Netflix has today given a series order to the original limited series From Scratch starring Zoe Saldana (Guardians of the Galaxy, Avatar). An episode count and premiere date window weren't immediately announced.
Based on the memoir by Tembi Locke, the series follows an American woman (Saldana) who falls in love with a Sicilian man while studying abroad in Italy and then builds a life with him in the United States. When she unexpectedly loses him to illness, she is challenged to pull herself through grief so she can raise their daughter as they would have raised her together: with hope, joy and infinite love.
Tembi Locke's sister, Attica Locke (When They See Us, Empire), is adapting the book and will serve as showrunner. They will executive produce with Zoe, Cisely and Mariel Saldana; Reese Witherspoon and her Hello Sunshine partner, Lauren Neustadter; and Richard Abate, Jermaine Johnson and Will Rowbotham of 3 Arts Entertainment.
"Attica and I are honored to be adapting From Scratch with the visionary Reese Witherspoon, Lauren Neustadter, Richard Abate and the incredibly gifted Zoe Saldana," said Tembi Locke. "We have a shared interest in championing stories that bring a rich tapestry of experiences to the screen. I am thrilled that this global love story has found a perfect home at Netflix."
"This is a profound true story of love and family, deprivation and nourishment, that needs to be brought to life on the screen as Tembi Locke brought it vividly to life for me on the page," added Zoe Saldana. "We are grateful to Netflix and thrilled to be working with Reese, Lauren, Attica and 3 Arts on this wonderful project."
"Tembi's memoir is a raw and tender exhibition of life in all its pieces," said Witherspoon. "She brings you into her love, her loss and her resilience with such vulnerability and strength. We immediately fell for Attica and Tembi's vision and feel honored to have the opportunity to help bring it to life onscreen. We could not imagine more perfect partners for this than Zoe and her sisters and 3 Arts Entertainment, along with the incredible team at Netflix."
"Between the Locke sisters and the Saldana sisters, I've never seen a show that's more of a family affair," added Channing Dungey, Vice President of Original Series, Netflix. "Reese Witherspoon and Hello Sunshine have been producing really exciting content, and we're thrilled to make this powerful and emotional series with them."
