If the name Andrew Scott fails to ring any bells, then The Priest From Fleabag (or, The Hot Priest, according to an overwhelming majority) might. As the object of Fleabag’s complex desires, Priest was the latest addition to the pantheon of attractive people of the cloth. Now he’s pivoting to a different calling: famed criminal. Per a recent press release, Scott will be starring as the titular character in Showtime’s newest drama Ripley, based on the ongoing crime series from Patricia Highsmith. Steven Zaillian, whose credits include Schindler’s List and The Night Of, will both write and direct the eight-episode first season.
“We are so thrilled to have the supremely talented filmmaker, Steve Zaillian, adapt the singular saga of Tom Ripley from Patricia Highsmith’s novels as an ongoing series for Showtime,” said Gary Levine, co-president of Entertainment at Showtime Networks Inc. “With Andrew Scott, whose charisma knows no bounds, inhabiting the iconic lead role, we feel confident that this will be a special one.”
While the move from Fleabag to Ripley might inspire some double-takes, Scott did win a BAFTA award for Best Supporting Actor for his turn as Moriarty in Sherlock, so Tom Ripley won’t exactly be the hugest leap (but it might be the most fun). In any case, Scott is having quite the streak lately: On top of his season of Fleabag cleaning up at the 2019 Emmys, he will also have a role in HBO’s long-awaited fantasy adventure, His Dark Materials.