Prime Video Orders Two Seasons of Patricia Cornwell’s Scarpetta from Blumhouse Television Starring Nicole Kidman and Jamie Lee Curtis
Bobby Cannavale, Simon Baker, Ariana DeBose, Rosy McEwen, and Jake Cannavale Set as Series Regulars
Emmy-nominated Liz Sarnoff set as showrunner, will write and executive produce
CULVER CITY, CA – September 18, 2024 – Today, Prime Video announced that it has ordered two seasons of author Patricia Cornwell’s global best-selling Scarpetta from Blumhouse Television starring Oscar and Emmy-winning actress Nicole Kidman (Big Little Lies, Expats) and Oscar and Emmy-winning actress Jamie Lee Curtis (The Bear, Everything Everywhere All At Once). Curtis and Emmy winning producer Kidman will also executive produce. Emmy-nominated Liz Sarnoff (Barry, Lost, Deadwood) will write, executive produce, and showrun. David Gordon Green (Halloween, Stronger) is set to direct the first two episodes. The series will premiere exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.
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.
Emmy winner Bobby Cannavale (Ezra, The Irishman) plays former detective Pete Marino; Emmy nominee Simon Baker (Breath, Boy Swallows Universe) joins as FBI profiler Benton Wesley; Oscar winner Ariana DeBose (West Side Story, The Prom) will play Lucy Farinelli-Watson, Dorothy’s daughter; BIFA winner Rosy McEwen (Blue Jean) joins as Past Kay Scarpetta, and Jake Cannavale (The Offer, Mandalorian, American Sports Story) as Past Pete Marino.
“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. 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,” stated Patricia Cornwell.
Jamie Lee Curtis said, “I have wanted to bring Patricia Cornwell’s Kay Scarpetta to a screen, with my company, Comet Pictures, for a while. 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.”
Nicole 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.”
“I read Patricia Cornwell’s Scarpetta books with my Mother when they came out in the ’90s,” said showrunner Liz 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.”
“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,” said Jason Blum, Founder/CEO, Blumhouse.
Kidman will executive produce for Blossom Films, and Curtis will executive produce for Comet Pictures. Liz Sarnoff will write, executive produce, and serve as showrunner. Patricia 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. The series is produced by Blumhouse Television and Amazon MGM Studios in association with Blossom Films and Comet Pictures.
