Manuel here. Patricia Highsmith is definitely back in vogue. We'll obviously credit Carol (based on her Price of Salt novel) but the ample filmography her books have begat should remind us that she's been the type of author whose works seem ready-made for the screen. While there's still no new word on whether that Gillian Flynn/David Fincher Strangers on a Train remake is still in the works, we now have another Highsmith property to get excited about.
Well, perhaps "new" is too strong a word. [More...]
After having optioned the famous Tom Ripley books from the Highsmith estate last year, Endemol Shine Studios, Entertainment 360 and Diogenes have signed on Luther creator Neil Cross to develop a television series centered on the troubled yet charming young man. The project is still in its infancy but that shouldn't stop us from bandying around some names for that dapper psychoapth. We could bemoan Hollywood's lack of originality but that seems futile. Besides, the idea of a serialized version of Ripley's story sounds appealing. It's a project that, like Hannibal and Bates Motel before it, will live and die on the strength of its casting.
In case you need a refresher the character has previously been played by: Alain Delon (Purple Noon), Dennis Hopper (The American Friend), Matt Damon (The Talented Mr. Ripley), John Malkovich (Ripley's Game) and Barry Pepper (Ripley Under Ground). We have to assume the show will take the Hannibal approach and start us off with the first novel—which means we may get another version of Dickie Greenleaf (iconically brought to the screen by one Mr. Jude Law in the 1999 Anthony Minghella film), and so in terms of casting we should be looking for a twenty-something actor for Ripley. Is Dane DeHaan too old already? He'd make a fascinating Ripley. Or maybe if we're looking at TV, we could recommend Glenn Powell (so good in Scream Queens and Everybody Wants Some!!) should he want to go against-type—he would be better as Dickie, actually—or Joey Pollari (who was so great in this past season of American Crime)?
I leave it to you, which young actor would you want to see slip into Ripley's shoes? (And can we come up with a list that somehow doesn't replicate Hollywood's shortlist for Han Solo or Spidey?)