Andrew Scott is a deadly imposter in new trailer for Netflix’s Ripley

The first full-length trailer for Netflix’s upcoming eight-part series Ripley starring Andrew Scott has landed, and it sees Scott take his scamming to deadly new levels.

In his recent, Golden Globe-nominated turn as Adam in All of Us Strangers, Andrew Scott was getting used to talking to ghosts. In Ripley, he seems set on creating them.

Based on Patricia Highsmith’s culturally esteemed, 1955 psychological thriller novel The Talented Mr. Ripley, the new Netflix series will see 47-year-old Vanya actor Scott take on the titular role of Thomas Ripley.

The black-and-white show will follow Scott’s Ripley as he is hired by a wealthy businessman to help him track down his wayward son Dickie Greenleaf (Lovesick star Johnny Flynn), who has gone AWOL while living la dolce vita in Italy.

Yet when Ripley is introduced to the lavish lifestyle of Dickie and his girlfriend Marge Sherwood (The Secret Life of Bees’ Dakota Fanning), he doesn’t want to leave it – and thus begins a life of crime, concealment and ultimately, murder, to get what he wants.

In a new trailer released today (4 March), Scott appears incredibly convincing as the elusive and frankly terrifying Thomas Ripley.

“He came to Italy, moved into Dickie’s house – he just wouldn’t go away,” says a scared-stiff Dakota Fanning.

“He’s taking advantage of Dickie… I don’t trust him. He’s a liar,” she urges. The king of cover ups’ response? “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Elsewhere in the two-and-a-half minute trailer, Scott’s deception escalates from odd to harrowing. At first, he’s copying what Dickie says. Then, he’s copying his identity documents. Finally, there’s a corpse, “struck on the head by some heavy instrument”.

“Someone is dead in Rome, and Signore Ripley is missing,” says actor Maurizio Lombardi, who appears to play a detective on the trail of Ripley’s crimes.

Ripley also stars Napoléon actor John Malkovich, Mia Madre actress Margherita Buy, and non-binary I Blame Coco singer Eliot Sumner.

The series has a lot to live up to, considering the 1999 film version starring Matt Damon was nominated for five Oscar awards. Yet with Schindler’s List writer Steven Zaillian helming the show, both directing and writing it, it seems likely that Ripley will live up to its name.

Fans are already gagging to watch the series, which will land on Netflix on 4 April.

“As much as I loved Matt Damon as Tom Ripley, I think I shall love Andrew Scott even more. Looking forward to this,” commented one person on the trailer.

“Yeah, one min in, I’m so in. Andrew Scott cannot miss,” another added.

A third raved: “The cinematography. Andrew Scott’s acting. The noir look. This is going to be a sensational show.”