Niamh Algar and Tom Hollander to star in new Sky Original thriller ‘Iris’ from acclaimed ‘Luther’ writer and creator Neil Cross

Niamh Algar (Mary & George, The Virtues) and Tom Hollander (The White Lotus, Feud: Capote vs. The Swans) are to star in a new Sky Original thriller Iris, written and created by Neil Cross, the mastermind behind the acclaimed Golden Globe Award-winning series Luther. The lead director is Terry McDonough (Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul). Iris is a Sky Studios and Fremantle co-production and will commence filming this month in Sardinia, Italy.

Iris is a sun-drenched chase thriller about a rootless and enigmatic genius, Iris Nixon (Algar) who steals a code from charming philanthropist Cameron McIntyre (Hollander) and goes on the run. Armed only with her lethal intelligence and chameleonic charm, the clock is ticking for her to work out what the code could unleash before she is found.

Joining the cast alongside Niamh Algar and Tom Hollander are newcomer Meréana Tomlinson (The Trials), Sacha Dhawan (The Great, Doctor Who), Maya Sansa (Good Morning Night, Dormant Beauty), Peter Sullivan (Poldark, The Borgias) and Debi Mazar (Younger, Entourage).

Writer, Creator and Showrunner, Neil Cross, said; “All I wanted to do was to make a show I wanted to watch. ‘Iris’ is an unapologetically exciting, witty, chase-driven adventure show and features a lead character the like of which I don’t think we’ve ever met before on TV. With Niamh Algar and Tom Hollander bringing these complex characters to life, coupled with Terry McDonough’s direction, I couldn’t be more excited to share this world and these characters.”

Iris Nixon is equal parts rootless genius and puzzle addict. By day, she works a mundane job flagging harmful content for a social media platform; by night she ploughs internet forums solving complex riddles. When a mysterious thread is posted online seeking highly intelligent individuals to crack a secretive code, Iris’s curiosity and compulsion to win get the better of her, and it leads her to a charming philanthropist, Cameron McIntyre.

Having outsmarted every code-breaker around the world, Iris realises she has unwittingly unlocked a dangerously powerful, world-changing piece of technology. Suspicious of Cameron’s motives, she steals the code and then… vanishes. Ever resourceful and intending to lay low, Iris reinvents herself as Ms Brooks, a tutor to Joy, the daughter of a wealthy family on the Sardinian coast. As the cyber-speculation as to Iris’ whereabouts intensifies and Cameron’s net closes in, her lethal intelligence and chameleonic charm may for once not be enough to stop her from being drawn into an increasingly deadly game of hide and seek.

Iris is a Sky Studios and Fremantle co-production. Wildside is providing production services in Italy. The series is directed by Terry McDonough and Sarah O’Gorman, and the Series Producer is Tim Bricknell. Susan E. Connolly and Ian Scott McCullough are writing episodes. Executive Producers are Neil Cross, Terry McDonough; Jenni Sherwood and Dante Di Loreto for Fremantle, and Adrian Sturges for Sky Studios.

Iris will be available on Sky and streaming service NOW in the UK, Ireland, Italy, Germany, Switzerland and Austria. Fremantle will handle international sales of the series.

About Sky

Sky is one of Europe’s leading media and entertainment companies and is part of Comcast Corporation, a global media and technology company that connects people to moments and experiences that matter. At Sky we Believe in Better. It’s in our DNA.

We’re famous for innovation. We offer streaming services NOW and WOW; the world’s smartest TV, Sky Glass; and the best aggregation platform, Sky Q. We provide connectivity you can count on in mobile, and fast, secure, reliable residential and business broadband.

We’re Europe’s premium content producer. We create award-winning original content, produce the biggest live sporting events, and we provide free access to news and the arts. We believe that we can have a positive impact on society, by supporting and creating tens of thousands of jobs, addressing digital inequality, being a diverse and inclusive employer, and becoming net zero carbon by 2030.

About Sky Studios

Sky Studios is the home of Sky Original Drama and Comedy.

We develop, commission and produce unmissable programming for Sky’s customers across Europe.

Our teams partner with the best indies and talent globally, to drive creative excellence and tell original stories that are loved by audiences the world over.

Our Sky Originals include Emmy-nominated hit, Gangs of London, BAFTA-winning comedy, Brassic, Mary & George, starring Julianne Moore, The Day of the Jackal, with Eddie Redmayne and Lashana Lynch, M. Son of the Century, directed by Joe Wright and Small Town, Big Story, created by Chris O’Dowd.

Alongside Sky Original Comedy and Drama, Sky Studios is home to an in-house Factual development and production team, and some of the world’s most exciting production companies including Blast! Films, True North and Love Productions.

We also operate Sky Studios Elstree, the UK’s newest film and TV studio with 13 sound stages, representing a significant investment in the UK and European creative economy.

About Fremantle

Fremantle is one of the world’s largest and most successful creators, producers and distributors of Entertainment, Drama & Film and Documentaries.   

Operating in 27 territories we are a proudly independent group of content creators. We produce and deliver high-quality multi-genre IP including some of the biggest entertainment formats, most watched international dramas, award winning films and hard-hitting documentaries, amplifying local stories on a global scale.   

From Fellow Travellers and Idols to This England, The Price is Right to The Hand of God, The Farmer Wants A Wife to Arctic Drift, Family Feud to My Brilliant Friend and Bones & All to Planet Sex our focus is simple – we create and deliver irresistible entertainment.   

We are also a world leader in digital and branded entertainment with more than 470 million fans across 1,500 social channels and over 34 billion views per year across all platforms.    

Fremantle is part of RTL Group, a global leader across broadcast, content and digital, itself a division of the international media giant Bertelsmann.   

For more information, please visit www.fremantle.com, follow us on Twitter @FremantleHQ and Instagram @fremantle or visit our LinkedIn page.