icole Kidman has been incredibly busy of late, appearing in everything from hit “wellness” drama, Nine Perfect Strangers, to the film that had everyone talking, Babygirl – and now, she’s stepping into the shoes of one of literature’s favourite forensic pathologists, Dr Kay Scarpetta, in the Prime Video series Scarpetta. Based on Patricia Cornwell’s best-selling Kay Scarpetta crime novels, which have been dubbed “impossibly clever”, the glorious new series is already tipped to be a 10/10.
There’s star power aplenty in the upcoming series, with Jamie Lee Curtis starring opposite Nicole as Dorothy, Kay’s older sister – and both women will also serve as executive producers on the show. A long time in the making, Nicole has said she’d been “pursuing Scarpetta for nearly 20 years” – and we have a feeling it’s going to be worth the wait.
Ahead of Scarpetta‘s arrival on our screens, here’s everything you need to know about the series, including the cast, plot, and how to watch it.
What is Scarpetta about?
Patricia Cornwell’s first book in the Kay Scarpetta series – Postmortem, released in 1990 – introduces us to Dr. Kay Scarpetta, a “brilliant and beautiful forensic pathologist” who works in Richmond, America, as a Chief Medical Examiner for the Commonwealth of Virginia and as a member of faculty at Virginian Medical Center. Through her forensic investigative work, she helps unravel and solve a number of criminal cases across the country.
The series will pick up with Kay Scarpetta in Virginia as she resumes “her former position with complex relationships, both personal and professional”, which includes her sister Dorothy, and, we’re promised, there are “plenty of grudges and secrets to uncover.”
The show’s creator, Liz Sarnoff, has said: “I read Patricia Cornwell’s Scarpetta books with my mother when they came out in the ’90s. 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.”
Meanwhile, author Patricia Cornwell said she was “beyond excited that this is finally happening”, adding: “I’ve always been a huge fan of Jamie Lee Curtis and Nicole Kidman. Their wanting to do this is humbling and simply awesome.”
Who’s in the cast of Scarpetta?
The fierce duo of Nicole Kidman and Jamie Lee Curtis leading up the show already make it a must-watch – and the women are just as excited to be part of the series. “I cannot wait to inhabit Kay Scarpetta and am so thankful to Patricia Cornwell for entrusting me with her,” Nicole said in a statement.
Jamie added: “I’m 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 Gordon Green as our director.” She also promised, ominously: “and a warning……..there WILL be BLOOD.”
Alongside Nicole and Jamie, the cast includes:
Ariana DeBose (West Side Story, Westworld) will play Lucy Farinelli-Watson, Dorothy’s daughter
Bobby Cannavale (Boardwalk Empire, Mr. Robot) as Pete Marino, a former detective
Jake Cannavale (The Offer) as young Pete Marino
Simon Baker (Ten Pound Poms, The Mentalist) as Benton Wesley, an FBI profiler
Hunter Parrish (The Other Black Girl) as young Benton Wesley
Rosy McEwen (Black Mirror) as young Kay Scarpetta
Amanda Righetti (The O.C.) as young Dorothy
Viewers might also remember that Nicole and Bobby were recently on screen together in the first series of Nine Perfect Strangers.
How can I watch Scarpetta?
Prime Video announced it had commissioned two series of Scarpetta in September 2024, and production is likely to take place in 2025, so on that basis, it’s like we’ll see it on our screens later this year or in early 2026. As soon as we have a confirmed date, we’ll share it here.
