Premiered on 4 April 2024, this period thriller drama will take viewers back to 1960s Italy with Andrew Scott stepping into the shoes of notorious grifter Tom Ripley in the new Netflix series, Ripley.
While Patricia Highsmith’s bestselling Tom Ripley novels have been morphed for page-to-screen adaptation several times, it is the 1999 film The Talented Mr Ripley, starring Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow and Jude Law, that has become a classic favourite among cinephiles. If you have seen it, you might have a fair idea of what you’re getting into.
The TV series, helmed by Academy Award winner Steven Zaillian, depicts a compelling journey back in time via black-and-white frames. Coupled with gripping performances by the entire cast, the new take on The Talented Mr Ripley renders a rather ominous vibe to the plot.
With so much being talked about and mystery swelling around the complex life of Tom Ripley, the natural question is are any more seasons scheduled for release?
Spoilers ahead!
Will there be a season 2 of Ripley on Netflix? Here’s what we know
What is Ripley about?
Though viewers are no strangers to the dark world of Highsmith’s morally dubious character Tom Ripley, the story gets an episodic makeover as a 2024 Netflix show.
The eight-part story revolves around the protagonist Tom Ripley (Scott), a small-time swindler in 1960s New York. His life turns around when a wealthy man hires him to travel to Italy and convince his trifler son, Dickie Greenleaf (Johnny Flynn), to return home. Accepting this offer was just the first step towards a descent into a world of deception, fraud and murder. When he reaches the serene town of Atrani where Dickie is perfectly settled with his writer girlfriend Marge Sherwood (Dakota Fanning), Tom is awe-struck by his lavish lifestyle. A clever presentation of truth with an unmissable charm is enough to get the master con artist into Dickie’s good books. From here, Tom climbs his way up into Dickie’s close quarters and ends up going to extreme lengths to make that life his own.
Each episode has a runtime of about 50 minutes, while the finale is 74 minutes long.
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Ripley is based on which book?
Highsmith’s Ripley books make up a series of five novels, dubbed ‘Ripliad’, which debuted in 1955 with The Talented Mr Ripley.
Netflix’s Ripley is based on this first book. It is followed by other titles — Ripley Under Ground (1970), Ripley’s Game (1974), The Boy Who Followed Ripley (1980) and Ripley Under Water (1981).
Speaking to Vanity Fair in December 2023, Zaillian said, “Almost 70 years after Highsmith created him, contemporary figures are still being compared to him. He won’t go away.”
Interestingly enough, the book also led to the evocative monochrome filming style. “The edition of the Ripley book I had on my desk had an evocative black-and-white photograph on the cover,” Zaillian said.
“As I was writing, I held that image in my mind. Black and white fits this story — and it’s gorgeous,” he added.
The Ripley cast and crew
Besides Andrew Scott, Johnny Flynn and Dakota Fanning the cast also includes Eliot Sumner as Freddie Miles, who suspected the diabolical nature of Tom’s congeniality, Maurizio Lombardi as Inspector Ravini and John Malkovich as Reeves Minot.
In March 2024, Town & Country quoted Scott commenting about portraying the titular character. He said, “I feel like you’re required to love and advocate for your characters, and your job is to go, Why? What’s that? You don’t play the opinions, the previous attitudes that people might have about Tom Ripley. You have to throw all those out, try not to listen to them, and go, Okay, well, I have to have the courage to create our own version and my own understanding of the character.”
The project is written, directed and executive produced by Zaillian. Besides him, other executive producers include Garrett Basch, Clayton Townsend, Guymon Casady, Benjamin Forkner, Sharon Levy and Philipp Keel.
How does Ripley end?
The brilliant chiaroscuro acts as an omnipresent cast member throughout the series, accentuating the sombre tone, which almost reaches a crescendo in the eighth episode. By the end of the final episode, titled Narcissus, Tom Ripley has a body count of two — Freddie Miles and Dickie Greenleaf — and has successfully ripped off Dickie’s life by using his name and money. However, the Italian police are after him for one crime he didn’t commit, the murder of Tom Ripley.
Seizing the perfect opportunity, Tom plays another card by conveniently walking into the police resuming his own identity. He manages to convince Inspector Ravini, Marge and Mr Greenleaf that Dickie died, albeit with strong undercurrents of suspense and tension that could make viewers sit up anxiously, as there are pressing moments when his deceit is on the verge of spilling out.
Once the dust is settled and mystery is buried like Dickie’s corpse at sea, Tom Ripley plays another con trick to begin his new life as Timothy Fanshaw, but that is another story to tell.
Production and filming of Ripley
The Ripley series was originally being developed by Showtime, but Netflix picked it up in 2023 while it was in post-production. The principal shooting took place in Italy — Rome and Venice — in accordance with the book’s setting. Certain portions were also filmed in New York to capture the 1960s vibe of the city.
Economic Times states that although production was slated to begin in 2020, it got delayed until 2021 for certain reasons.
Will there be a Ripley season 2?
Netflix has billed Ripley as a limited series. The episodes have rounded up both the plot quite well, though certain creative liberties from the book make it somewhat ambiguous.
Although there is no official nod from Netflix about a second season, the OTT platform states, “But given the opportunity, Zaillian would love to continue to adapt the affectionately nicknamed ‘Ripliad’.”
Speaking to Tudum in April 2024, Zaillian said, “I think that the other books are good, and we see Tom in a lot of different ways as he grows up.” Who knows, this can be a step towards creating a ‘Ripliad’ franchise by expanding Tom Ripley’s world.
Watch Ripley on Netflix.
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(Hero and feature image: Courtesy Netflix)
This article first appeared on Lifestyle Asia India
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
-Is there a second Mr Ripley?
Released in 1955, The Talented Mr Ripley did not have a sequel. The 2024 Netflix series, too, is a limited series. However, there is a wide scope to explore other Tom Ripley stories and make them into new seasons.
-How many Ripley episodes are there?
Netflix’s Ripley has eight episodes.
-What is the 2024 Ripley series about?
Netflix’s Ripley is the latest screen adaptation of The Talented Mr Ripley. It follows grifter Tom Ripley who is hired by a wealthy man to go to Italy and convince his dilettante son to return home. However, when he sees Dickie’s lavish life, Tom decides to make it his own.
-What is the ending of Ripley?
Ripley is based on Patricia Highsmith’s novel The Talented Mr Ripley. It follows Tom Ripley (played by Andrew Scott) arriving in Italy to convince Dickie Greenleaf (Johnny Flynn) to return to the US. However, his life and opulence captivate Tom. He hatches a plan to overthrow Dickie and live his life. The series revolves around the heinous crimes committed by Tom and the ensuing investigation.
