# Scarpetta (TV series)

Scarpetta, also known as Kay Scarpetta, is an upcoming American television series created by Liz Sarnoff for Amazon Prime Video. It is based on the book series of the same name by Patricia Cornwell, and is produced by Nicole Kidman and Jamie Lee Curtis, who star.

## Premise

Kay Scarpetta is a brilliant and beautiful forensic pathologist, the protagonist in a beloved series of crime novels. Inspired by former Virginia Chief Medical Examiner Marcella Farinelli Fierro MD (retired), she employs advanced forensic technology to unravel mysteries and solve crimes. Throughout the series, Scarpetta, of Italian descent, navigates her investigative journey across various settings, including Florida, Virginia, and Charleston, South Carolina.

## Cast and characters
### Main

* Nicole Kidman as Dr. Kay Scarpetta
** Rosy McEwen as young Kay Scarpetta
* Jamie Lee Curtis as Dorothy Scarpetta, Kay's older sister
** Amanda Righetti as young Dorothy
* Ariana DeBose as Lucy Farinelli-Watson, Dorothy's daughter
* Bobby Cannavale as Pete Marino, a former detective
** Jake Cannavale as young Pete Marino
* Simon Baker as Benton Wesley, an FBI profiler
** Hunter Parrish as young Benton Wesley

### Recurring

* Sosie Bacon as Abby Turnball, a prize-winning reporter
* Charlie B. Foster as Wingo, Scarpetta's assistant in the morgue
* Janet Montgomery as Janet, Lucy’s wife
* Stephanie Faracy as Maggie Cutbush, Scarpetta's inherited assistant from her predecessor
** Georgia King as young Maggie Cutbush
* Mike Vogel as Bill Boltz, city attorney
* Tiya Sircar as Blaise Fruge, a policewoman
* Anna Diop as Sierra “Tron” Patron, a cyber investigator with the FBI
* Graham Phillips as young Matt Petersen, a handsome, genteel actor

## Production
### Development

In June 2021, it was reported that a television series adaptation of novel series is in development from Comet Pictures, a production company owned by Jamie Lee Curtis and Blumhouse Television. Patricia Cornwell, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jason Blum, Chris McCumber, Jeremy Gold and Chris Dickie would serve as the show's executive producers.
In February 2023, it was announced that Nicole Kidman and Jamie Lee Curtis would join the cast and also serve as executive producers on the show. This marked the first instance of Scarpetta's transition from page to screen despite numerous prior attempts. Initially, in 1992, Demi Moore was briefly associated with the Scarpetta character, while Angelina Jolie was contemplating a big-screen franchise based on the role in 2009. A two-season order, each consisting of eight episodes, was anticipated for the series. At the beginning, when the project was announced, no showrunner was attached. However, it was later confirmed that Liz Sarnoff would step in as the series' writer and showrunner. David Gordon Green and Amy Sayres also served as executive producers.
Although the series was initially announced as Kay Scarpetta, the title was changed to Scarpetta when the casting updates were revealed. David Gordon Green was reported to be directing the first two episodes. Charlotte Brändström was noted as one of the directors.

### Casting

In February 2023, Nicole Kidman was cast in the series in the titular role, alongside Jamie Lee Curtis playing Kay's sister Dorothy. In September 2024, Ariana DeBose, Bobby Cannavale, Simon Baker, Rosy McEwen, and Jake Cannavale joined the cast. Later that same month, Sosie Bacon, Amanda Righetti, Janet Montgomery, Stephanie Faracy and Mike Vogel were added to the cast. In October 2024, Hunter Parrish was reported to star. In November 2024, Tiya Sircar, Anna Diop, Graham Phillips and Georgia King were announced to star in recurring roles. In March 2025, Charlie B. Foster was announced to have joined the cast in a recurring role.

### Filming

Filming was originally scheduled to begin in Nashville in September 2024 but was later postponed to October 2024. The production crew was seen setting up to film at Little Hats Italian Market in Germantown, Nashville, Tennessee in November 2024, with notices posted around the neighborhood. Fliers were passed out to neighbors in Old Hickory Village, northeast of downtown Nashville, announcing filming was taking place in early December 2024.