Tom Ripley returns to the scene of the crime for a TV series: Steven Zaillian will direct a fantastic cast that includes Andrew Scott (Fleabag, Sherlock) as the titular character, Dakota Fanning and Johnny Flynn. The American director, who won a Best Screenplay Oscar© for Schindler’s list and has been nominated numerous times, landed in Campania to scout his ideal locations with the assistance of the Film Commission Regione Campania. Potential locations include the historical centre of Naples, the Museum of Capodimonte, Ischia, Villa Torricella on Capri and the coastline. The production needs to recreate a 1970’s fishing village which puts Positano, Atrani and Cetara on the possible list, all places that share the characteristic of being bathed by the sun.
The novel, The Talented Mr Ripley, written in 1955 by Patricia Highsmith, has been twice adapted for the cinema screen, first with Alain Delon as Tom Ripley in Plein Soleil (Purple Noon) directed by René Clément, the title indicating how the sun is a crucial feature of the setting. Then, in 1999, Anthony Mighella made his version with a cast including Matt Damon as the lead character, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow and several Italian actors, shot in Naples, Ischia, Procida, Palermo, Venice, Rome and the Tuscan Maremma.
Principal photography on the new series Ripley, a Showtime and Endemol Shine North America coproduction, in association with Entertainment 360 and Filmrights, is scheduled for June and July, unless the pandemic causes delays, in Palermo, Rome and Venice, plus New York. The first season (the television adaptation will also include the successive 4 books in Highsmith’s saga) is due for broadcast no sooner than Fall 2022 in the US and the following year in Italy.