Ripley: release date, trailer, plot, cast and more on Andrew Scott's new drama

Andrew Scott in Ripley
Netflix has released first-look pics of Andrew Scott as Tom Ripley (Image credit: Netflix)

Andrew Scott fans won't want to miss Ripley, a new eight-part TV adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's novel 'The Talented Mr Ripley'... and after checking out these new first-look pics, the rest of us are getting pretty excited too! 

The project has been in the works for a few years, yet in early 2023 news broke about it being acquired by streaming giant Netflix. 

There has been plenty of buzz surrounding Ripley since it was first commissioned by Showtime in 2019, especially since it's directed and adapted for the screen by Steven Zallian (The Night Of) and after viewing footage, Netflix bosses swooped in and snapped up the series.

The eight-parter sees Sherlock and Fleabag star Andrew Scott playing Tom Ripley, a young grifter in 1960s New York who's hired by a wealthy man to convince his wayward, hedonist son to return home from Italy.

Andrew Scott in Ripley

Andrew Scott as Tom Ripley (Image credit: Netflix)

Those who've seen Anthony Minghella's BAFTA-winning 1999 film The Talented Mr Ripley, which starred Jude Law, Matt Damon and Gwyneth Paltrow, will be familiar with the tale, yet Scott and writer/director Steven Zaillian (who won an Oscar for his Schindler’s List screenplay) are set to breathe new life into the story. 

"When you’re playing those famous literary characters, you don’t want to just copy," Scott told Interview magazine recently, when asked about previous screen versions of Highsmith's novel. "I’m interested in the idea of what queerness is, and otherness, because that’s what I think it’s about. The reason he’s such an interesting character is you can’t quite place him. 

Andrew Scott plays Tom Ripley

Ripley comes to Netflix in 2024 (Image credit: Netflix)

"If Tom Ripley was in a gay bar, I’m not sure that he would fit in there. Nor do I think he’s a straight character. I think he’s a queer character, in the sense that he’s very other. What’s his relationship with sex, or death, or with family or friends? It’s interesting that a character is the sum of the parts that you don’t have to play."

Here's everything we know so far... 

Ripley

Dakota Fanning, Johnny Flynn and Andrew Scott star in Ripley (Image credit: Netflix)

Ripley release date - when is Ripley on Netflix? 

Netflix have confirmed the eight episode series will launch on Thursday 4th April. We'll be counting down the days! 

Ripley trailer

The official trailer for Ripley landed in March 2024, check it out... 

And if that's not enough, there's also January's teaser trailer to enjoy... 

Is Ripley shot in black and white? 

The eight-part series will be presented in black and white... "The edition of the Ripley book I had on my desk had an evocative black-and-white photograph on the cover," says writer and director, Steven Zallian. "As I was writing, I held that image in my mind. Black and white fits this story—and it's gorgeous."

Johnny Flynn stars as Dickie Greenleaf in Ripley

Johnny Flynn stars as Dickie Greenleaf (Image credit: Netflix)

Ripley plot - what happens? 

The first series of this show follows Tom Ripley, a grifter scraping by in early 1960s New York, who is hired by a wealthy man to try to convince his vagabond son, Dickie Greenleaf, who's living a comfortable, trust-funded ex-pat life in Italy, to return home. Yet Tom’s acceptance of the job is the first step into a complex life of deceit, fraud and murder.

Ripley cast - who's in it? 

Andrew Scott, who played Moriarty in the hit BBC series Sherlock, starred opposite Phoebe Waller-Bridge in Fleabag and has also appeared in His Dark Materials, stars in the lead role, yet there is plenty of other talent on the show. 

Johnny Flynn (David Bowie in rock biopic Stardust and Mr. Knightley, in Emma opposite Anya Taylor-Joy) stars as Dickie Greenleaf, while Dakota Fanning (Oceans 8, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood) plays Marge Sherwood, an American living in Italy who suspects darker motives underlie Tom’s affability.

Meanwhile, actor and musician Eliot Sumner (No Time To Die) also has a recurring role as a friend of Dickie's who becomes suspicious of Tom. Acclaimed Italian actors Maurizio Lombardi and Margherita Buy also have roles in the drama, while Hollywood star John Malkovich completes the cast. 

Maurizio Lombardi in Ripley

Maurizio Lombardi in Ripley (Image credit: Netflix)

Margherita Buy in Ripley

Margherita Buy in Ripley (Image credit: Netflix)

How many seasons will Ripley be? 

The series is based on Patricia Highsmith's bestselling 1955 novel, The Talented Mr. Ripley, the first of five Ripley novels. In 2022 Showtime boss Gary Levine confirmed the show's director Steve Zaillian had optioned all five books. "His original intent has been one book per season," he told The Hollywood Reporter

Dakota Fanning plays Marge Sherwood

Dakota Fanning plays Marge Sherwood (Image credit: Netflix)

Zaillain has no taken the project to Netflix, who will probably be keen to see the drama return if the first season is well-received, so there could eventually be FIVE seasons of Ripley. Which would be great news! 

Steven Zaillian, has previously won an Oscar for his efforts penning the screenplay for Schindler’s List and also wrote and directed the acclaimed HBO series The Night Of

Ripley Andrew Scott

Andrew Scott plays Tom Ripley (Image credit: Netflix)

Andrew Scott on Ripley

"We're going to attempt to do a few of the Patricia Highsmith novels, who in many people's minds, is the greatest crime writer of all time," he told Red Carpet News TV. "We're going to shoot it in Italy and America and it's an extraordinary character. I'm just thinking about how i'm going to put my own stamp on it.

"It's been adapted by Steve Zaillian, who as we all know is a bit of a genius, so I'm very excited to work with him. Johnny Flynn is playing Dickie Greenleaf and he's an actor who works a lot in the theatre, so I'm also excited to work with him. We've also got some very exciting people who are going to be in it with us.

"I'm really excited to just flip it around. We're going to do eight hours of television, so it's a whole new breaking down of the character." 

Sean Marland

Sean is a Senior Feature writer for TV Times, What's On TV and TV & Satellite Week, who also writes for whattowatch.com. He's been covering the world of TV for over 15 years and in that time he's been lucky enough to interview stars like Ian McKellen, Tom Hardy and Kate Winslet. His favourite shows are I'm Alan Partridge, The Wire, People Just Do Nothing and Succession and in his spare time he enjoys drinking tea, doing crosswords and watching football.