Nicole Kidman to Lead New ‘Kay Scarpetta’ TV Series as Amazon Greenlights High-Profile Literary Adaptation

In one of the most notable page-to-screen developments of the year, Nicole Kidman is set to star as Dr. Kay Scarpetta, the iconic forensic pathologist from Patricia Cornwell’s bestselling crime novels, in a major new television adaptation. The long-gestating project, produced by Blossom Films, Comet Pictures, and Blumhouse Television, represents the most serious attempt to bring Scarpetta to the screen after multiple failed film efforts over the past three decades.

The series, ordered by Amazon, will feature Kidman as the brilliant and uncompromising medical examiner whose pioneering forensic methods revolutionized crime-solving in fiction and influenced a generation of procedural dramas. The character, introduced in 1990’s Postmortem, has anchored 26 novels and sold more than 100 million copies worldwide. Cornwell has long been known for her fierce protectiveness of Scarpetta, one reason previous adaptations stalled despite Hollywood’s persistent interest.

Joining Kidman onscreen is Jamie Lee Curtis, who will play Dorothy, Kay’s mercurial and flighty sister. Dorothy is the mother of Lucy Farinelli, a recurring character whose complicated relationship with both women has been a central thread in the novels. Curtis, who has spoken openly about her devotion to Cornwell’s work, helped shepherd the project from the start. Her production company, Comet Pictures, holds a first-look deal with Blumhouse, the partnership that originally secured the Scarpetta rights in 2021.

At the time of the acquisition, Curtis was expected to serve solely as an executive producer. Her casting marks a significant creative expansion—and a reunion between two Oscar-winning actresses whose careers have increasingly intersected with prestige television.

“Patricia Cornwell is a bona fide literary trailblazer,” Curtis said when announcing the rights deal in 2021. “Bringing her beloved character Kay Scarpetta to life through television and introducing her to a new audience is incredibly exciting. The blend of Blumhouse and Comet, capturing the dark, fun, and layered world Scarpetta inhabits, promises to be a thrilling ride.”

Kidman, a four-time Academy Award nominee who won for her portrayal of Virginia Woolf in The Hours, has become one of television’s most bankable stars. Her turn as Celeste Wright in HBO’s Big Little Lies earned her two Emmy Awards—one for acting and one for producing—solidifying her transition into prestige drama after decades focused on film. She later anchored HBO’s The Undoing, Hulu’s Nine Perfect Strangers, and Apple TV+’s Roar, while maintaining a busy slate of film work. Her production company, Blossom Films, has a first-look deal with Amazon Studios, where she also stars in the upcoming series Expats as well as Paramount+’s Taylor Sheridan–created drama Lioness.

Curtis, fresh off her Oscar nomination for her supporting role in Everything Everywhere All at Once, brings her own formidable television résumé. Although she is best known for her film career—including her legendary role as Laurie Strode in the Halloween franchise—Curtis has appeared in series such as Scream Queens, New Girl, and NCIS. She earned a BAFTA Award for Trading Places and an Emmy nomination for Nicholas’ Gift.

The series’ creative direction will be shaped by Liz Sarnoff, who has joined as writer and executive producer. Sarnoff’s eclectic background—ranging from the dark humor of Barry to the character-driven drama of Lost and the gritty realism of Deadwood—positions her well to capture the mix of forensic detail, psychological nuance, and suspense that defines Cornwell’s work. She also brings experience writing crime-focused procedurals through her work on Crossing Jordan and NYPD Blue. Sarnoff, a three-time Emmy nominee, previously co-created Alcatraz for Fox and served as an executive producer on Netflix’s Marco Polo.

Attempts to adapt the Scarpetta novels stretch back decades. In the 1990s, Columbia Pictures developed a feature adaptation with Demi Moore attached to star; the project stalled and was eventually abandoned. A later effort at Fox 2000 envisioned Angelina Jolie in the role, but that version also failed to move forward. Cornwell’s stated reluctance to cede creative control is widely believed to have contributed to the franchise’s prolonged journey to the screen.

This latest iteration appears to have overcome past obstacles by placing the author at the center of development. Cornwell is deeply involved in shaping the series, working closely with Curtis, Kidman, and Blumhouse executives Jason Blum, Chris McCumber, Jeremy Gold, and Chris Dickie. All serve as executive producers alongside Kidman and Per Saari of Blossom Films.

With prestige talent on both sides of the camera and a literary property with a massive global fanbase, expectations for the series are high. For readers who have followed Scarpetta’s evolution for more than three decades, the upcoming adaptation promises a long-awaited opportunity to see one of crime fiction’s most influential heroines brought to life at last.