The Hobbit and Robin Hood actor Richard Armitage has been cast in the lead role in the upcoming Netflix series The Stranger, based on the books of the same title by Harlan Coben.

The series will run for eight hour-long installments which follow Adam Price (Armitage) as he uncovers a devastating secret about his wife, Corinne and becomes entangled in dark web of secrets and deception. In the gripping thriller, Price comes to discover if he doesn't make exactly the right moves, the conspiracy he's stumbled into will not only ruin lives - it will end them.

The Stranger will be brought to the screen by RED Production Company and Netflix with Harlan Coben acting as Executive Producer. The collaboration follows the success of The Five and the 2018 hit Safe, starring Michael C. Hall.

After acting on-stage, Armitage landed his first lead role on screen in 2004 as John Thornton in the adaptation of North and South and went on to establish a solid television career, playing the role of Guy of Gisborne in the BBC's version of Robin Hood among others.

He shot to international fame when he played Thorin in The Hobbit trilogy.

Adept at playing characters with a dark edge, often facing an internal struggle between good and evil, Armitage makes a perfect fit for the upcoming crime thriller.

“I could barely contain my excitement reading Harlan Coben’s The Stranger," Richard Armitage said, describing it as "a nail-biting thriller with a huge beating heart and a dash of social commentary for extra bite".

"I’m thrilled to be returning to work with Nicola Schindler and the brilliant creative team she has assembled.”

Meanwhile, author and executive producer Harlan Coben admitted, “The Stranger was one of my most challenging novels — and definitely the most twisted.  When I wrote it, I never imagined that I’d be part of a ‘Dream Team’ of extraordinary talent bringing it to life.  I can’t wait to reunite with Danny, Nicola, and Netflix on this remarkable project.”

Founder and executive producer of RED Production Company, Nicola Shindler observed that, “there is a real appetite for contained dramas, and Harlan is an absolute master of keeping the audience guessing and gripped to the edge of their seats with his incredible storytelling".

"The Stranger is another really intriguing premise, and with this amazing cast to bring these complex characters to life, audiences are in for a real treat.”

Production is set to begin on the series in March 2019.