Premiering August 28, 2025, on Sky TV

Brace yourself for a heart-pounding, continent-spanning thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Atomic plunges two ordinary civilians into an impossibly dangerous world of international espionage, cartel violence, and nuclear brinkmanship. When Max (Alfie Allen) and Mohammed (Shazad Latif) accidentally intercept a cartel’s shipment of weapons-grade uranium being smuggled across the treacherous landscapes of North Africa, they become the most wanted men on the continent. Hunted by ruthless traffickers, suspicious government agencies, and rogue operatives, they are thrust into a deadly race against time to prevent a catastrophic attack.

This is more than a simple chase; it’s a profound moral crucible. With each passing hour, the bomb moves closer to its destination, and Max and Mohammed must confront their deepest fears and motivations. Will they prioritize their own survival, or will they risk everything—their lives, their families, their futures—to stop an unthinkable tragedy? Atomic masterfully blends relentless action with deep psychological tension, exploring what happens when average people are forced to become heroes in a situation where the wrong choice could literally end the world.

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Meet the Cast of Atomic

1. Alfie Allen as Max

Alfie Allen delivers a raw and gripping performance as Max, a jaded expatriate whose initial self-interest is forged into reluctant heroism by fire. Allen masterfully portrays a man running from a troubled past, only to find himself in a far more dangerous present. His journey from a cynical opportunist to a determined savior is the emotional core of the series, and Allen captures every shade of Max’s fear, desperation, and burgeoning courage with stunning authenticity.

Allen’s physical commitment to the role is evident in the grueling action sequences, from brutal hand-to-hand combat in dusty marketplaces to desperate sprints across sun-baked dunes. His chemistry with Shazad Latif provides a compelling dynamic of clashing personalities forced into a precarious alliance, making their evolving partnership one of the most captivating elements of the show. Allen ensures that Max is never a typical action hero, but a flawed, relatable man rising to an impossible occasion.

2. Shazad Latif as Mohammed / JJ

Shazad Latif is phenomenal as Mohammed (known as JJ), a quick-witted and resourceful local guide whose knowledge of the region and its languages becomes the duo’s greatest asset. Latif brings immense charisma and intelligence to the role, crafting a character who is deeply connected to his homeland yet is an outsider in his own right. JJ’s motives are complex, woven from a desire for redemption and a fierce need to protect his people from a threat they cannot see.

Latif’s performance provides the moral compass and cultural heart of the narrative. He is the strategist, the linguist, and often the voice of reason countering Max’s impulsiveness. Latif excels in portraying JJ’s internal conflict, a man torn between his instinct for self-preservation and the heavy weight of responsibility. His ability to convey deep emotion and shrewd calculation in a single glance makes JJ an unforgettable character.

3. Samira Wiley as Cassie Elliott

Samira Wiley commands the screen as Cassie Elliott, a relentless and brilliant CIA case officer stationed in the region who gets wind of the missing uranium. Wiley brings a formidable intensity and sharp intellect to the role, portraying Elliott as a woman who operates in moral grays for what she believes is the greater good. She is a hunter, but one who is constrained by bureaucracy and her own murky allegiances, making her both a potential threat and an unlikely ally to Max and JJ.

Wiley’s performance is a masterclass in controlled power. Her character’s pursuit of the truth is dogged and intelligent, and her scenes are charged with a commanding presence that adds a layer of high-stakes geopolitical tension to the street-level chase. She is a formidable force, and Wiley makes it clear that Elliott is always three steps ahead of everyone else in the room.

4. Avital Lvova as Oksana Shirokova

Avital Lvova is chillingly effective as Oksana Shirokova, a ruthless and enigmatic Russian operative with her own agenda regarding the uranium. Lvova brings a cold, calculating precision to the role, making Oksana a wildcard whose motives are as dangerous as they are opaque. She is a predator who moves through the shadows, and her presence signals that the uranium plot is part of a much larger, more sinister game.

Lvova’s steely demeanor and physical prowess make every scene she inhabits crackle with menace. Her character operates with a chilling efficiency, and Lvova’s performance ensures that Oksana is a formidable antagonist who is every bit as capable as the agencies and cartels she is competing against. She is the embodiment of the unpredictable, international stakes of the crisis.

5. Charlie Murphy as Laetitia

Charlie Murphy portrays Laetitia, a cunning and ambitious cartel lieutenant who personally oversees the high-stakes uranium transport on the ground. Murphy brings a volatile and terrifying energy to the role, making Laetitia a brutally efficient and unpredictable obstacle for Max and JJ. Her character is driven by a cold ambition to climb the cartel’s ranks, viewing the uranium as her ticket to power.

Murphy excels in creating a villain who is both calculating and savagely impulsive. Laetitia’s scenes are filled with a palpable sense of danger, as she is willing to enact vicious violence to ensure the shipment’s delivery. Murphy makes her a deeply intimidating foe, representing the immediate, physical threat that is always just a few steps behind our protagonists.

6. Stuart Martin as Rab Makintosh

Stuart Martin is Rab Makintosh, a cynical and world-weary foreign correspondent who sniffs out the story of a lifetime amidst the chaos. Martin provides a grounded, external perspective on the crisis, representing the world’s ignorance of the impending disaster. Rab is a man who has seen too much, yet stumbles upon a truth so big it threatens to consume him.

Martin brings a rumpled charm and intellectual curiosity to the role. His character’s investigation runs parallel to the main action, and his interactions with various agencies and locals add rich layers to the world-building. Rab represents the power and peril of the truth, and Martin portrays his moral dilemma—between breaking the story and potentially jeopardizing lives—with compelling gravitas.

7. Mikhail Safronov as Oleg Kuzayev

Mikhail Safronov plays Oleg Kuzayev, a corrupt and nervous Russian official whose connections facilitate the initial theft of the uranium. Safronov embodies the bureaucratic corruption that makes the crisis possible, portraying Oleg as a man trapped by his own greed and fear. His actions set the entire plot in motion, making him a pivotal figure hunted by every faction.

Safronov’s performance is a masterclass in sweaty desperation. Oleg is a man in far over his head, scrambling to cover his tracks as Oksana and others close in. The actor brilliantly conveys the character’s escalating panic, making him a pathetic yet crucial node in the vast web of deception and danger. He is a stark reminder that cataclysmic events can often start with a single weak and venal man.

8. Jacob George Wright as Peter Holmes

Jacob George Wright appears as Peter Holmes, the anxious and morally conflicted nuclear physicist who designed the containment device for the uranium. Wright brings a nervous energy and intellectual depth to the role, portraying a man coerced into using his genius for destruction. Holmes is the brains behind the bomb, and his knowledge becomes a key asset that everyone is fighting to control or suppress.

Wright’s performance captures the profound guilt and fear of a scientist who sees his life’s work being perverted into a weapon of terror. His character adds a crucial technological and ethical layer to the thriller, and his scenes are charged with the tension of a man trying to outthink his captors to prevent the atrocity he helped make possible. He is the conscience of the scientific community, forced into a nightmare.

9. Brian Gleeson as Mark Ellis

Brian Gleeson portrays Mark Ellis, a high-ranking, politically minded MI6 officer who coordinates the British response from a secure London office. Gleeson brings a sharp, calculating presence to the role, embodying the disconnect between field operatives and desk-bound strategists. Ellis makes cold, calculated decisions based on geopolitical outcomes, often viewing Max and JJ as expendable assets in a larger game.

Gleeson excels at delivering dialogue laden with subtext and realpolitik. His performance creates a compelling friction with Samira Wiley’s Cassie Elliott, as their different methodologies and priorities clash. Ellis represents the impersonal machinery of state security, and Gleeson makes him a fascinatingly ambiguous figure whose actions are always debatable, never purely heroic or villainous.

10. Franklin Vírgüez as Antonio Alam

Franklin Vírgüez rounds out the cast as Antonio Alam, the paranoid, volatile, and powerful cartel boss who has diversified into nuclear trafficking for the ultimate payday. Vírgüez brings a terrifying, quiet intensity to the role, creating a villain who rules through fear and unpredictable ruthlessness. Alam is the spider at the center of the web, a man who sees the uranium not as a weapon, but as the ultimate commodity.

Vírgüez’s performance is chilling in its stillness. He portrays Alam as a man who rarely raises his voice because he doesn’t need to; his power is absolute. His scenes are masterclasses in menace, as he dispatches orders that will lead to countless deaths without a flicker of emotion. He is the embodiment of a new kind of threat: a non-ideological merchant of apocalypse.

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Why Atomic Is a Must-Watch

• Globe-Trotting tension: Experience a thriller that feels vast and cinematic, from the crowded medinas to the desolate Sahara.

• Moral Complexity: A story that forces its characters—and its audience—to ask what they would do in the same situation.

• A-List Cast: An incredible ensemble bringing depth and authenticity to every role.

• Relevant Fear: Taps into the very real, modern anxiety of nuclear materials falling into the wrong hands.

Prepare for Detonation

Atomic premieres August 28, 2025, exclusively on Sky TV. This is one explosive ride you won’t want to miss.