Jamie Dornan may be more popular for his turn as Christian Grey in the Fifty Shades franchise but it is an outback thriller that has him back in the spotlight and entering into the streaming wars.
The Tourist has found a new lease of life on Netflix after being dropped from Max. Directed by Emmy nominee Chris Sweeney and penned by Harry and Jack Williams, the series delivers a heart-pounding story about Dornan’s The Man, aka Elliot Stanley / Eugene Cassidy.
The Belfast star takes centre stage as the enigmatic protagonist, a man who wakes up in an Australian hospital with no memory of his identity following a car crash. Portraying a character grappling with amnesia, Dornan is both compelling and manages to subvert the lost soul trappings in fiction.
Joining Dornan is a talented ensemble cast including Danielle Macdonald as Probationary Constable Helen Chambers, Victoria Haralabidou as Lena Pascal, and Shalom Brune-Franklin as Luci Miller.
The series, which premiered on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the UK, Stan in Australia, and HBO Max in the US, quickly garnered critical acclaim for its suspenseful plot and atmospheric setting. Audiences were captivated by the visceral intensity of the story as the protagonist navigates the treacherous Australian outback in search of answers.
In March 2022, The Tourist was officially renewed for a second season. Set in Ireland, the season premiered on January 1st, 2024, delighting fans with its riveting storyline and unexpected twists. The shift from the Australian outbacks to Dornan’s homeland played a big role in convincing the star to return for the second season.
“It was a bit of an upheaval to go to Australia and the idea of going again so soon after… I mean, these guys don’t have kids, I have three kids,” Dornan told Radiotimes. “And I took them all with me, they went to school there, it was a big thing family-wise to do that. And the idea of doing that again so soon wasn’t hugely appealing.”
However, it was the move to Netflix that truly propelled The Tourist to new heights, reaching a global audience hungry for drama and suspense.
You can watch The Tourist on Netflix, and catch the trailer here:
