Fifty Shades of Grey star Jamie Dornan to play Irish commander in Netflix war thriller

The man of the moment is going from the Red Room to the battlefield

Jamie Dornan attends the Berlin Film Festival in February 2015 (Rex Features)

Jamie Dornan will soon be hanging up his whips and ties to star in a new Netflix war thriller.

The model turned actor, who plays BDSM-loving billionaire Christian Grey in Fifty Shades of Grey, has taken on the role of a real-life Irish commander in Jadotville.

Dornan will star as Patrick Quinlan, who led an outnumbered 150-member UN battalion against an attack by 3,000 Congolese troops working for mining companies in 1961.

Streaming service Netflix acquired the movie, also starring French actor Guillaume Canet as the commander opposing Quinlan, at the Berlin Film Festival.

“The story of how Pat Quinlan led his troops against an overwhelming force without losing a single man is one of the great stories of the 20th century,” said Ted Sarandos, Netflix chief content officer, in a statement.

“We are proud to be working with such a talented and committed team to bring it to life.”

Production on Jadotville will begin in April with Richie Smyth directing, before it debuts on Netflix worldwide in 2016.

Netflix is continuing to expand beyond original TV series such as House of Cards and Orange is the New Black into original films, having recently announced a four-movie deal with comedy actor Adam Sandler.