Netflix's I Will Find You is being hailed as 'one of the best Harlan Coben thrillers so far,' according to actor Tom Morton, who plays a new character created for the series. The show, based on Coben's 2023 novel, premiered on June 18 and follows David Burroughs (Sam Worthington), a man wrongly imprisoned for his son's murder who escapes when new evidence suggests his son may still be alive.
A Fresh Take on a Bestseller
Morton, who portrays Detective Daniel Müller, a Geneva-based investigator, revealed that his character is not in the original book. 'Daniel Müller isn’t in the book,' he said. 'I found out at my own expense. I thought, “Great, I’m going to fly to Canada, and I’ll read the book on the flight.” So I sat there, reading, and I’m going, “Oh, he’s gonna turn up… It’s gonna be soon… No, he’s not in it.”'
Despite the deviation, Morton believes the change enhances the story. 'Even for people who’ve read the book, it’s gonna be a voyage of discovery,' he explained. 'No matter how many times you think you’ve worked things out, you’re going to end up going “Wait, what, wait what?” This is gonna double down and hit you twice as hard, because every single episode twists and turns the whole way through.'
Why Coben's Adaptations Succeed
Morton attributes the success of Coben's Netflix adaptations to the author's ability to create relatable characters in extraordinary circumstances. 'He writes characters who are in extraordinary circumstances, but are deeply relatable, and that means people project themselves very easily into those universes,' he said.
Showrunner Robert Hull had a clear vision for Müller but allowed Morton creative freedom. 'Robert had a pretty clear idea of what he wanted Daniel to be,' Morton noted. 'At the same time, he and the directors were very willing to let me put stuff out there and see what stuck.'
A Moustache That Never Was
One suggestion that didn't make the cut was Morton's desire for Müller to sport a moustache. 'The only thing I disagreed with is I really felt that he should have had a moustache,' he laughed. 'But there was a notion that this might have pushed him into Poirot territory. So, there we go. We stepped away from the tash.'
I Will Find You is streaming now on Netflix.
