The Ripley TV series ushers television audiences into the second quarter of 2024. As far back as September 25, 2019, casting was announced, and expectations have been raised about what Steven Zaillian could do with Patricia Highsmith’s Tom Ripley’s character. The Netflix Ripley TV series is far from the first adaptation of its source material.
Steven Zaillian, the multi-talented screenwriter, filmmaker, and creator of the Ripley TV series, is known for his award-nominated and winning screenplays. These include Awakenings (1990), Schindler’s List (1993), Moneyball (2011), and The Irishman (2019). Here’s everything to know about Netflix’s Ripley TV series.
Ripley TV Series Plot
Like several adaptations before it, Steven Zaillian’s Ripley TV series is based on The Talented Mr. Ripley, Patricia Highsmith’s 1955 crime novel. The series revolves around its title character, Tom Ripley. Besides a few changes, Zaillian stayed as close to the source material as possible. Tom Ripley is a New York grifter who has made a living engaging in a series of small-time scams. He bags his biggest hit when he’s able to convince wealthy businessman Herbert Greenleaf that he’s a close friend of his son, Dickie Greenleaf. Herbert wants Ripley to convince his errant son to return from Italy to New York and join the family business.
Although only a half-remembered acquaintance, Dickie Greenleaf quickly befriends Tom Ripley and invites him to live with him in his Italian summer home with his love interest/girlfriend, Marge Sherwood. However, the more accustomed Ripley is to Dickie’s affluent life, the more he covets it for himself. Soon, Dickie Greenleaf grows weary of Ripley’s presence and what he perceives to be an obsession. When the obsessed Ripley senses Dickie wants to cut him off, he takes matters into his hands. His actions dig him deeper into a web of lies, deceit, murder, and fraud.
The Ripley Series Cast
Irish actor Andrew Scott was the first Ripley cast member hired and announced in September 2019. Scott plays the series’ protagonist, Tom Ripley. Since much of the series’ success or failure rests on the performance of Tom Ripley, Andrew Scott is, unarguably, the most suited for the role. The Irish actor has worked extensively on stage, film, and television. With his most recent and notable movie being All of Us Strangers (2023), television audiences will more easily remember him from several prominent TV roles. These include Sherlock (2010–2017), Fleabag (2019), and His Dark Materials (2019–2022).
British actor and singer-songwriter Johnny Flynn plays the supporting role of Dickie Greenleaf. Johnny Flynn is known for his roles in Lovesick (2014–2018), Genius (2017), Stardust (2020), and One Life (2023). Flynn is joined by American actress Dakota Fanning in a supporting role, portraying Marge Sherwood. Dakota Fanning is known for her TV roles in The Alienist (2018–2020) and The First Lady (2022). A few of Fanning’s popular movie roles include The Twilight Saga film series, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019), and The Equalizer 3 (2023).
Also joining the Ripley TV series cast in a supporting role is English singer, songwriter, and actor Eliot Sumner. Sumner plays Freddie Miles, a close friend of Dickie Greenleaf, who’s almost immediately at odds with Tom Ripley. Italian actor Maurizio Lombardi plays the investigating police officer, Inspector Pietro Ravini. American screenwriter and filmmaker Kenneth Lonergan plays Herbert Greenleaf, the wealthy businessman and father of Dickie Greenleaf. American actors John Malkovich and Bokeem Woodbine make appearances in minor roles as Reeves Minot and Alvin MacCarron, respectively.
Ripley TV Series Release Date
The Steven Zaillian-created Ripley TV series premiered with 8 episodes. Episodes will have runtimes of between 44–76 minutes. The Ripley TV series premieres on Netflix on April 4, 2024. Although Ripley was initially scheduled to broadcast on Showtime, this was changed in early February to 2023. As usual, all 8 episodes are available for streaming on Netflix on the premiere date. Also, all 8 episodes were filmed in black-and-white, a decision Zaillian chose to give viewers a more immersive experience with the plot. Viewers with an active Netflix subscription can binge-watch the series from anywhere Netflix is available. If you enjoyed reading about the Ripley TV series, here’s everything you need to know about the cast and characters.
Follow Us
