The fine folks of Ireland are having a moment these days, as every Irish actor out there is taking on critically acclaimed blockbuster roles, and now it’s time for Fleabag‘s Hot Priest to have his time in the spotlight.
Andrew Scott stars as Tom Ripley in Netflix’s upcoming series, Ripley. The show is the latest adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s popular crime novel, The Talented Mr. Ripley. The novel was previously adapted into the 1999 film of the same name starring Ben Affleck, Jude Law, and Gwyneth Paltrow. Originally, the TV adaptation was set to premiere on Showtime before Netflix snatched it up, and now it’s heading to screens this week. Here’s everything we know about the black-and-white thriller.
Plot
The series was written and directed by Steven Zaillian, known for penning The Irishman and Schindler’s List. Ripley will follow the elusive Mr. Ripley, who is charming yet untrustworthy, as he accepts a job looking for a man named Dickie.
Here is the official description:
Scott’s Tom Ripley is a grifter scraping by in early ’60s New York. He’s hired by a wealthy industrialist to travel to Italy to try to convince the man’s dilettante son, Dickie Greenleaf (Johnny Flynn), to return home. Accepting the job is Tom’s first step into a complex life of deceit, fraud, and murder.
Dakota Fanning, who plays the suspicious Marge Sherwood, recently told The LA Times what makes Mr. Ripley so appealing to viewers. “I think Tom Ripley is the original catfish,” she began. “What kind of separates it from other interpretations of con men, or whatever you want to call it, is you kind of get to see how he does it all, in pretty gripping detail. Sometimes some of those details are glossed over; in this, you’re on that ride of how it’s all done and I think that makes the particular character of Tom Ripley even scarier. Also, you start sympathizing with him,” she concluded.
Despite his complex background, Scott says Ripley never intended to be all that bad. “He’s not a natural-born killer,” Scott explained. “He’s not going over there with any of this in mind. He’s trying to survive.”
Cast
Scott stars as the titular Mr. Ripley, while Johnny Flynn portrays Dickie Greenleaf, the wealthy heir who Ripley becomes obsessed with. Meanwhile, Dakota Fanning portrays Marge Sherwood, Dickie’s girlfriend who becomes wary of Ripley. Eliot Sumner, Margherita Buy, Ann Cusack, and John Malkovich also star.
Release Date
All eight episodes will be released on Netflix on April 4th.
Trailer
Here is the official trailer:
