Oscar-winning Steven Zaillian is back to direct an eight-episode series for Showtime, The Talented Mrs. Ripley, the famous sociopath created by Patricia Highsmith. Steven Zaillian will write and direct most of the first season. The series will be based on five novels, The Talented Mrs. Ripley, Ripley Under Ground, Ripley’s Game, The Boy Who Followed Ripley, and Ripley Underwater, telling the story of Tom Ripley’s journey from a con man to a serial killer. The series is set in New York in the 1960s, where Tom Ripley (played by Andrew Scott) is recruited by a wealthy man to go to Italy to persuade the rich man’s prodigal son to return home. However, this journey becomes Tom Ripley’s first step into all kinds of deception, fraud and murder. The character of Tom Ripley is best known for his image in the film adaptation "The Talented Mr. Ripley", in which Matt Damon played the role.