Actor Jamie Dornan gained worldwide fame as the titular BDSM enthusiast in the Fifty Shades of Grey film series, but some of his best acting work has been on the small screen. In particular, he shined opposite Gillian Anderson for the serial killer thriller The Fall. Now, it's been announced that Dornan has signed on for a new TV show called The Tourist, which will see him in the role of the protagonist for a change. At least, I think he's the protagonist.
The Tourist will be produced by the BBC, with HBO Max stepping in as a co-producer, making it the project's streaming home for U.S. audiences. And by all means, HBO Max sounds like the proper place for Jamie Dornan's gritty new show, which is being set up as a six-episode limited series.
In The Tourist, Jamie Dornan will star as a British native, known only as The Man, who is in the Australian outback when he finds himself being chased down by a big tanker truck. The truck driver puts Dornan's character through a wild cat-and-mouse chase that unfortunately ends in disaster, with The Man waking up inside the hospital with not only physical injuries but mental ones as well. It turns out he can't remember who he is.
After realizing that there are other less-than-virtuous people trying to track him down, The Man dives into a deeper exploration of the deadly outback in search of answers. Is he just an innocent victim being targeted by evil attackers, or is he just as dangerous and villainous as his assailants? That mystery will likely keep fans busy throughout the season.
Here's what Jamie Dornan had to say about the new project:
The Tourist are some of the most exciting scripts I’ve ever read. I can’t wait to go to Australia with such a talented group of people.
The Tourist also announced several co-stars that will be joining Jamie Dornan. Unbelievable's Danielle Macdonald as Helen Chambers, a troubled Probationary Constable, with The Matrix vet Hugo Weaving as Agent Lachlan Rogers, one of Australia's most acclaimed detective inspectors who is in charge of The Man's case. Cursed's Shalom Brune-Franklin will play a waitress named Luci who gets caught up in The Man's attempt to solve the mystery behind his identity.
Jamie Dornan's The Tourist is in good hands with creators Harry and Jack Williams, whose company Two Brothers Pictures is also producing. The siblings were producers for the highly acclaimed UK comedy Fleabag, and created the excellent (if depressing) series The Missing and its spinoff Baptiste, as well as other recent dramas The Widow and Liar. If nothing else, we can expect to see some traumatizing visuals and some extremely dark humor.
Before The Tourist arrives on the streaming service HBO Max, Jamie Dornan can be seen in Kirstin Wiig's new comedy Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar (out February 12) and Kenneth Branagh's new drama Belfast, which also co-stars Outlander's Caitriona Balfe. And don't forget to catch him in the now-rentable drama Wild Mountain Thyme, which often made the actor cry on the set.
