Author Patricia Highsmith’s “The Talented Mr. Ripley” and all the subsequent novels are obviously huge in the literary canon of crime and psychological thrillers. The books have been adapted for the screen several times, perhaps most famously in “Purple Noon” (1960) starring Alain Delon and perhaps the much-more famous “The Talented Mr. Ripley” (1999), starring Matt Damon, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, Cate Blanchett, and the late Philip Seymour Hoffman (what cast). But “Ripley,” a new, long-in-the-works version by Academy Award-winning screenwriter and director Steven Zaillian (“Schindler’s List,” “The Irishman,” “Moneyball,” “Gangs Of New York”), is almost upon us.
Known for “Fleabag” and “All Of Us Strangers,” Andrew stars as Tom Ripley, an American drifter living in Europe who inveigles his way into the lives of rich people using lies, deceit, and manipulation. Dakota Fanning plays Marge Sherwood, and Johnny Flynn plays Dickie Greenleaf. The additional cast includes Eliot Sumner, Maurizio Lombardi, Margherita Buy, and John Malkovich.
“Ripley” was thought to be ready ages ago. But the series, originally a Showtime production, was eventually sold off to Netflix, which caused a delay of at least a year. While Steven Zaillian is generally known for his screenplays—he’s been nominated five times and won in 1994 for Steven Spielberg’s “Schindler’s List”—he’s also a great director in his own right, having helmed “Searching for Bobby Fischer,” and the acclaimed HBO series, “The Night Of” in 2016. All eight episodes of “Ripley” were directed and written by Zaillian.
Here’s the official synopsis:
Tom Ripley (Scott), a grifter scraping by in early 1960s New York, is hired by a wealthy man to travel to Italy to try to convince his vagabond son to return home. Tom’s acceptance of the job is the first step into a complex life of deceit, fraud, and murder. The drama series is based on Patricia Highsmith’s bestselling Tom Ripley novels.
Ripley is co-produced by Showtime and Endemol Shine North America in association with Entertainment 360 and Filmrights. Executive producers are Steven Zaillian, Garrett Basch, Clayton Townsend, Guymon Casady (Entertainment 360), Benjamin Forkner, Philipp Keel (Diogenes), and Sharon Levy and Charlie Corwin (Endemol Shine). Scott will serve as a producer on the series.
“Ripley” premieres on Netflix on April 4, 2024. Watch the new trailer below.