Why Is Netflix’s Ripley Series Black and White?

Netflix’s Ripley series is here, but if you’ve seen the trailers, you might have noticed something a little different, at least compared to the movies that featured Patricia Highsmith’s character. So, if you’re wondering why Netflix’s Ripley series is in black and white, I’ve got the answer.

Why Is Netflix’s Ripley Series Black and White?

Netflix’s Ripley series is black and white because it’s an artistic choice by the show’s creator. It’s not like The Mist or Godzilla Minus One, where there’s a color version and, later on, a black-and-white version is released. The default version of Ripley is black and white, and that’s the version you’ll get on Netflix.

Speaking to Variety, the show’s writer-director Steven Zaillian explained that his choice stemmed from a book cover. “The edition of the Ripley book I had on my desk had an evocative black-and-white photograph on the cover,” he explains. “As I was writing, I held that image in my mind. Black and white fits this story—and it’s gorgeous.”

Does that mean there’s a full color version of the series? Almost certainly. The show would have been shot in full color, and later, in post-production, the black and white filter would have been applied. However, that doesn’t mean Joe Public is going to get to see that version, ever.

Related: All Major Actors & Cast Members for Netflix’s Ripley

Sometimes, as in the case of The Mist and Mad Max: Fury Road, you’ll get a Blu-Ray release that features both versions. But unless Netflix follows Disney+’s lead and starts putting out its digital shows on Blu-Ray, that probably won’t happen. The streamer could, in theory, put out the color version on its platform, but I doubt that’s going to happen any time soon.

So, the answer to why Netflix’s Ripley series is black and white is that it’s a choice by the writer/director based on his own experience with one of Patricia Highsmith’s Ripley books.

Ripley streams on Netflix starting Apr. 4.