Amazon Prime Video Gives the Nicole Kidman and Jamie Lee Curtis ‘Scarpetta’ Series a 2-Season Order

Samantha Bergeson
·4 min read

Oscar and Emmy-winning stars Nicole Kidman and Jamie Lee Curtis are expanding their respective TV empires: Amazon Prime Video just gave their Kay Scarpetta series a two-season order. That’s pretty expansive in and of itself.

Mega producer Kidman, who recently led Netflix’s “The Perfect Couple” and will return to Hulu’s “Nine Perfect Strangers” for Season 2, has been trying to adapt Patricia Cornwell’s best-selling novel “Scarpetta” for almost two decades. The project has been in development at Amazon for pretty much the whole year. Now picked up, Kidman will now executive produce the series for Prime Video and star alongside co-lead Curtis, who recently won an Emmy for “The Bear.” Kidman will executive produce for Blossom Films, and Curtis will executive produce for Comet Pictures.

More from IndieWire

Kidman and Curtis are set to play two sisters who are forced to confront their shared past.

The official synopsis reads: “The mystery thriller, based on the hit book series, 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 plenty of grudges and secrets to uncover.”

Bobby Cannavale will play former detective Pete Marino, Simon Baker is cast as FBI profiler Benton Wesley, and Ariana DeBose will play Lucy Farinelli-Watson, Dorothy’s daughter.

Rosy McEwen will play the younger version of Kidman’s Kay Scarpetta, and Cannavale’s son Jake Cannavale will be the younger version of his character.

The Prime Video series hails from Blumhouse TV, with Emmy-nominated filmmaker Liz Sarnoff (“Barry,” “Lost,” “Deadwood”) writing, executive producing, and serving as showrunner.

David Gordon Green is set to direct the first two episodes, marking a reunion with Curtis.

“I have wanted to bring Patricia Cornwell’s ‘Kay Scarpetta’ to a screen, with my company, Comet Pictures, for a while,” Curtis said in a press statement. “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 the 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.”

Kidman added, “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. I cannot wait to inhabit Kay Scarpetta and am so thankful to Patricia Cornwell for entrusting me with her.”

Author Cornwell said, “I’m beyond excited that this is finally happening. 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.”

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

Cornwell will executive produce for P & S Projects alongside Blum, Jeremy Gold, Chris Dickie, Chris McCumber for Blumhouse Television, and Per Saari for Blossom Films. Green and Amy Sayres also serve as executive producers. The series is produced by Blumhouse Television and Amazon MGM Studios in association with Blossom Films and Comet Pictures.

Best of IndieWire

Sign up for Indiewire's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next