Andrew Scott Makes A Very Hot 'Ripley'
It's been a few years since anyone heard anything about Steven Zaillian's planned TV adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's 1955 crime novel The Talented Mr. Ripley. Originally sold to Showtime pre-pandemic, during the height of the streaming scramble in September 2019, the series was commissioned with eight episodes and Andrew Scott (Sherlock) attached to star as the titular Tom Ripley. Though technically billed as a limited series covering the entire novel, it was made clear by those in charge that this was merely a temporary position and that if the show took off, further seasons would be forthcoming.
Four years on, the world is a very different place. Showtime isn't even technically called Showtime anymore but "Paramount+ with Showtime." (Don't worry, no one actually calls it that.) After filming delays pushed the series back to 2021 and then 2022, Paramount decided to sell the finished product off, with Netflix scooping it up in February 2023. Netflix then stuck it on the shelf for a bit to let the Paramount of it all fade off the project and out of recent memory before trotting it out in December as part of the upcoming 2024 slate with first-look photos of Scott looking super hot as Tom Ripley.
Considering the last time The Talented Mr. Ripley hit screens was 1999, it seems like Scott is about to refashion the story for a new generation.
