If you’re looking for a sun-soaked escape, we’ve got just the thing for you – and the good news is, you don’t have to leave your sofa to enjoy it. The Iris Affair is Sky’s new Italy-set thriller that centres around a dangerous game of hide and seek – and, according to the show’s creator, Neil Cross (the genius behind Luther), it will take you on an "unapologetically exciting" adventure. No packing required.
The series will star Niamh Algar as Iris, who cracks a string of complex online puzzles, which lead her to Florence where she meets entrepreneur Cameron Beck (Tom Hollander). He invites her to work for him to unlock a top-secret piece of technology, but when Iris discovers its rather terrifying potential, she steals a vital piece of information - and vanishes.
Ahead of its arrival on our screens, here’s everything you need to know about The Iris Affair, including the plot, cast and how you can watch it.
What is The Iris Affair about?
The eight-part series has been described by Sky as a "sun-drenched chase thriller", and is written and created by Neil Cross, the mastermind behind the Golden Globe Award-winning series Luther. The drama will introduce us to Iris Nixon (Niamh Algar), a rootless and enigmatic genius. By day, Iris works a mundane job flagging harmful content for a social media platform; by night, she ploughs internet forums solving complex riddles.
When she comes across a mysterious online thread seeking highly intelligent individuals to crack a secretive code, Iris’s curiosity gets the better of her, and it leads her to a piazza in Florence where she meets charismatic entrepreneur Cameron Beck (Tom Hollander). He invites her to work for him to unlock a powerful piece of technology and of course, Iris accepts. But when she discovers its dangerous potential, she steals the journal containing the device’s activation sequence – and goes on the run.
Iris reinvents herself as Ms Brooks, a tutor to Joy, the daughter of a wealthy family on the Sardinian coast. According to the official synopsis, “What follows is a relentless pursuit, from a remote cabin in Sardinia through the bustling streets of Rome, as Cameron races to find Iris in a high-stakes game where trust is dangerous and failure could be catastrophic.” The question is, can Iris work out what the code could unleash before she’s found?
Writer, creator and showrunner, Neil Cross, has shared an insight into what’s in store. "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," he says.
"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."
Who’s starring in The Iris Affair?
The cast of The Iris Affair includes:
- Tom Hollander (The Night Manager, The White Lotus) as Cameron Beck
- Niamh Algar (Mary & George, The Virtues) as Iris Nixon
- Kristofer Hivju (Game of Thrones, Force Majeure)
- Harry Lloyd (Arcane, Marcella)
- Meréana Tomlinson (The Trials)
- Sacha Dhawan (The Great, Doctor Who)
- Maya Sansa (Good Morning, Dormant Beauty)
- Peter Sullivan (Poldark, The Borgias)
- Debi Mazar (Younger, Entourage)
- Marco Leonardi (Nuovo Cinema Paradiso, Anime Nere)
- Angela Bruce (Silver Haze, Doctor Who)
- Lorenzo De Moor (Another Simple Favor, Dolce Fine Giornata)
How can I watch The Iris Affair?
Sky hasn’t yet shared an official release date for The Iris Affair, but we do know that filming is currently underway in Sardinia, Italy, and the series will be available to watch later this year on Sky and streaming service NOW in the UK, Ireland, Italy, Germany, Switzerland and Austria. As soon as we have a confirmed date, we’ll share it here.
