Andrew Scott's Showtime Thriller Ripley Is Moving To Netflix
A Patricia Highsmith adaptation with a talented cast that has yet to air on Showtime just moved to Netflix, according to Deadline. This is great news for viewers who will get to see the thriller series "Ripley," which features "Fleabag" and "His Dark Materials" actor Andrew Scott, "Lovesick" and "Emma." star Johnny Flynn, and "The First Lady" alum Dakota Fanning.
The project comes from "The Night Of" co-creator Steven Zaillian and is an adaptation of Highsmith's novel, "The Talented Mr. Ripley." The move is also great news for TV fans in general, as it's proof positive that even in a time of economic uncertainty, it's possible for streamers and cablers to move their projects elsewhere — as opposed to cancelling them completely before they even see the light of day.
"Ripley" is moving from Showtime to Netflix within weeks of the former's announcement of a planned merger with Paramount+ that will mean significant changes for the network (which is home to shows like "Yellowjackets" and "Dexter: New Blood"). Among them: a name change, a slew of cancelations and titles being removed from their streaming catalog, a ridiculous amount of spin-offs for two flagship series, and in a move that follows an unfortunate recent precedent, at least one show getting canceled before it ever airs. The series in question was an adaptation of Lisa Taddeo's insightful non-fiction book, "Three Women," led by Shailene Woodley, and it's luckily since landed at Starz.
The Talented Mr. Ripley adaptation may be setting a hopeful precedent
There's been a considerable amount of uncertainty in the streaming sphere in recent months, in part due to a trend that sees unreleased shows and films that were already in production scrapped for cost-cutting reasons. Several of these shows, like "Minx" and "Chad," have landed second homes after a dramatic public response. But the fact that "Ripley," whose deal is reportedly still being finalized at Netflix, was able to seamlessly begin a move from one platform to another before audiences were even aware it was in jeopardy demonstrates a path forward for some artists impacted by this particularly callous era of culling TV shows.
"Ripley" is set for an eight-episode initial run, but Deadline reports that, like many limited series these days, it does have potential to continue beyond that. Patricia Highsmith penned five books in the Tom Ripley series between 1955 and 1991, and the character was adapted for the screen in 1999, with Matt Damon in the eponymous role. This time around, Andrew Scott will play the chameleonic, queer-coded character opposite Johnny Flynn's Dickie Greenleaf, a wealthy ex-pat who Ripley ends up entangled with in Italy. Dakota Fanning is set to play Marge, the third corner of the ominous relationship triangle at the heart of the story.
It's unclear when "Ripley" will hit Netflix, but Deadline reports the series is in post-production and, when it was still at Showtime, was originally planned for a late 2023 premiere at the earliest.