Jamie Dornan to star in BBC thriller The Tourist, set in the Australian Outback

Northern Irish actor Jamie Dornan is set to star in a new BBC thriller from the makers of The Missing and Liar.

Set in the Australian Outback, The Tourist will feature the 38-year-old actor as a man searching for his identity after waking up in hospital with amnesia.

The six-part series is produced by Two Brothers Pictures - the production company of Harry and Jack Williams - and was commissioned last year by BBC One in association with Aussie streaming service Stan.

Dornan's character wakes up in hospital with no idea who he is and must search for his missing identity as he is pursued by figures from his past.

Australian actress Danielle Macdonald will portray the role of Helen Chambers, a fledgling probationary constable, and Line Of Duty’s Shalom Brune-Franklin will play Luci - a waitress who is swept into the protagonist's journey for answers.

Lord Of The Rings star Hugo Weaving will also play Agent Lachlan Rogers, a highly regarded detective inspector leading the major crime department for state police.

Its creators promise the series will be “a story of self-discovery with a ticking timebomb underneath”.

“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,” Wild Mountain Thyme actor Dornan said.

The Williams brothers, writers and managing directors of Two Brothers Pictures, said:

“We’re hugely excited about this show. It’s tonally breaking new ground for us, and having Jamie Dornan on board is the icing on the Australian cake.

“Thrilled to be working with (executive producer and director) Chris Sweeney again as well as the BBC, HBO Max, Stan and ZDF.”