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.