A First Glimpse at Sky’s High-Stakes Thriller Prisoner

Image: Sky TV Press

By Jon Donnis

Sky has released the first image from Prisoner, its upcoming action thriller slated for 2026, and the reveal sets a clear tone for what the series intends to deliver. The project brings together Golden Globe and BAFTA nominee Tahar Rahim with Scottish BAFTA winner Izuka Hoyle, pairing them in a story built around danger, mistrust and a chase that refuses to slow down. Created and written by Matt Charman, with Otto Bathurst directing, the six part series is shaped by a simple idea that quickly becomes complicated. A manhunt begins, and from the moment it does, every step forward becomes a risk.

At the centre of the story is Amber, played by Hoyle, a young prison transport officer who starts her day focused on responsibility rather than danger. Her job is to escort Tibor, played by Rahim, to court where he is meant to testify against a powerful crime syndicate. Tibor is a trained killer and a high value inmate, which already turns the assignment into something far from routine. Things collapse with brutal speed when the convoy is attacked with clear intent to kill. In the wreckage, Amber and Tibor find themselves the only survivors. Still cuffed together and hunted, they are pushed into a situation that neither wanted, forced to move fast in order to stay alive and reach the courtroom before their pursuers close the gap.

The journey that follows pushes them into an uneasy alliance that keeps shifting as the syndicate moves closer. The story leans into the tension between two people who do not trust each other but have no choice except to work together. Trust becomes its own hazard. Survival becomes something that tests Amber's sense of right and wrong, leaving her to confront what she is willing to risk in order to protect what matters most. The setup turns every decision into a question with no comfortable answer.

Prisoner also arrives with a strong supporting cast that reflects the scale of the production. Eddie Marsan, Catherine McCormack, Leonie Benesch, Finn Bennett, Sam Troughton, Laurie Davidson, Ken Nwosu, Brían F. O'Byrne and Youssef Kerkour all feature, bringing a broad range of experience to the story. With its mix of rising danger, shifting loyalties and a pairing forced together under fire, the series promises a tightly wound thriller built around character as much as action. Prisoner will debut on Sky and the NOW streaming service during the 2026 season.