SXSW Documentary ‘#SkyKing,’ About Airline Worker Who Stole a Plane, Sets Hulu Premiere Date for April (EXCLUSIVE)

Mar 11, 2026 6:00am PT SXSW Documentary ‘#SkyKing,’ About Airline Worker Who Stole a Plane, Sets Hulu Premiere Date for April "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