SXSW Documentary '#SkyKing' Sets April Hulu Premiere Date (EXCLUSIVE)

Mar 11, 2026 6:00am PT SXSW Documentary ‘#SkyKing,’ About Airline Worker Who Stole a Plane, Sets Hulu Premiere Date for April (EXCLUSIVE) "SkyKing" is produced by ABC News Studios and Fifth Season  By Payton Turkeltaub Plus Icon Payton Turkeltaub Latest ‘Hoppers’ Star Piper Curda on How TikTok Got Her the Role of Mabel: It’s the ‘Most Insane Opportunity of My Life’ 2 days ago How ‘Love Story’ Recreated Carolyn Bessette Kennedy’s Iconic Wedding Dress: ‘It Had to Be as Exact as Possible’ 5 days ago TV Watch Parties Are Having a Renaissance: Why ‘Survivor,’ ‘Traitors’ and ‘Heated Rivalry’ Are Taking Over Your Local Bar 7 days ago See All “#SkyKing,” a feature-length documentary that tells the story of airline worker Richard ‘Beebo’ Russell, will premiere on Hulu on April 14. The documentary is set to make its world premiere at the upcoming SXSW 2026.  In August 2018, 28-year-old Horizon Air ground service agent Russell shocked the world — and those who knew him — when he stole a commercial plane and embarked on a 70-minute journey that ultimately ended in his death. It was a story many major networks and production companies sought out, though it was with director Patricia E. Gillespie that the Russell family opened their doors to five years ago. In the time since, Gillespie has worked closely with Russell’s mother and the rest of the family to navigate not just the grief but the weight of public misunderstanding — and how Russell’s story came to “embody the hopes, dreams and despair of the American working class,” reads the documentary’s official logline.  Related Stories Dr. Dre Is Finally a Billionaire, According to New Forbes List To Gillespie, “#SkyKing” is “both personal and political, an urgent attempt to reclaim working class humanity from caricature, to restore complexity to those left behind and to bridge the empathy gap between how we live, how we are seen and who we truly are. In the end, #SkyKing stands as an act of witness and restoration, a reminder that every voice, no matter how briefly heard, carries the full weight of a life worth understanding.”  Popular on Variety In “#SkyKing,” Russell’s family members are sharing their stories for the first time. Voices in the documentary also include Colleen, the now-retired ATC supervisor who managed the situation that day, Russell’s childhood best friend Chris and his Horizon Air coworker Andreas Hyneman. Never-before-heard air traffic control audio of Russell’s conversation with those on the ground run throughout “#SkyKing.” “#SkyKing” is produced by Fifth Season and its newly formed nonscripted and documentary production company, Quite Contrary Pictures, for ABC News Studios. Gillespie serves as producer alongside Christopher G. Cowen. Mary Lisio serves as executive producer, as does Claire Weinraub and David Sloan, who is the senior executive producer for ABC News Studios. Watch the first look here. Jump to Comments Paul Mescal on ‘Hamnet’ Death Scene, Imposter Syndrome and Juggling the Beatles Films and Richard Linklater’s 20-Year Musical BAFTA Says a ‘Comprehensive Review Is Underway’ Over Film Awards N-Word Incident in Letter to Members: ‘Our Intention to Be Inclusive in No Way Diminishes the Impact’ Best Moments From the Golden Globes Pre-Show Red Carpet, From ‘Heated Rivalry’ Star Hudson Williams to Elle Fanning and More Paul Mescal Makes The Case For Outfit Repeating With This Joni Mitchell Sweater — And It’s Available to Shop Online Witches, Vampires and Aliens: How Genre Films Like ‘Sinners’ and ‘Weapons’ Factor Into the Oscar Race How to Watch the 2026 BAFTA Film Awards Nominations Online JavaScript is required to load the comments. Loading comments...