Since his first film as a screenwriter, The Falcon and the Snowman, nearly 40 years ago, Steven Zaillian has been at the top of the filmmaking game with credits including his Oscar-winning adaptation of Schindler’s List in 1993, plus writing nominations for Awakenings, Gangs of New York, Moneyball and The Irishman. Add to those The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, American Gangster, Hannibal, Exodus: Gods & Kings and more including Searching For Bobby Fischer, A Civil Action and 2006’s All The King’s Men, the latter three of which he wrote and directed.
In 2016 he received a DGA Award for his first venture into television limited series with The Night Of, and now his second, Ripley has 13 Emmy nominations including for writing, directing and Outstanding Limited Series or Anthology — garnering three nominations just for Zaillian.
Zaillian joins me today for this episode of my Deadline video series Behind the Lens, where we talk in detail about his career and why he decided to face the challenge of taking on a new version of Patricia Highsmith’s celebrated 1955 novel The Talented Mr. Ripley, which had been made before in 1960 by Rene Clement with the French Purple Noon with Alain Delon, and in 1999 with Anthony Minghella’s version starring Matt Damon and Jude Law. But Zaillian, shooting all over Italy and with the stunning black-and-white cinematography of Robert Elswit, has given it a whole new life and a completely different take, with star Andrew Scott in the title role of the psychopathic and complex Tom Ripley.
There is much to discuss, including why the limited series format was the ideal way to go in this case. So to watch my conversation and to go “behind the lens” with Steve Zaillian, click on the video above.
Join me all this Emmy season for more episodes of Behind the Lens.