Stories featuring people’s obsession with wealth and infiltration of the upper class are nothing new, but Ripley plans to offer one of the best.
The most recent addition to this subgenre was Emerald Fennel’s Saltburn, which has been heavily compared to the 1955 novel, The Talented Mr. Ripley. Now, the iconic book will be getting a brand-new adaptation in Netflix’s Ripley starring Andrew Scott. Set in gritty 1960s New York City, the show promises to be a detailed and chilling adaptation, spanning eight episodes to cover the intricacies of the novel.
When will Ripley be released?
Ripley will be released on Netflix on April 4, 2024. The limited series will include eight episodes, all directed by Steven Zailllian. Much to the excitement of potential fans, the show will be released in its entirety at once.
The trailer and cast
The trailer for Ripley was released on March 4, and shows the dark and thrilling route the limited series plans on taking. In a unique turn of events, the show will be in black-and-white, a decision made by director Steven Zaillian as a homage to the black-and-white cover of his edition of the book.
Ripley boasts a star-studded cast led by Andrew Scott as the titular Tom Ripley. Scott is best known for his roles in Sherlock, Fleabag, and All of Us Strangers, and has received two Golden Globe nominations and an Emmy nomination for his enchanting work. The main cast also includes Johnny Flynn as Dickie Greenleaf, and Dakota Fanning as Marge Sherwood.
What is the plot of Ripley?
Ripley is an adaptation of the 1955 novel The Talented Mr. Ripley written by Patricia Highsmith. The novel has since been adapted a few times, most notably in 1960 with Purple Noon, and 1999’s The Talented Mr. Ripley starring Matt Damon.
However, this series will take a different approach. Ripley is a psychological thriller about a grifter, hired by a wealthy man named Herbert Greenleaf, to find Greenleaf’s wayward son, Dickie, and bring him home. Greenleaf approaches Ripley under the false assumption that Ripley is friends with his son, a claim Ripley doesn’t deny.
This leads to Ripley tracking Dickie down to Italy, where he slowly inserts himself into the other man’s life. The incoming slow burn of the series will reveal how Ripley first admires Dickie’s affluent life, eventually coveting it for himself. From there onwards, Ripley goes down a path of deception and death, as he does whatever it takes to hold on to his new life.
