Atomic: Release date, schedule, cast, true story and trailer for Sky series
Everything you need to know about the explosive series starring Game of Thrones and The Handmaid's Tale stars.
It's unlikely you've spent much time thinking about uranium trafficking, but it's all you'll be able to think about after watching Sky's explosive new series Atomic.
Alfie Allen and Shazad Latif play a duo who are thrown together by circumstance when they wind up transporting "highly enriched uranium across North Africa and the Middle East".
But with the "CIA, MI6, and a global web of opposing forces closing in fast", time is running out for the pair, who are forced to confront "covert operatives, an internationally funded cartel, and ultimately their own pasts".
"What starts as a bid for survival slowly becomes something more: a reluctant partnership, a shot at redemption, and one hell of a ride," continues the official synopsis.
But when can you watch it? And just how accurate is the subject matter?
Read on for everything you need to know about Atomic.
Atomic release date: When will it air?
The series premieres on Thursday 28th August on Sky Atlantic and NOW.
There are five episodes in total.
Atomic release schedule: When will new episodes drop?
Following the launch of the first two episodes on 28th August, the remaining three episodes will then air weekly.
Atomic cast: Who stars?
The cast is lead by:
- Alfie Allen (SAS: Rogue Heroes, Game of Thrones) as drug smuggler Max.
- Shazad Latif (Star Trek: Discovery, What’s Love Got to Do with It) as "enigmatic outsider on the run" JJ.
- Samira Wiley (The Handmaid’s Tale, Orange is the New Black) as Cassie Bryce, a "skilled scientist" who is also an undercover officer for the CIA.
The rest of the cast includes Charlie Murphy (Peaky Blinders), Brian Gleeson (Bad Sisters) and Stuart Martin (Miss Scarlet and the Duke).
Atomic plot: Is it based on a true story?
The series is inspired by journalist William Langewiesche's non-fiction book Atomic Bazaar, which explores how nuclear weapons have "gone wholesale" after becoming "easier and cheaper to acquire and make than ever before" – with poor nations and non-state terror groups vying to get their hands on them.
"When the path of free-spirited drug smuggler Max collides with JJ, an enigmatic outsider on the run, an unlikely friendship is formed," reads the show's official synopsis.
"They're swept into a chaotic, high-stakes mission they never signed up for— trafficking highly enriched uranium across North Africa and the Middle East, with the CIA, MI6, and a global web of opposing forces closing in fast."
They are being trailed by undercover CIA officer Cassie Elliott, who is "convinced Max and JJ are in league with violent extremists".
"Her relentless pursuit puts them all on a collision course revealing that nothing is what it seems, and everyone has an ulterior motive."
Atomic trailer: Is it available to watch?
Yes – you can enjoy the high-octane trailer right now.
Watch it below.
Atomic will launch on Sky and NOW on Thursday 28th August 2025. Get one month free Sky Stream, Sky TV and Netflix.
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Authors
Abby Robinson is the Drama Editor for Radio Times, covering TV drama and comedy titles. She previously worked at Digital Spy as a TV writer, and as a content writer at Mumsnet. She possesses a postgraduate diploma and a degree in English Studies.
