Amazon Greenlights ‘Scarpetta’ starring Nicole Kidman and Jamie Lee Curtis

Amazon Prime Video has officially ordered a series adaptation of Patricia Cornwell’s Kay Scarpetta novels, starring Nicole Kidman and Jamie Lee Curtis.

In February 2023, it was reported that the series, currently titled “Scarpetta,” was in the works. Now, Amazon has greenlit two seasons of the series and added five additional cast members. As previously reported, Liz Sarnoff will serve as writer, executive producer and showrunner. The series comes from Blumhouse Television and Amazon MGM Studios.

Ariana DeBose (“West Side Story,” “The Prom”), Bobby Cannavale (“Ezra,” “The Irishman”), Simon Baker (“Breath,” “Boy Swallows Universe”), Rosy McEwen (“Blue Jean”) , and Jake Cannavale (“The Offer,” “American Sports Story”) will all star alongside Kidman and Curtis.

“Patricia Cornwell’s Kay Scarpetta has thrilled fans for decades and I’m honored that Prime Video has been commissioned to bring the series to the screen for our global customers,” said Vernon Sanders, head of television for Amazon MGM Studios. “The most exemplary group has been assembled for the series with Liz Sarnoff at the helm with extraordinary vision; the immensely talented Nicole Kidman, Jamie Lee Curtis and the fantastic cast; and the top team at Blumhouse.”

The official logline for the mystery-thriller series states that it “follows Kay Scarpetta (Kidman), the Chief Medical Examiner, as she returns to Virginia and resumes her former position with complex relationships both personal and professional – including her sister Dorothy (Curtis ). ), with many grudges and secrets to discover.

“I’ve been wanting to bring Patricia Cornwell’s Kay Scarpetta to the big screen for a while now, with my company Comet Pictures,” said Curtis. “I’m especially excited that Nicole Kidman will finally bring her to life. I also look forward to playing Nicole’s sister as we tell the story with the expert care, leadership, skill and talent of Liz Sarnoff, and I’m excited to work with David again as our director. I know the books’ avid fans will be thrilled, and new audiences will be captivated by the characters, crimes and mysteries that form the trifecta of Patricia’s masterful storytelling. Blumhouse, Blossom and Prime Video are the perfect partners to bring Scarpetta to you, and a word of warning……..there WILL be BLOOD.”

Bobby Cannavale will play former detective Pete Marino. Baker will play FBI profiler Benton Wesley. McEwen will play Past Kay Scarpetta. DeBose will play Lucy Farinelli-Watson, Dorothy’s daughter. Jake Cannavale will appear as Past Pete Marino.

“I’m beyond excited that this is finally happening,” Cornwell said. “This will be a lot of fun for everyone, and I’m grateful for the tremendous talent the show is attracting. I’ve always been a big fan of Jamie Lee Curtis and Nicole Kidman. That they want to do this is humbling and just amazing. Working with the brilliant Liz Sarnoff is amazing. Blumhouse and Prime Video are a dream. This was worth the wait and I’m so looking forward to the show.”

Cornwell is represented by CAA. Bobby Cannavale is repped by CAA and Framework Entertainment. Baker is represented by CAA, United Management in Australia and Hamilton Hodell in the UK. Jake Cannavale is repped by Buchwald, Framework Entertainment and Schreck Rose Dapello Adams Berlin & Dunham LLP. DeBose is represented by CAA, AC Management, The Lede Company and Jackoway Austen Tyerman. McEwen is represented by Curtis Brown Group, CAA, Public Eye Communications and Goodman Genow.

“I’ve been chasing ‘Scarpetta’ for almost twenty years, going back to the days when it was intended as a feature film, so to join the formidable Jamie Lee Curtis, Prime Video, Jason Blum and David Gordon Green in the Liz Sarnoff series version of Patricia Cornwell’s epic and suspenseful books feels like it was meant to be,” said Kidman. “I can’t wait to live in Kay Scarpetta and am so grateful to Patricia Cornwell for entrusting me with her.”

Kidman will executive produce for Blossom Films, and Curtis will executive produce for Comet Pictures. As mentioned, Sarnoff will write, executive produce and serve as showrunner. Cornwell will executive produce for P&S Projects alongside Jason Blum, Jeremy Gold, Chris Dickie and Chris McCumber for Blumhouse Television and Per Saari for Blossom Films. David Gordon Green and Amy Sayres also serve as executive producers, with Green directing the first two episodes. The series is produced by Blumhouse Television and Amazon MGM Studios in association with Blossom Films and Comet Pictures.

“I read Patricia Cornwell’s Scarpetta books with my mother when they came out in the 1990s,” says Sarnoff. “We loved having a badass female ‘boss’ heroine and were amazed by the specificity, complexity and sheer addictiveness of Patricia’s stories. I couldn’t be more grateful and excited to bring these stories to life on screen.”

“Patricia Cornwell’s best-selling Kay Scarpetta series is loved by millions, and we’re proud to finally bring this iconic character to screens around the world with this dream team,” said Jason Blum. “Liz, Nicole, Jamie Lee, Patricia and David all share a passion for this show and this character, and we are grateful to our partners at Prime Video for supporting this vision.”

There are currently 27 novels in the Kay Scarpetta series, starting with “Postmortem.” That book was originally published in 1990, and the most recent book, “Unnatural Death,” debuted in 2023.

This is also the latest Amazon series based on a series of novels. The streamer is also currently airing: “Reacher” starring Alan Ritchson, based on the Jack Reacher books by Lee Child; “Bosch: Legacy,” based on the Harry Bosch books by Michael Connelly; “The Wheel of Time,” based on the book series of the same name by Robert Jordan; “The Summer I Turned Pretty”, based on the novel trilogy of the same name by Jenny Han; and upcoming shows like “Cross,” based on the Alex Cross books by James Patterson, as well as the Renee Ballard series, which is also based on a series of books by Connelly.