Patricia Highsmith’s novels have proven to be a goldmine for Hollywood directors from Alfred Hitchcock to Todd Haynes. Now, her most famous work is making the jump to television. A series based on her five-book series about Tom Ripley is in the works.
Television 360 and Endemol Shine Studios are teaming up with publisher Diogenes for the series, reports The Hollywood Reporter. Producers hope to get a major writer or director onboard before they take it to the premium cable networks or streaming services.
As Entertainment Weekly notes, the Ripley series began with 1955’s The Talented Mr. Ripley. Highsmith, who died in 1995, continued Tom’s adventures in Ripley Under Ground, Ripley’s Fame, The Boy Who Followed Ripley and Ripley Under Water. So there is definitely plenty of ground to cover in a series.
There have been five Ripley films, but no actor has ever played him twice. Alain Delon starred as Tom in Rene Clement’s 1960 film Purple Noon and Matt Damon took the role in Anthony Minghella’s 1999 film The Talented Mr. Ripley.
Other Highsmith novels have been turned into films. Aside from Hitchcock’s Strangers on a Train, Haynes just adapted The Price of Salt as the Cannes favorite Carol.