Andrew Scott fans won't want to miss Ripley, a new eight-part TV adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's novel 'The Talented Mr Ripley'.
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.
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.
"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 release date - when is Ripley on Netflix?
Ripley is currently in post-production, so a release date of late 2023 or early 2024 could well be on the cards. When we have a confirmed premiere date we'll confirm it here.
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. Check out these images of Scott and Fanning on set...
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.
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.
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."
Is there a Ripley trailer?
Not yet, but when one arrives we'll be sure to post it here. In the meantime, here's the trailer for Anthony Minghella's 1999 film, The Talented Mr. Ripley.
