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Exclusive: Tiya Sircar (The Good Place), Anna Diop (Nanny), Graham Phillips (Riverdale) and Georgia King (Vice Principals) have joined the cast of Prime Video and Blumhouse’s Scarpetta in recurring roles.

They join the previously announced Nicole Kidman and Jamie Lee Curtis, who will both executive produce; Bobby Cannavale, Simon Baker, Rosy McEwen, Jake Cannavale, Ariana DeBose, Sosie Bacon, Amanda Righetti, Janet Montgomery, Stephanie Faracy and Mike Vogel.

Based on Patricia Cornwell’s best-selling book series, Scarpetta follows Kay Scarpetta (Kidman), 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.

Sircar joins as “Blaise Fruge,” a policewoman; Diop joins as Sierra “Tron” Patron, a Cyber Investigator with the FBI; Phillips joins as Past “Matt Petersen,” a handsome, genteel actor; King joins as Past “Maggie Cutbush.”

The...

Is Nicole Kidman the hardest working person in Hollywood at the moment?

In the last year or so, Nicole Kidman has starred in “A Family Affair” and “Babygirl.” On the TV side, she starred in “Expats” and “The Perfect Couple” and returns to Taylor Sheridan’s “Lioness” for its second season, launching on Paramount+ on Oct. 27.

At the same time, she’ll be seen in Season 2 of the Hulu series “Nine Perfect Strangers,” the animated movie “Spellbound and the thriller “Holland, Michigan.” She also plays the title role in “Scarpetta,” Amazon’s upcoming series adaptation of Patricia Cornwell’s mystery books, opposite Jamie Lee Curtis and Ariana DeBose. She’s hoping to get a third season of “Big Little Lies” off the ground as well as a sequel to “Practical Magic.”

Even so, Kidman says she does actually find time to sleep. “I slept nine hours last night,” she told...

In a career filled with so many, Nicole Kidman is on another hot streak.

The Oscar-winner picked up a best actress prize last month at the Venice Film Festival for her critically acclaimed turn in Halina Reijn’s steamy Babygirl, only to see her new Netflix series The Perfect Couple rocket to the No. 1 spot on the streaming rankings days later. She next stars in the second season of Taylor Sheridan’s Paramount+ series Lioness, which debuts Sunday, and she’s just about to jump in front of cameras on Amazon Studios’ Scarpetta opposite fellow Oscar winners Jamie Lee Curtis and Ariana DeBose and based on the Patricia Cornwell novel.

So, how is Kidman feeling about all the good work right about now? It’s complicated. “I wish my mama was here,” she told The Hollywood Reporter on Wednesday night while walking the red carpet at Hollywood’s Linwood Dunn Theatre.

For decades, Patricia Cornwell’s Scarpetta series has captivated readers with its forensic-heavy approach to crime-solving, anchored by the brilliant and determined Dr. Kay Scarpetta.

Now, the beloved character is finally making her way to the screen, thanks to Prime Video’s highly anticipated adaptation.

With two seasons already greenlit, and stars like Nicole Kidman and Jamie Lee Curtis taking the lead, Scarpetta is set to bring forensic drama and deeply personal conflicts to life in ways that mirror the novels’ intensity.

([Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images] + [Photo by Shane Anthony Sinclair/Getty Images])

From casting news to production details, here’s everything you need to know about this exciting new series based on one of crime fiction’s most iconic characters.

What is Scarpetta About?

The upcoming series Scarpetta focuses on Dr. Kay Scarpetta, a forensic pathologist who returns to her former role as Chief Medical Examiner in Virginia.

Not only does she solve complex murder cases,...

If Josh O’Connor’s reputation as an arthouse and indie darling hasn’t already been solidified, this ought to do the trick. Deadline reports this afternoon that the Challengers and La Chimera star has boarded The Mastermind, the latest feature from director and screenwriter Kelly Reichardt. The film centers on...

Scarpetta is officially headed to Prime Video. The series was initially said to be in development back in February 2023, and now the streaming service has ordered two seasons of the drama.

Based on the Patricia Cornwell books, the series starring Nicole Kidman and Jamie Lee Curtis will follow forensic pathologist Kay Scarpetta (Kidman), who uses forensic technology to solve crimes. Curtis will play her sister, Dorothy. Liz Sarnoff will write, executive produce, and serve as showrunner for the series, and David Gordon Green will direct the first two episodes.

Read More…...

Prime Video's library of book-to-screen adaptations is expanding — and in some style! Following successful TV takes on everything from The Lord Of The Rings to Bosch to Reacher, Amazon has ordered two seasons of Scarpetta, a crime drama based on Patricia Cornwell's best-selling books about the personal and professional challenges faced by a top Virginia coroner. And what's more, per THR's reporting, the show has lined up a hell of a cast. Oscar winners Nicole Kidman and Jamie Lee Curtis are set to star as chief medical examiner Kay Scarpetta and her sister Dorothy respectively, with the ensemble including among its ranks Bobby Cannavale, Ariana DeBose, Simon Baker, and more.

Lost and Barry producer Liz Sarnoff will serve as showrunner on the series, for which Curtis' Halloween director David Gordon Green is aboard to direct the first two episodes. In a statement accompanying the series' greenlighting, the Everything Everywhere All At Once...

Jamie Lee Curtis and Nicole Kidman to star in ‘Scarpetta’

Oscar and Emmy winners Nicole Kidman (Big Little Lies) and Jamie Lee Curtis (The Bear) have committed to starring in Prime Video’s Scarpetta, based on Patricia Cornwell’s bestselling novels. Both Kidman and Curtis will also be involved as executive producers. Prime Video’s banking on the series being a hit, ordering two seasons before shooting even gets underway.

Emmy nominee Liz Sarnoff (Barry) is on board to write, executive producer, and serve as showrunner. David Gordon Green (Halloween) will direct the first two episodes.

“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,...

Nicole Kidman and Jamie Lee Curtis are starring in a new series for Prime Video!

The two actresses have not only been cast as leads in the upcoming Scarpetta, but they will also serve as executive producers on the show, which received a two season order at the streamer, THR reports.

This also expands Nicole‘s working relationship with Prime Video, after starring in Expats and Being the Ricardos.

Keep reading to find out more…

The upcoming series is being based on the series of novels by Patricia Cornwell, and centers on Kay Scarpetta, who is “a chief medical examiner who returns to her former position in Virginia and deals with both gruesome cases and complicated relationships in her work and personal lives.”

Nicole will star as the titular character and Jamie Lee will portray her sister Dorothy.

In addition to Nicole and Jamie Lee, also cast in the series...

If you’re a Patricia Cornwell fan, you know Kay Scarpetta.

Cornwell’s work with that character was so influential in my life that I can remember exactly where I was when reading certain novels.

But I can’t lie. The last person I wanted to play Kay was Nicole Kidman.

(Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

So, the deal is that the series has landed a two-season deal with Prime Video. Kidman will play Kay, and Jamie Lee Curtis will play her sister, Dorothy.

Five others have also been added to the series, including Oscar winner Ariana DeBose, Emmy winner Bobby Cannavale, Emmy nominee Simon Baker, Rosy McEwen, and Jake Cannavale.

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But when it comes to Kidman,...

Prime Video has officially ordered two seasons of Scarpetta, more than 18 months after Nicole Kidman’s name was first attached to the series adaptation of Patricia Cornwell’s Kay Scarpetta novels.

Kidman will indeed headline the mystery-thriller as medical examiner Kay Scarpetta, who returns to Virginia, and her former job, amid complex personal and professional relationships — including the one with her sister, Dorothy, to be played by recent Emmy winner Jamie Lee Curtis.

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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.

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

The official synopsis reads: “The mystery thriller,...

Prime Video is hitting the books once again.

The Amazon-owned streamer has greenlit Scarpetta, a crime drama based on author Patricia Cornwell’s best-selling series of novels about Virginia medical examiner Kay Scarpetta. The series, in the works for more than a year, landed a two-season order at Prime Video; Nicole Kidman will play the title character and star opposite Jamie Lee Curtis. Kidman and Curtis will also be executive producers.

In addition to Kidman and Curtis, the show has lined up an A-list cast that includes Bobby Cannavale, Simon Baker, Ariana DeBose, Rosy McEwen and Jake Cannavale.

Blumhouse Television, which along with Curtis acquired rights to Cornwell’s novels in 2021, is producing the series along with Amazon MGM Studios, Kidman’s Blossom Films and Curtis’ Comet Pictures. Liz Sarnoff (Barry, Lost, Deadwood) is adapting the novels and will serve as showrunner. David Gordon Green — who directed Curtis in the...

Nicole Kidman and Jamie Lee Curtis-led “Scarpetta” has landed a series order at Prime Video.

The series, which was greenlit for two seasons by the streamer, has also added Bobby Cannavale, Simon Baker, Ariana DeBose, Rosy McEwen and Jake Cannavale to the cast as series regulars.

Based on Patricia Cornwell’s book series, the mystery thriller series will center on 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,” according to the official logline.

Liz Sarnoff is set to serve as writer and showrunner for the series, and will executive produce alongside Curtis and Kidman. The series hails from Blumhouse Television and Amazon MGM Studios in association with Blossom Films and Comet Pictures, with David Gordon Green attached to direct the first two episodes.

Amazon Prime Video has officially ordered a series adaptation of Patricia Cornwell’s Kay Scarpetta novels with Nicole Kidman and Jamie Lee Curtis set for the lead roles.

It was reported in February 2023 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 hails from Blumhouse Television and Amazon MGM Studios.

Ariana DeBose, Bobby Cannavale, Simon Baker, Rosy McEwen (“Blue Jean”), and Jake Cannavale will all star alongside Kidman and Curtis.

“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 for Amazon MGM Studios. “The most exemplary group has been assembled for the series...

My guest this week on 20 Questions on Deadline is Jamie Lee Curtis.

Freshly Emmy-nominated for her guest star turn in Season 2 of The Bear, Curtis dropped into the Deadline studio on a break during shooting Freaky Friday 2.

On the podcast, she reminisced about making the first Freaky Friday 21 years ago, with a then-15-year-old Lindsay Lohan, and teased a little of what might happen in this sequel, admitting her role has evolved somewhat since last time. When I mention that Lohan has suggested her character might have a child this time around, Curtis said, “Well, that makes me a grandma, right? If Lindsay has a child that makes me a grandma!”

Curtis—who says she called Disney CEO Bob Iger herself to ask that this sequel be made—also hinted that the body swapping is especially fun this time around. In the previous film, mother and daughter (Curtis and Lohan) swapped bodies.

Exclusive: Blumhouse Television is “betting on itself” after buying back the 45% stake that it sold to ITV in 2017.

Jason Blum’s company struck a deal with ITV Studios, the production arm of the British broadcaster, to launch Blumhouse Television seven years ago.

It has now bought back this stake and is going back to being independent with Blumhouse Television being integrated under its parent company, Blumhouse.

Deadline understands that Blumhouse has paid $60M for the 45% stake. It’s not clear how much ITV paid in 2017 as the figure was never public.

It marks the latest asset that ITV has sold in recent months; the company sold its 50% stake in streamer BritBox International to BBC Studios in February for $322M.

This comes after Blumhouse Television launched hit Netflix docuseries Worst Roommate Ever, which has now turned into a franchise for the streamer with spinoff Worst Ex Ever launching on the streamer...

Exclusive: Veteran TV executive Jeremy Gold, who has been at Blumhouse Television for eight years, most recently as President of Production, is stepping down. He is transitioning to a production deal with the indie studio for his newly launched Gold Company.

Gold serves as an executive producer on three upcoming series for Amazon, which are tentpoles on Blumhouse TV’s 2024/2025 slate. That includes The Bondsman, starring Kevin Bacon, from creator Grainger David and showrunner Erik Oleson, which is currently in production in Atlanta; The Sticky, starring Margo Martindale, from creators Brian Donovan and Ed Herro and producers Jamie Lee Curtis and Megamix’s Jonathan Levine; as well as Scarpetta, based on Patricia Cornwell’s best-selling book series, which is eying a two-season order, with Nicole Kidman and Jamie Lee Curtis starring and executive producing and Liz Sarnoff showrunning.

Additionally, Gold is shepherding several projects at Blumhouse TV, with the studio having first-look at his development.

Exclusive: Chris McCumber is departing Blumhouse Television after three years as President. The unit’s President of Production, Jeremy Gold, will step into the top role on an interim basis. A search is underway for a new head of the TV group, which is getting downsized, with several people — believed to be fewer than 10 — being laid off today. (Blumhouse’s total headcount in film and TV is almost 100.)

The staff reductions are coming mostly from the TV division’s Creative and Business Affairs departments, sources said. The unscripted group, led by Gretchen Palek, will remain intact, as will Blumhouse’s shared services groups including Production, Casting, Hr, Marketing and Finance.

Blumhouse TV scripted head Chris Dickie (EVP Scripted Programming and Development) is staying put and will be assisting Gold during the transition, with Gold stepping up his role on the slate of Blumhouse TV series that are expected to go...

Hmmm, now this is a strange bit of film release synergy. Now the big studio-wide release this weekend is Renfield which can be called a horror/comedy hybrid (though it’s also an action thriller satire). The other small studio flick also blends comedy with another very popular genre, crime. To be more specific it’s a crime-family comedy, hence the use of that “reviled” (to some) word. Oh, and there’s a “gender-switch” as a woman takes the seat at the head of the table for the “sit-down”. Hey, if there can be a godfather, then why not a Mafia Mamma?

The story kicks into high gear “across the pond” in the “old country”, Italy, soon after a gun battle that produces lots of casualties for both warring factions. This prompts a long-distance phone call from the Balbano family “advisor” Bianca (Monica Bellucci) to a relative in the States,...

Aussie Oscar winner Nicole Kidman has landed the plum role of Virginia medical examiner Kay Scarpetta in a TV series adaptation of the popular Patricia Cornwell novels.

Furthermore, our sister site Deadline is reporting, Oscar nominee Jamie Lee Curtis will play Kay’s flighty sister Dorothy (aka the mom of the forensic whiz’s niece Lucy).

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The Amazon Studios and Blumhouse...

Nicole Kidman and Jamie Lee Curtis are teaming for an Amazon series based on Patricia Cornwell’s Kay Scarpetta novels, Variety has confirmed with sources.

Kidman would star as Scarpetta with Curtis playing her sister, Dorothy. Sources say that deals for the show are not yet done, but that it is nearing a two-season order of eight episodes each at the streamer.

Reps for Amazon declined to comment.

Liz Sarnoff will write the series and serve as executive producer and showrunner. Kidman and Per Saari will executive produce via Blossom Films, while Curtis will executive produce via Comet Pictures. Blumhouse Television’s Jason Blum, Chris McCumber and Jeremy Gold also executive produce. Curtis is currently under a first-look deal with Blumhouse.

Cornwell has written over 20 books in the Scarpetta series. Scarpetta starts out as the Chief Medical Examiner for the Commonwealth of Virginia in the books before becoming a private forensic consultant.

Exclusive: Patricia Cornwell’s Kay Scarpetta books have completed their long journey to the screen with a blockbuster TV series starring Oscar winner Nicole Kidman in the title role and Oscar nominee Jamie Lee Curtis as the famous forensic pathologist’s sister Dorothy, I have learned. Kidman is executive producing through Blossom Films and Curtis through Comet Pictures the drama, from writer-showrunner Liz Sarnoff (Barry) and Blumhouse Television, which I hear is nearing a two-season straight-to-series order at Prime Video. A rep for the streamer declined comment as deals for the project, to be produced by Amazon Studios and Blumhouse, are still being finalized. It is expected to receive an order for two eight-episode seasons, sources said.

Liz Sarnoff

Kidman’s Kay Scarpetta is a brilliant forensic pathologist, inspired by former Virginia Chief Medical Examiner Marcella Farinelli Fierro, who uses forensic technology to solve crimes. Curtis will play Kay’s flighty sister,...

There’s a pastoral scene about halfway through Mario Martone’s indulgent portrait of Italian theatrical legend Eduardo Scarpetta which throws everything else into sharp relief. In it, we see one of the playwright’s youngest children, Peppino (Salvatore Battista) running through the farmyard at the place where he is being temporarily fostered, chasing a playful young lamb. Here there are soft green hills, the sun is warm, the buildings are humble but welcoming. Later, Peppino will ask for permission to share his bed with the lamb. he doesn’t want to leave. He doesn’t want to go back to that ugly house in the city.

That ugly house is known as the Scarpetta palace, a lavishly furnished, expansive mansion where the playwright (played by Toni Servillo) lives with his wife and mistresses and some of his numerous offspring. it’s a place where the women and girls are...

While his latest film, Nostalgia, is Italy’s Oscar entry this year, director Mario Martone’s previous feature will finally arrive stateside. The King of Laughter, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival last year and picked up the Best Actor Award for Toni Servillo at Venice and Best Costume Design at Italy’s 2022 David di Donatello Awards, is being released on VOD and on digital platforms by Film Movement on November 25 and we’re pleased to exclusively debut the new trailer.

At the beginning of the 20th century, in Belle Époque Naples, theatres and the cinema were thriving and the great comic actor Eduardo Scarpetta (Servillo) is the box office king. Known in the Neapolitan theater for his cheeky alter egos, Scarpetta’s larger-than-life stage productions were matched only by his eccentric personal life. Composed of wives, partners, lovers, legitimate and illegitimate children, Scarpetta’s home situation resembled one...