of the UK’s most prominent filmmakers, including Mo Ali

We Are Parable and Behind The Lens have teamed up with The Ritzy to present a very special screening of the highly anticipated QUEEN & SLIM. Introduced by Aisha Badmus from Behind The Lens, the screening will also be followed by exclusive panel discussion with some of the UK’s most prominent filmmakers, including Femi Oyeniran, Fiona Lamptey and Mo Ali, who'll discuss the film’s themes as well as some of their challenges they've faced when attempting to get their stories on screen.

Mo Ali was invited as one of the industry Panelist - Script is King!

Mo Ali was invited as one of the industry Panelist alongside writer/producer Dan Sefton and producer/director @kennethotoole27 to offer three of our #screenwriters their expert advice.

For more info - https://twitter.com/scriptisking

Mo Ali is CCF UK’s first Ambassador.

Mo Ali is CCF UK’s first Ambassador. He is passionate about saving the cheetah, particularly in his homeland of Somaliland, and has a keen interest in highlighting the plight of the cheetah and the issues concerning other wildlife and the environment in his home country

Mo Ali is an award-winning film director, working with some of the most innovative artists and actors in Britain. His feature debut, the post-apocalyptic action-thriller “Shank”, was released theatrically in 2010, entering the UK Charts at number 4 and has now been released in more than 15 territories around the world. His second feature, “Montana” (2014), was a searing look at life in the underbelly of London. After appearing at the Sitges Film Festival, the most prestigious genre festival in the world, it sold to 30 territories and it went on to be nominated for Best Independent Feature at the NFAs and both Best Picture and Best Director at the Screen National Awards.