Ripley (TV series)

Last updated

Ripley
Genre
Created by Steven Zaillian
Based on The Talented Mr. Ripley
by Patricia Highsmith
Written bySteven Zaillian
Directed bySteven Zaillian
Starring
Music by Jeff Russo
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes8
Production
Executive producers
Cinematography Robert Elswit
Running time44–76 minutes
Production companies
Original release
Network Netflix
ReleaseApril 4, 2024 (2024-04-04)

Ripley is an American neo-noir psychological thriller television series based on Patricia Highsmith's 1955 crime novel The Talented Mr. Ripley . Starring Andrew Scott as Tom Ripley, with Dakota Fanning as Marge Sherwood and Johnny Flynn as Dickie Greenleaf, the eight-episode limited series was created, written and directed by Steven Zaillian, and is the first adaptation of Highsmith's novel to a series.

Contents

Ripley was originally set to air on Showtime, but in February 2023 the series was moved to Netflix. It premiered on April 4, 2024, and received critical praise for its writing, directing, production design, cinematography, score, and performances, particularly for Scott's portrayal of Tom Ripley.

Premise

In late 1950s New York, Tom Ripley, a down-at-heel con-man, is hired by a wealthy man to convince his prodigal son to return home from Italy. But Tom's introduction to Dickie Greenleaf's comfortable and leisurely life abroad turns out to be "the first step into a complex life of deceit, fraud and murder". [1]

Cast

Main

Guest

Episodes

No.TitleDirected byTeleplay byOriginal release date
1"I A Hard Man to Find" Steven Zaillian Steven ZaillianApril 4, 2024 (2024-04-04)
In 1960s New York City, petty con artist Tom Ripley is approached by wealthy shipbuilder Herbert Greenleaf, who mistakes him for a friend of his spoiled son, Dickie. Herbert pays Tom to go to Italy to convince Dickie to return home after years abroad, supposedly writing and painting. Tom goes to Atrani, where he meets Dickie and his girlfriend, Marge, who is writing a travel book about Atrani. Tom becomes enamored with the handsome Dickie and his carefree lifestyle.
2"II Seven Mercies"Steven ZaillianSteven ZaillianApril 4, 2024 (2024-04-04)
Tom confesses to Dickie about his father's scheme. Dickie is taken in by Tom's supposed honesty and invites him to stay at his villa. Dickie and Tom meet Freddie Miles, a wealthy playwright who is suspicious of Tom; Freddie proposes that Dickie and Marge come spend Christmas with him skiing in Cortina. Tom writes to Herbert and asks for more funds. Dickie walks in on Tom dressed-up in his clothes. Dickie thinks Tom is infatuated with him, though Tom denies it.
3"III Sommerso"Steven ZaillianSteven ZaillianApril 4, 2024 (2024-04-04)
Tom receives a letter from Herbert, informing him that his attempts to persuade Dickie to return have been a failure. Dickie also receives a letter from his father telling him to be wary of Tom. Dickie offers to take Tom on a trip to Sanremo. They rent a small boat, where Dickie tells him that he and Marge are going to spend Christmas with Freddie in Cortina d'Ampezzo without him. Tom beats Dickie to death with an oar and dumps his body tied to the anchor. Wearing Dickie's ring, he leaves San Remo.
4"IV La Dolce Vita"Steven ZaillianSteven ZaillianApril 4, 2024 (2024-04-04)
Tom returns to Atrani and collects Dickie's personal effects, claiming that Dickie is in now in Rome. Marge is unconvinced. Tom sells some of Dickie's valuables and approaches Carlo about selling Dickie's boat. In Rome, Tom assumes Dickie's identity and begins living his privileged life.
5"V Lucio"Steven ZaillianSteven ZaillianApril 4, 2024 (2024-04-04)
Tom takes an apartment in Rome and lives off Dickie's money, sending letters to create the illusion Dickie is still alive. Freddie, tracking Dickie, arrives unexpectedly at the apartment and uncovers Tom's scheme. He confronts Tom about being a petty criminal in New York. As Freddie tries to leave, Tom bludgeons him to death with an ashtray. He abandons Freddie's body in his Fiat and throws away his identity documents.
6"VI Some Heavy Instrument"Steven ZaillianSteven ZaillianApril 4, 2024 (2024-04-04)
The police discover Freddie's body and launch a murder inquiry into the death of the Englishman. The murder makes front page news and Dickie is listed as a witness. Inspector Ravini questions Tom–who he believes to be Dickie–after a tip from Freddie's lover, Max Yoder. Meanwhile, in San Remo, the partially burned, blood-stained boat is discovered, which leads back to Dickie and Tom. In Atrani, Marge discovers that Dickie's boat was sold and reads about Freddie's death. She goes to Rome to seek answers, but Tom insists that Dickie has left. Tom leaves for Palermo.
7"VII Macabre Entertainment"Steven ZaillianSteven ZaillianApril 4, 2024 (2024-04-04)
Inspector Ravini continues to investigate the case and searches Rome for Tom Ripley, whom he suspects may have been killed by Dickie in San Remo. He believes Marge lied to him when she told him she saw Tom in Rome. Dickie's bank contacts Ravini over a signature mismatch on Dickie's monthly trust payout. Tom resolves the matter with a letter, which convinces the bank there was no fraud. The newspapers report that Tom Ripley is missing and his disappearance possibly connected to Freddie's murder. Tom leaves again, this time for Venice.
8"VIII Narcissus"Steven ZaillianSteven ZaillianApril 4, 2024 (2024-04-04)
Tom rents a palazzo in Venice under his real name and informs the Venetian police he is alive. He successfully disguises himself when Ravini arrives to interview him. Tom is welcomed by Venice's high society, curious about Dickie, who is dubbed the "fugitive playboy" by the press. Marge arrives and they attend a party together thrown by Pegeen Guggenheim. Herbert arrives in Italy and accepts the story that a despondent Dickie, depressed over his failure as an artist and involved in Freddie's death, took his own life. Marge sends a copy of her book about Atrani to Ravini, who is shocked when he sees her photo of the real Dickie Greenleaf.

Production

Development

Andrew Scott TV BAFTAs 2019.png
Andrew Scott portrays Tom Ripley
JohnnyFlynn.jpg
Johnny Flynn portrays Dickie Greenleaf
Dakota Fanning SAG AWARDS 2020.jpg
Dakota Fanning portrays Marge Sherwood

On September 25, 2019, it was announced that Andrew Scott had been cast as Tom Ripley in Ripley, a television series to be adapted from Patricia Highsmith's Ripley novels. A series order of eight episodes was commissioned by Showtime, to be written and directed by Steven Zaillian, who pitched the series to the network. [4] [5] [6] [7] He explained that adapting the material as a series rather than a feature film "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." [8] Zaillian serves as executive producer alongside Garrett Basch, Guymon Casady, Ben Forkner, Sharon Levy, and Philipp Keel, with Scott as a producer. [1] The series was co-produced by Showtime and Endemol Shine North America in association with Entertainment 360 and Filmrights. [1] Though designed as a limited series, further seasons are a possibility. [9]

Casting

The casting of Scott as Tom Ripley was announced in September 2019. [4] [5] Johnny Flynn was cast as Dickie Greenleaf in January 2020, [10] [11] and in March 2021, Dakota Fanning was cast as Marge Sherwood. [12] [13] Eliot Sumner joined the cast in a recurring role in December 2021. [14] John Malkovich, who portrayed Ripley in the 2002 film Ripley's Game , was cast as Reeves Minot, a supporting character in Highsmith's later Ripley novels. [15]

Scott said of his portrayal, "You don't play the opinions, the previous attitudes that people might have about Tom Ripley ... I have to have the courage to create our own version and my own understanding of the character ... It was a heavy part to play. I found it mentally and physically really hard". [8] He described understanding what Ripley does as "arduous", explaining, "Certain things I can understand, but other things—it's actually the blankness that's sometimes hard to engage with." [8]

Filming

Shooting was originally planned to begin in Italy in September 2020, [16] but was later delayed to 2021. [13] Robert Elswit was the cinematographer of all eight episodes, and shot with Arri Alexa LF digital cameras. [17] In February 2023, the series was in the early stages of post-production. [9] Ripley is presented in black-and-white. Zaillian explained, "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." [8]

Release

Ripley was initially announced to be broadcast on Showtime, [4] [5] but in February 2023, Deadline Hollywood reported that the series would be moving to Netflix. [9] It was released on April 4, 2024. [2]

Reception

Andrew Scott received critical acclaim for his performance, with some reviews calling him the best portrayal of Tom Ripley. Pride 07 (15272510975) (cropped).jpg
Andrew Scott received critical acclaim for his performance, with some reviews calling him the best portrayal of Tom Ripley.

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported an 86% approval rating with an average rating of 7.9/10, based on 120 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "Bathed in opulent black and white with a reptilian Andrew Scott holding the screen hostage, Steven Zaillian's sumptuous reinterpretation of Ripley draws fresh blood from Patricia Highsmith's insidious social climber." [21] On Metacritic, the series holds a weighted average score of 75 out of 100 based on 40 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [22]

Matt Schimkowitz of The A.V. Club gave the series an A- and said, "The fun of Ripley is always in how he gets away with his crimes, and Zaillian doesn't forget that." [23] Reviewing the series for The Mercury News , Randy Myers gave a rating of 3.5/4 and commented, "While some might be put off by Ripley's measured tempo and its detached icicle of a protagonist, noir fans won't be and will admire how effectively it revives an often overworked genre." [24] Linda Holmes of NPR described the series as "A meticulously built piece of filmmaking that references classic noir and Hitchcock as well as Italian cinema greats, and just looking at it shot by shot is a profound pleasure." [25] Judy Berman of Time wrote, "Scott... may be more than two decades older than his character as conceived by Highsmith (he doesn't look it) but has nonetheless given us the first definitive onscreen Ripley. [26]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "Ripley: New Drama Series Starring Andrew Scott Coming Soon to Showtime". Showtime . Archived from the original on May 17, 2022. Retrieved January 13, 2020– via sho.com.
  2. 1 2 3 Petski, Denise (January 22, 2024). "Ripley Teaser Trailer Unveils First Look at Andrew Scott as Tom Ripley; Netflix Premiere Date". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved January 22, 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 Knight, Lewis (April 5, 2024). "Ripley cast: Full list of characters in Netflix series starring Andrew Scott". Radio Times. Retrieved April 7, 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 O'Connell, Michael (September 25, 2019). "Andrew Scott to Play Talented Mr. Ripley in Showtime Series". The Hollywood Reporter . Los Angeles, California: Eldridge Industries. Archived from the original on March 8, 2021. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
  5. 1 2 3 Thorne, Will (September 25, 2019). "Fleabag Star Andrew Scott Cast as Lead in Showtime Patricia Highsmith Series". Variety . Archived from the original on September 25, 2019. Retrieved September 25, 2019.
  6. ↑ "Showtime Orders Drama Series Ripley with Andrew Scott in Title Role" (Press release). Showtime Press Express. September 25, 2019. Archived from the original on September 28, 2019. Retrieved September 28, 2019– via cbspressexpress.com.
  7. ↑ Reddish, David (September 26, 2019). "Out actor Andrew Scott, Fleabag's hot priest, to play Tom Ripley for Showtime". Queerty . Archived from the original on May 2, 2021. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Walsh, Savannah (December 12, 2023). "First Look: Andrew Scott Is a Crazy-Sexy Scammer in Ripley". Vanity Fair . Condé Nast. Archived from the original on December 12, 2023. Retrieved December 12, 2023.
  9. 1 2 3 Andreeva, Nellie (February 10, 2023). "Ripley Showtime Limited Series Starring Andrew Scott Moving to Netflix". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on March 19, 2023. Retrieved February 11, 2023.
  10. ↑ Petski, Denise (January 22, 2020). "Johnny Flynn Joins Andrew Scott in Steven Zaillian's Tom Ripley Drama Series at Showtime". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on January 23, 2020. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  11. ↑ Crow, David (January 22, 2020). "Talented Mr. Ripley Series Adds Johnny Flynn to Cast". Den of Geek . Archived from the original on November 2, 2020. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  12. ↑ Goldberg, Lesley (March 11, 2021). "Dakota Fanning to Star Opposite Andrew Scott in Showtime's Ripley". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved March 12, 2021.
  13. 1 2 White, Peter (March 11, 2021). "Dakota Fanning Joins Showtime's Ripley Opposite Andrew Scott". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on March 11, 2021. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
  14. ↑ Petski, Denise (December 9, 2021). "Ripley: Eliot Sumner Joins Andrew Scott, Johnny Flynn & Dakota Fanning In Showtime Drama Series". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on December 9, 2021. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
  15. ↑ Knight, Lewis (April 4, 2024). "Ripley cast: Full list of characters in Netflix series starring Andrew Scott". Radio Times . Retrieved April 5, 2024.
  16. ↑ Vivarelli, Nick (December 31, 2019). "Steven Zaillian Eyes September 2020 Start for Ripley Series Shoot in Italy". Variety . Archived from the original on January 2, 2020. Retrieved January 14, 2020.
  17. ↑ Dillon, Mark (September 2022). "The Traditionalist". American Cinematographer . 103 (9). Hollywood, Los Angeles, U.S.: American Society of Cinematographers: 53, 60. ISSN   0002-7928.
  18. ↑ Mangan, Lucy (April 4, 2024). "Ripley review – Andrew Scott is absolutely spellbinding". The Guardian . Retrieved April 23, 2024.
  19. ↑ Naahar, Rohan (April 11, 2024). "Ripley review: Andrew Scott delivers the performance of the year in rip-roaring masterpiece, among Netflix's best shows ever". The Indian Express . Retrieved April 23, 2024.
  20. ↑ Stacey, Pat (April 3, 2024). "Ripley review: Andrew Scott is mesmerising as the best Tom Ripley of them all – you won't be able to look away". Irish Independent . Retrieved April 23, 2024.
  21. ↑ "Ripley: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved April 23, 2024.
  22. ↑ "Ripley: Season 1". Metacritic . Retrieved April 16, 2024.
  23. ↑ Schimkowitz, Matt (April 4, 2024). "Ripley review: Mr. Ripley is as talented as ever". The A.V. Club . Retrieved April 7, 2024.
  24. ↑ Myers, Randy (April 4, 2024). "What to watch: 'Ripley' is a sight to behold—and that's no con". The Mercury News . Retrieved April 7, 2024.
  25. ↑ Holmes, Linda (April 7, 2024). "'Ripley' returns in black and white — and is so much better for it". NPR . Retrieved April 7, 2024.
  26. ↑ Berman, Judy (April 4, 2024). "A New Netflix Series Makes Andrew Scott the Definitive Tom Ripley". Time . Retrieved April 7, 2024.
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