Barry Pepper is the fifth actor to portray Tom Ripley on film, after Alain Delon in Purple Noon (1960), Dennis Hopper in The American Friend (1977), Matt Damon in The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999), and John Malkovich in Ripley's Game (2002). The "Ripley Under Ground" novel was released and takes place in between "The Talented Mr. Ripley" and "Ripley's Game," but none of the films have been officially connected to one another.
Although production had long since wrapped, the movie sat on the shelf for over three years before it was finally released.
Ian Hart, who plays Bernard Sayles in the film, played Tom Ripley in 2009 in adaptations of all five Ripley novels for BBC Radio Four.
Barry Pepper (Tom Ripley) and Tom Wilkinson (Detective John Webster) reunited in 2011 to work on The Kennedys mini series as Bobby Kennedy and Joe Kennedy, respectively.
Tom Ripley was previously played by Matt Damon (in The Talented Mr. Ripley) and John Malkovich (in Ripley's Game). Barry Pepper worked with Damon in Saving Private Ryan, and Malkovich in Knockaround Guys.