Nicole Kidman stars as forensic pathologist Kay Scarpetta in the new Prime Video series based on Patricia Cornwell's bestselling crime novels. Co-produced with Jamie Lee Curtis, who plays Scarpetta's sister, the show spans two timelines and features a notable ensemble cast. The adaptation, decades in development, draws from books that have sold over 120 million copies worldwide.
The TV series Scarpetta adapts Patricia Cornwell's long-running crime novel series, which began with Postmortem in 1990 and has sold more than 120 million copies globally. Previous adaptation attempts in the 1990s considered actresses such as Helen Mirren, Demi Moore, and Angelina Jolie for the lead role of Kay Scarpetta, Virginia's Chief Medical Examiner. Over 30 years later, Jamie Lee Curtis acquired the rights and partnered with Nicole Kidman, who serves as co-executive producer and stars as the titular character.
Kidman, whose mother Janelle and sister Antonia were avid fans of the books, explained her connection during the show's New York premiere. "My sister and my mother were obsessed with the novels, so I would read them," she told the Associated Press. She added to Entertainment Tonight that earlier opportunities to play Scarpetta as a film did not align with the right timing or scripts, but now feels prepared for the role.
Curtis portrays Dorothy, Kay's sister, reflecting on the project's evolution. "Not only being co-bosses on a show, but then also playing her slutty sister. I was not imagining that as my future," she said to the Associated Press. The cast includes Simon Baker, Bobby Cannavale, and Ariana DeBose, with the narrative unfolding across two timelines set 28 years apart. Younger versions are played by Rosy McEwen as Kay, Jake Cannavale—Bobby's son—as police officer Pete Marino, Amanda Righetti as Dorothy, and Hunter Parrish as FBI agent Benton Wesley.
Kidman's background, including watching medical shows with her nursing instructor mother and clinical psychologist father, aided her portrayal of a forensic pathologist. She related personally to Scarpetta's fixation on death following her father's sudden 2014 heart attack. "I lost my father and my main thing was finding out why... it became an obsession," Kidman told USA Today.
The eight-episode first season, blending elements from two books, is available on Prime Video. Simon Baker confirmed on Today that production for Season 2 has begun in Nashville, with Curtis noting plans to pair additional novels season by season.