Wednesday, September 18, 2024

Amazon Orders Two Seasons of Drama 'Scarpetta' Starring Nicole Kidman and Jamie Lee Curtis

Amazon has today given a two-season order to the original drama series Scarpetta starring Academy Award and Emmy winners Nicole Kidman (Big Little Lies, Expats) and Jamie Lee Curtis (The Bear, Everything Everywhere All at Once). 





Based on the best-selling book series by Patricia Cornwell, the drama will follow Chief Medical Examiner Kay Scarpetta (Kidman) as she returns to Virginia and resumes her former position with complex relationships, both personal and professional - including her sister Dorothy (Curtis), with plenty of grudges and secrets to uncover.

The cast will also feature Bobby Cannavale (Ezra, The Irishman as former Detective Pete Marino; Simon Baker (Breath, Boy Swallows Universe) as FBI profiler Benton Wesley; Ariana DeBose (West Side Story, The Prom) as Dorothy's daughter, Lucy Farinelli-Watson; Rosy McEwen (Blue Jean) as Past Kay Scarpetta; and Jake Cannavale (The Offer, The Mandalorian) as Past Pete Marino.

Liz Sarnoff developed the drama. She will executive produce with Kidman, Curtis, Cornwell, Jason Blum, Jeremy Gold, Chris Dickie, Chris McCumber, Per Saari, Amy Sayres and director David Gordon Green. Amazon MGM Studios, Blumhouse Television, Blossom Films, Comet Pictures and P&S Projects will produce.

"Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta has enraptured fans for decades and I am honored that Prime Video is entrusted to bring the series to screen for our global customers," said Vernon Sanders, Head of Television, Amazon MGM Studios. "The most exemplary group has been assembled for the series with Liz Sarnoff at the helm with an extraordinary vision; the immensely talented Nicole Kidman, Jamie Lee Curtis, and the fantastic cast; and the top-notch team at Blumhouse."

"I'm beyond excited that this is finally happening," shared Cornwell. "This will be great fun for all, and I'm grateful for the immense talent that the show is drawing. I've always been a huge fan of Jamie Lee Curtis and Nicole Kidman. Their wanting to do this is humbling and simply awesome. Working with the brilliant Liz Sarnoff is amazing. Blumhouse and Prime Video are a dream. This has been worth waiting for, and I'm so looking forward to the show."

"I have wanted to bring Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta to a screen, with my company, Comet Pictures, for a while," added Curtis. "I'm particularly excited that Nicole Kidman will finally bring her to life. I'm also looking forward to playing Nicole's sister as we tell the story with Liz Sarnoff's expert care, leadership, skill, and talent, and I am excited to work again with David as our director. I know othe ardent fans of the books will be very happy, and the new audience will be compelled by the characters, crimes, and mysteries that are the trifecta of Patricia's masterful storytelling. Blumhouse, Blossom, and Prime Video are the perfect partners to bring Scarpetta to you, and a warning...... there WILL be BLOOD."

"I've been pursuing Scarpetta for nearly twenty years going back to when it was intended to be a feature, so to unite with the formidable Jamie Lee Curtis, Prime Video, Jason Blum, and David Gordon Green on the Liz Sarnoff series version of Patricia Cornwell's epic and thrilling books feels like it was meant to be," stated Kidman. "I cannot wait to inhabit Kay Scarpetta and am so thankful to Patricia Cornwell for entrusting me with her."

"I read Patricia Cornwell's Scarpetta books with my Mother when they came out in the '90s," concluded Sarnoff. "We loved having a badass female 'boss' heroine to root for and were amazed by the specificity, complexity, and sheer addictiveness of Patricia's storytelling. I could not be more grateful and excited to be bringing these stories to life on the screen."