Atomic is a tense drama series set in a world where nuclear bombs are easier than ever to acquire. It features Game of Thrones star Alfie Allen and What’s Love Got to do With It star Shazad Latif play Max and Mohammed, two very different men who become caught up in a sinister terrorist plot to build an atomic bomb. Meanwhile The Handmaid’s Tale star Samira Wiley plays Cassie Elliot, the CIA agent hot on their heels.
The five-part series is inspired by the non-fiction book "Atomic Bazaar: The Rise of the Nuclear Poor" by Vanity Fair journalist William Langewiesche and will take viewers across the inhospitable deserts, hostile borders and labyrinths of medinas in North Africa, as Max and Mohammed grapple with the fact that the fate of humanity lies in their backpacks.
Here’s everything you need to know about the nail-biting series Atomic….
Atomic release date
Atomic is a five-part series that will be shown in the UK on Sky Atlantic from Thursday August 28 2025 at 9pm. We’ll also update this page when we hear of a US release date.
Is there a trailer?
Yes there's an official trailer and a teaser trailer for Atomic available. Take a peek at both below...
Atomic plot
In Atomic, Max (Alfie Allen) is a drug-trafficker working his way around the Middle East while Mohammed (Shazad Latif) is on the run from those wanting to kill him. Both are in need of redemption but as the strangers run into one another in the Libyan desert, they become swept up in a Venezuelan cartel’s plot to transport uranium capable of fuelling a nuclear bomb. Pursued by a highly-skilled and ferociously determined CIA agent (Samira Wiley), M16 and a network of traffickers, the pair are faced with the prospect of being the good guys for once. But do they risk their lives to save the world?
Atomic cast — Alfie Allen on playing Max
Alfie Allen plays free-spirited drug-trafficker Max. He says: "Max is a free-spirited drug trafficker making runs through the Middle East, but this is interrupted by a crazy stunt literally in the first 30 seconds of the show,’ reveals Alfie, 38. ‘His car flips over, and that’s where he meets this man who Max calls “JJ”, because he won’t reveal his name.
"I was drawn to the role of Max because he’s an “odd one out” in the drug trafficking world. He’s a somewhat misguided soul. He struggles to fit in, and has to adjust to his surroundings. His journey with JJ really appealed to me. He’s the chalk to JJ’s cheese – an idealist who wears his heart on his sleeve. He’s constantly pushing for connection, even when it’s unwelcome.
"The most challenging scene to shoot was probably my first day on set, which was the car crash. There was a lot of dust and debris being chucked around, and fans blowing sand into the car, but it looks great!
"I had a lot of driving training on this job, which I enjoyed. I drive four cars: a 4x4, a two-wheel drive pickup truck, a Mercedes and a Range Rover. Viewers should tune in to Atomic because it’s an intense, passionate story about these two different characters who are grappling with their past and thrust into a chaotic journey. It’s hilarious how they deal with it, but also delicately handled by everyone involved.’
* Alfie Allen is best known for playing Theon Greyjoy in the fantasy series Game of Thrones. He's also starred in in John Wick, Harlots, White House Farm, SAS Rogue Heroes and Jojo Rabbit.
Shazad Latif on playing Mohammed
Shazad Latif plays Mohammed, who is a man haunted by his past. He says: "JJ doesn’t give a lot away – this is a character who doesn’t even reveal his name until the last episode!’ notes Shazad, 37.
"He obviously has a haunted past, though. He has been in the desert for a few years and has been told he can never return home to the UK, so you have to understand how that would affect someone mentally. He’s in survival mode. He knows he’s probably going to die out here, and that makes him very dangerous.
"JJ and Max don’t like each other immediately, but they realise that they need each other. They are constantly shoved together in high stakes, but at times comedic, situations. Both characters have done bad things, and the whole theme of the show is them looking for redemption.
"I really enjoyed the physical scenes. I play a lot of sport in real life, and I grew up watching action movies like Predator [1987] and Demolition Man [1993], so it’s a joy to be able to do this as an adult. I had a month of training involving practicing with guns, boxing and doing workouts. It was intense, but I loved it.
"Alfie and I hadn’t worked together before, but when we realised we were both football fans, we suddenly had a connection – and Euro 2024 was on while we were filming in Morocco, so a lot of us would watch that to decompress at the end of the day."
* Shazad Latif previously starred as Kaz Khan in the film What’s Love Got to do With It and has also been in Nautilus, Star Trek: Discovery, Toast of Tinseltown, Toast of London, The Pursuit of Love, Spooks, My Mad Fat Diary and The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.
Samira Wiley on playing Cassie Elliot
Samira Wiley plays CIA agent Cassie, a highly skilled scientist and a Non-Official Cover (NOC) officer. She says: "Cassie is a NOC, or Non-Official Cover, CIA agent [meaning she operates using a fictional identity that doesn’t link her to her home government], who has been working at the American University of Beirut for at least four years without seeing any action,’ shares Samira, 38. ‘So when JJ and Max come to where she is, she’s immediately ready to pull out her gun and join the race!
"I think all of the characters are addicted to danger. Cassie puts herself in an immense amount of jeopardy, and that’s what makes her interesting. It’s crazy to me for someone to give up their entire history and go out risking their life all the time, but I guess there are people who are just like that.
"The physical training for the role was extensive; I thought I was in shape, but I was not! Even the warm-ups were torture, but every day I was getting stronger. I know I wouldn’t have been able to do all of the running and jumping off things without it.
"It was very hot in Morocco, I believe it was around 47 degrees Celsius for a while. I’m used to filming in Toronto [in Canada, for her role as rebellious Moira Strand in US dystopian drama The Handmaid’s Tale], where it’s so cold that I’m having heat packs put in my costume. But when it’s this hot, you can’t really do anything about it!’
* Samira Wiley is best known for her roles in The Handmaid’s Tale and Orange is the New Black. Samira has also starred in Will & Grace, Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, You’re The Worst, Equal and Breaking News in Yuba County.
Is there a trailer?
Not yet but if one becomes available, we’ll add it to this page.
Behind the scenes, locations and more on Atomic
Atomic is filmed in Morocco in 2024. Inspired by the non-fiction book Atomic Bazaar by William Langewiesche, Atomic is produced by Pulse Films, a VICE Studios Group company, in association with Sky Studios. The series is written by Gregory Burke while Jiwon Lee, Clare McQuillan and Ishy Din are on the writing team. The series is directed by Shariff Korver, and the Series Producer is Peter McAleese. Executive Producers are Jamie Hall and Judy Counihan for Pulse Films, Thomas Benski, Gregory Burke, and Sam Hoyle and Megan Spanjian for Sky Studios.
