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Ripley is a suspenseful adventure mini-series set in 1960s Italy. Helmed by Academy Award winner Steve Zaillian, the series features Andrew Scott as Tom Ripley, a con artist who is sent from New York City to Italy. The series is based on the 1955 crime novel by Patricia Highsmith titled The Talented Mr. Ripley.
The forthcoming thriller series is co-produced by Showtime and Endemol Shine North America in association with Entertainment 360 and Filmrights. Notably, actor Andrew Scott also serves as a producer on this series.
Ripley: Plot of Netflix's new limited series explored
Ripley is inspired by Patricia Highsmith's bestselling Tom Ripley novels. The story starts with a wealthy businessman who hires Tom Ripley to travel to Italy to persuade his son, Dickie Greenleaf (Johnny Flynn), to return home. Tom's decision to take the position marks the beginning of a convoluted journey involving deception, fraud, and murder.
Dickie's alluring lifestyle includes his impeccable but dubious companion Marge Sherwood (played by Dakota Fanning). Tom employs a series of desperate measures to maintain his position alongside Dickie, which ultimately culminate in duplicity, deception, and murder.
Andrew Scott spoke about his character to Vanity Fair on December 12, 2023. He said:
“I feel like you’re required to love and advocate for your characters, and your job is to go, Why? What’s that? You don’t play the opinions, the previous attitudes that people might have about Tom. You have to throw all those out, try not to listen to them, and go, Okay, well, I have to have the courage to create our own version and my own understanding of the character.”
Scott also acknowledges that it was a challenge to play Tom Ripley due to the character's malicious disposition. He added:
“It was a heavy part to play. I found it mentally and physically really hard. That’s just the truth of it. I suppose the journey to understanding this character was a less arduous one than trying to understand what Tom does. Certain things I can understand, but other things—it’s actually the blankness that’s sometimes hard to engage with.”
Meanwhile, Zaillian spoke about depicting Tom's narrative across multiple installments, instead of a single feature film. As quoted in Variety:
"It allowed me to be more faithful to the story, tone, and subtleties of Highsmith’s work. I tried to approach my adaptation in a way I imagined she might herself.”
Talking about why Ripley was shot entirely in black and white, Zaillian said:
“The edition of the Ripley book I had on my desk had an evocative black-and-white photograph on the cover. As I was writing, I held that image in my mind. Black and white fits this story—and it’s gorgeous.”
More about Ripley
While Andrew Scott takes on the lead as Tom Ripley, Johnny Flynn (Lovesick, Emma) plays Dickie Greenleaf, the rich slacker that Tom is trying to convince to come home. Actress Dakota Fanning (The Equalizer, The First Lady) essays the role of Dickie's girlfriend, Marge Sherwood, who thinks Tom isn't as friendly as he seems.
Ripley is scheduled to premiere on Netflix on April 4, 2024.
