Andrew Scott's Ripley Trailer Is Tense - But What Is The Netflix Series About?

The old adage that what's old is new again is never truer than it is in Hollywood. The entertainment industry is notorious for bringing older properties back with a new spin, and Netflix is trying its hand at the game with the limited series "Ripley." Based on the series of novels by Patricia Highsmith, the show is set to follow the titular character, Tom Ripley, through the events of the first book and likely beyond if it gets renewed.

For those unfamiliar with the Ripley books, the first — and likely most well-known – "The Talented Mr. Ripley," which was the basis for a 1999 film starring Damon, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, Cate Blanchett, and Philip Seymour Hoffman. It follows a con man and social climber who ingratiates himself into the life of a wealthy young man, much like Oliver (Barry Keoghan) does to Felix (Jacob Elordi) in "Saltburn." As for the series, the short teaser sees Tom planning out his schemes and looking properly malevolent while doing so, a skill that lead star Andrew Scott has been honing for years on shows like "Sherlock" and in films like "Specter."

Of course, things begin to go awry as Tom's web of lies and deceit falls apart around him, and he soon begins murdering those who get in the way of his plans, all while balancing his dual lives and identities on the edge of a knife. In the latest adaptation, Johnny Flynn is set to play Tom's target, Dickie Greenleaf, while Dakota Fanning will be portraying Dickie's girlfriend, Marge.

As noted above, "Ripley" is based on a series of books by author Patricia Highsmith. With this in mind, we could be getting more than one season of Andrew Scott slowly building up his growing list of duplicitous tricks if the limited series turns out to be well-received enough.

Also, similar to "The Talented Mr. Ripley," the Netflix series will be a period piece, although it will be set in the 1960s rather than the previous decade when the book was published. Notably, the characters appear to be at least in their 30s this time around rather than in their 20s, which could explain the time jump to some degree.

The show also appears to be going for a very specific style, deliberately using black-and-white coloring to channel classic film noir. Despite these stylistic changes, though, the new "Ripley" series looks like it will be staying relatively faithful to the source material. Still, with most viewers' knowledge of the series limited to the Matt Damon film, this should be enough to garner the Netflix series some attention.

Furthermore, considering the overlap between the two projects, "Ripley" could also go the "Hannibal" route and build out its world, including the many murders of Tom Ripley. After all, with eight episodes on the way based on a 275-page book, it does look like there will be plenty of space to fill for the thriller series. Either way, "Ripley" is set to drop all of its episodes on April 4, 2024.