Nicole Kidman is currently wowing fans in Netflix's hit show The Perfect Couple - but has confirmed that she already has her sights set on a new crime drama alongside Jamie Lee Curtis - and it is a role that she has waited a long time to land!
The actress is set to star in Scarpetta, which is based on Patricia Cornwell’s series of novels about a medical examiner, and Prime Video has already greenlit the first two seasons.
The pair will be joined by West Side Story star Ariana DeBose, Bobby Cannavale, Simon Baker and Rosy McEwan. Jamie Lee and Nicole are executive producers on the project, and Jamie Lee opened up about the show, saying: "I have wanted to bring Patricia Cornwell’s Kay Scarpetta to a screen, with my company, Comet Pictures, for a while.
© Kayla Oaddams"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 added: "I’ve been pursuing Scarpetta for nearly 20 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."
© VarietyThe author, Patricia, also shared her delight at the casting, saying: "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."
So what is Scarpetta all about?
Dr Kay Scarpetta is a chief medical officer in Virginia who is investigating a series of crimes. The synopsis for the first novel reads: "A serial killer is on the loose in Richmond, Virginia. Three women have died, brutalised and strangled in their own bedroom. There is no pattern: the killer appears to strike at random - but always early on Saturday mornings.
© Araya Doheny"So when Dr Kay Scarpetta, chief medical officer, is awakened at 2.33 am, she knows the news is bad: there is a fourth victim. And she fears now for those that will follow unless she can dig up new forensic evidence to aid the police. But not everyone is pleased to see a woman in this powerful job. Someone may even want to ruin her career and reputation."
