High Value Target: The Hunt for Saddam
American television series
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High Value Target: The Hunt for Saddam is an American political thriller limited series created by Daniel Stiepleman and Jonathan Wakeham and developed by Leslie Greif for TNT. The series premiered on September 13, 2026, and is inspired by the memoir Debriefing the President by John Nixon. It stars Joel Kinnaman as Nixon and Waleed Zuaiter as Saddam Hussein.
- Daniel Stiepleman
- Jonathan Wakeham
by John Nixon
| High Value Target: The Hunt for Saddam | |
|---|---|
| Genre | |
| Created by |
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| Inspired by | Debriefing the President by John Nixon |
| Developed by | Leslie Greif |
| Starring |
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| Music by |
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| Country of origin | United States |
| Original languages |
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| No. of episodes | 4 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Producer | Cristi Bostanescu |
| Cinematography | Xavier Dolléans |
| Editor | Sebastián Sepúlveda |
| Running time | 42-44 minutes |
| Production companies |
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| Original release | |
| Network | TNT |
| Release | September 13, 2026 – present |
Premise
The series explores the first interrogation of Saddam Hussein by CIA agent John Nixon following his capture in December 2003. Nixon seeks answers in search of weapons while he is forced to confront the consequences and ramifications of the invasion.
Cast and characters
- Joel Kinnaman as John Nixon
- Waleed Zuaiter as Saddam Hussein
- Lena Góra as Polly Stevens
- Rebecca Night as Rebecca Nixon
- Tom Berenger as Charles Nixon Sr.
- Christopher McDonald as Gabe Vardakas
- Dar Salim as Samir
- Paul Ryan as George W. Bush
- Ewan Miller as Jerry Munro
- Matt Barr as Major Cal Atkins
- Talia Balsam as Angela Jenkins
Production
Development
In September 2018, it was announced Ziad Doueiri would direct a film adaption of the memoir Debriefing the President by John Nixon, with Alexander Rodnyansky set to executive produce under his AR Content banner.[1] In February 2023, it was announced the project was being re-developed as a limited series, with Doueiri no longer attached.[2] In August 2024, TNT greenlit the series.[3]
Casting
In February 2023, it was announced Joel Kinnaman had joined the cast of the series.[2] In January 2025, Rhona Mitra joined the cast of the series.[4] In April 2025, Lena Góra joined the cast of the series, replacing Mitra.[5] In April 2026, Waleed Zuaiter was announced to be cast in the series.[6]
Filming
Principal photography commenced in Egypt.[7]
Episodes
| No. | Title [8] | Directed by | Written by | Original release date [9] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Baghdad Burns" | Leslie Greif | Story by : Jonathan Wakeham and Daniel Stiepleman Teleplay by : Leslie Greif and Graham Sack and Jonathan Wakeham | September 13, 2026 |
| 2 | "Into the Red Zone" | Leslie Greif | Story by : Jonathan Wakeham and Daniel Stiepleman Teleplay by : Leslie Greif and Graham Sack and Jonathan Wakeham | September 13, 2026 |
| 3 | "Blood Ties" | Leslie Greif | Story by : Jonathan Wakeham and Daniel Stiepleman Teleplay by : Leslie Greif and Graham Sack and Jonathan Wakeham | September 14, 2026 |
| 4 | "The Ace of Spades" | TBA | TBA | September 20, 2026 |
| 5 | "Enemy of My Enemy" | TBA | TBA | September 21, 2026 |
| 6 | "The Devil You Know" | TBA | TBA | September 27, 2026 |
| 7 | "The Reckoning" | TBA | TBA | September 28, 2026 |
| 8 | "Debriefing the President" | TBA | TBA | October 4, 2026 |
Release
In the United States, the series premiered on September 13, 2026, on TNT.[10] In the MENA region, it began airing on September 9, 2026, exclusively on WATCH IT.[11]
Reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the first season holds an 83% approval rating based on 6 critic reviews, with an average rating of 6.5/10.[12] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, gave a score of 53 out of 100 based on 6 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[13]