SAS: Red Notice: release date for film starring Sam Heughan, cast - and the Andy McNab book it's based on

The Outlander star’s much-anticipated new action movie drops on 12 March on Sky Cinema

Sam Heughan plays Special Forces operative Tom Buckingham alongside Ruby Rose (Picture: Sky Cinema)

Scottish actor Sam Heughan’s new movie SAS: Red Notice drops today (12 March) to the delight of his fans.

The hostage thriller, which is based on the book by Andy McNab, sees Heughan take on mercenaries threatening to blow up the channel tunnel.

It follows confirmation that season six of Outlander, Starz’ ever-popular time travelling drama which stars Heughan, had started production in Scotland after being delayed by the coronavirus pandemic – so fans of the actor have plenty of upcoming content to devour.

Here’s everything you need to know about Heughan’s new movie, SAS: Red Notice.

What is the film about?

Heughan’s new movie sees the Outlander heartthrob play Special Forces operative Tom Buckingham.

The plot follows the SAS agent as he gets caught in a train hijacking in the Channel Tunnel.

It’s based on the 2013 best-selling book of the same name by Andy McNab, who is a former SAS operator himself.

The author, who spent a year on SAS operations in Northern Ireland, is the inspiration behind the film's leading character Buckingham.

McNab claims he was the most highly-decorated serving soldier when he left the SAS in 1993.

He published his first book, Bravo Two Zero, the same year - which is the best-selling military history book of all time.

Speaking about his exciting new role, Heughan told Total Film: “I've done a lot of action on the projects I've worked on, but never like this.

"There's some crazy stuff in there. Talk to Andy McNab about how to kill a man with a phone, and he'll tell you how to do it. And he'll tell you in full detail. It's kind of scary!"

It begins with Tom Buckingham as he takes Dr Sophie Hart (Hannah John-Kamen) from London to Paris to propose.

However, when their train is deep inside the Channel Tunnel, heavily armed mercenaries, led by Grace Lewis (Ruby Rose) seize control of it and hold everyone hostage.

As the threat of a Channel Tunnel explosion grows, Tom is the only hope that the other passengers have to make it out alive.

The film is directed by Magnus Martens, whose previous directing work includes episodes of Fear the Walking Dead, Good Behaviour, 12 Monkeys, and Banshee.

The screenplay was written by Laurence Malkin, who wrote Five Fingers and Kill Me Three Times.

Who is in the cast?

Alongside Heughan, Rose and John-Kamen, there’s a stellar cast starring in the upcoming film.

Famous faces include Andy Serkis (Planet of the Apes films and the upcoming Batman), Tom Hopper (Game of Thrones, The Umbrella Academy), Noel Clarke (Brotherhood, Bulletproof), and two time Academy Award Nominee Tom Wilkinson (Batman Begins, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol).

When is it released?

Heughan posted an announcement to Twitter to let his fans know when the much-anticipated action movie would be released.

It will premiere on Sky Cinema on 12 March, 2021.

The film will also be available to watch on the streaming service NOW TV via the Sky Cinema Pass.

How can I watch the trailer?

Fans can now watch the trailer for SAS: Red Notice on Sky TV’s YouTube channel.

The one and half minute-long clip has already racked up over 24,000 views after it dropped on 11 February.