{"id":646706,"date":"2026-03-11T00:03:16","date_gmt":"2026-03-11T00:03:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/646706\/"},"modified":"2026-03-11T00:03:16","modified_gmt":"2026-03-11T00:03:16","slug":"nicole-kidman-and-jamie-lee-curtis-adapt-scarpetta-books-for-tv","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/646706\/","title":{"rendered":"Nicole Kidman and Jamie Lee Curtis adapt \u2018Scarpetta\u2019 books for TV"},"content":{"rendered":"

NEW YORK (AP) \u2014 When Jamie Lee Curtis\u2019<\/a> blockbuster film \u201cTrue Lies\u201d premiered worldwide, it would\u2019ve been improbable to think that 30 years later she would be giddy about a TV show \u2014 about as improbable as performing her iconic helicopter stunt without special effects.<\/p>\n

\u201cI guarantee you when I was \u2026 literally hanging under a helicopter above the Florida Keys over the Seven Mile Bridge in Florida, I did not imagine I\u2019d be sitting in New York City that many years later with Nicole Kidman<\/a>,\u201d Curtis said. \u201cNot only being co-bosses on a show, but then also playing her slutty sister. I was not imagining that as my future.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Oscar winners co-executive produced and star in \u201cScarpetta,\u201d a new mystery crime series from Prime Video, out March 11, based on Patricia Cornwell\u2019s<\/a> popular books. Curtis credits Kidman as one of the major Hollywood players who helped shrink the gulf between perceptions of film and TV roles with prestige series like \u201cBig Little Lies\u201d and \u201cNine Perfect Strangers.\u201d <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"This<\/p>\n

This image released by Prime shows Nicole Kidman in a scene from \u201cScarpetta.\u201d (Connie Chornuk\/Prime via AP)<\/p>\n

This image released by Prime shows Nicole Kidman in a scene from \u201cScarpetta.\u201d (Connie Chornuk\/Prime via AP)<\/p>\n

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Kidman, 58, plays the titular character Dr. Kay Scarpetta, a forensic pathologist who solves complex murders. Upon returning to Virginia, she comes across cases eerily reminiscent of one three decades prior that catapulted her career forward. To prepare for the role, Kidman spent time with a medical examiner in Tennessee, where she learned how to hold a scalpel, and how to identify and dissect organs.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy sister and my mother were obsessed with the novels, so I would read them,\u201d the Emmy-winning Kidman said. \u201cWhen I mentioned it to my sister, she was like, \u2018Well, I mean, that\u2019s it. You have to do it.\u2019\u201d <\/p>\n

Perfect timing for an adaptation<\/p>\n

The book rights to Cornwell\u2019s iconic fiction series were optioned throughout the years with megastars sometimes attached, including actors Demi Moore, Angelina Jolie, and even Kidman previously. But those iterations didn\u2019t come to fruition.<\/p>\n

At the 2021 Oscars, Kidman approached Curtis\u2019 table and introduced herself \u2014 they\u2019d never met, despite working in similar circles for decades. Months later, when Kidman heard Curtis was leading the charge on \u201cScarpetta,\u201d she wanted in.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have a philosophy where characters come to you at the right time,\u201d Kidman said. When she first considered playing Kay Scarpetta, the timing wasn\u2019t right, and neither were the scripts. But the second time, it all came together. \u201cHere she is, and I\u2019m ready now,\u201d she said, reflecting on her decision to embrace the project. <\/p>\n

Curtis plays Scarpetta\u2019s free-spirited sister Dorothy. The \u201cHalloween\u201d franchise star had no intention of acting in the show but agreed to at Kidman\u2019s request. The eight-episode season was led by showrunner Liz Sarnoff, whose credits include \u201cLost\u201d and \u201cBarry,\u201d and is also a longtime fan of the books.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"This<\/p>\n

This image released by Prime shows Bobby Cannavale, left, and Ariana DeBose in a scene from \u201cScarpetta.\u201d (Connie Chornuk\/Prime via AP)<\/p>\n

This image released by Prime shows Bobby Cannavale, left, and Ariana DeBose in a scene from \u201cScarpetta.\u201d (Connie Chornuk\/Prime via AP)<\/p>\n

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The cast includes Emmy winner Bobby Cannavale as Pete Marino, Kay\u2019s ex-partner and Dorothy\u2019s husband and \u201cThe Mentalist\u201d star Simon Baker, who plays FBI profiler and Scarpetta\u2019s husband Benton Wesley. Another Oscar winner, Ariana DeBose<\/a>, is Dorothy\u2019s tech-savvy daughter, primarily raised by Kay.<\/p>\n

A companion storyline set in the \u201890s follows the doctor\u2019s early career, with Rosy McEwen, who bears a striking resemblance to Kidman, portraying the younger version. Jake Cannavale \u2014 Bobby\u2019s actual son \u2014 plays the young Marino, with Hunter Parrish portraying babyfaced Benton.<\/p>\n

DeBose, who presented Curtis with her Oscar for \u201cEverything Everywhere All at Once,\u201d was offered the role in a personal text message from Curtis. Her character, Lucy, is grieving her dead wife and seeks comfort in an AI replica. It\u2019s a pivot for an actor known for upbeat Broadway performances.<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cI hope audiences will also find a way to have compassion for her,\u201d said the 35-year-old, of a fictional character that had real-life reverberations. Five months after filming, DeBose faced a loss of her own when her mother died. \u201cI\u2019m more clear now than I was when I was actually shooting this series \u2026 that grief manifests in very different ways.\u201d<\/p>\n

Betting big on screen adaptations<\/p>\n

Cornwell, who has sold more than 120 million copies<\/a> of the \u201cScarpetta\u201d series worldwide, was heavily involved in the adaptation.<\/p>\n

\u201cDream come true \u2014 literally,\u201d said the New York Times bestseller, who started the series in 1990. The 69-year old, who began penning \u201cPostmortem\u201d while working in the office of Virginia\u2019s chief medical examiner, is currently writing the 30th book centered around a serial poisoner. She says Kidman and Curtis uncovered new layers of her beloved characters.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m learning things from them,\u201d she said. \u201cWhen I sit back and I\u2019m working on my book, suddenly I\u2019m seeing Jamie in my head, or I\u2019m hearing Nicole. My characters have come alive.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"This<\/p>\n

This image released by Prime shows Nicole Kidman, left, and Jamie Lee Curtis in a scene from \u201cScarpetta.\u201d (Connie Chornuk\/Prime via AP)<\/p>\n

This image released by Prime shows Nicole Kidman, left, and Jamie Lee Curtis in a scene from \u201cScarpetta.\u201d (Connie Chornuk\/Prime via AP)<\/p>\n

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Prime has found massive success with popular novel adaptations like \u201cReacher,\u201d \u201cJack Ryan,\u201d the \u201cBosch\u201d universe and \u201cCross,\u201d all possessing deep troves of source material. They\u2019re betting \u201cScarpetta\u201d will be their next big hit.<\/p>\n

Kidman, whose divorce from country music star Keith Urban<\/a> was finalized in January, has a busy slate of upcoming projects, including the series \u201cMargo\u2019s Got Money Troubles,\u201d \u201cGirls and Their Horses\u201d and \u201cDiscretion,\u201d as well as the films \u201cThe Young People\u201d and \u201cPractical Magic 2.\u201d<\/p>\n

Curtis\u2019 view of Hollywood<\/p>\n

Curtis hopes the series, produced by her company Comet Pictures, inspires young women in the industry with another model for leadership, both in front of and behind the camera.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Jamie<\/p>\n

Jamie Lee Curtis, ganadora del premio a mejor actriz de reparto por \u201cEverything Everywhere All at Once\u201d, en el Baile de los Gobernadores en los Oscar el domingo 12 de marzo de 2023 en el Teatro Dolby en Los Angeles. (Foto AP\/John Locher)<\/p>\n

Jamie Lee Curtis, ganadora del premio a mejor actriz de reparto por \u201cEverything Everywhere All at Once\u201d, en el Baile de los Gobernadores en los Oscar el domingo 12 de marzo de 2023 en el Teatro Dolby en Los Angeles. (Foto AP\/John Locher)<\/p>\n

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\u201cI hope that they see people \u2014 women \u2014 doing all these different jobs. This show doesn\u2019t exist without me calling Jason Blum, saying, \u2018Hey, I found out that the rights to Patricia\u2019s books are available. Let\u2019s (expletive) go!\u2019\u201d said Curtis, recalling her conversation with the Blumhouse Television founder, who helped produce it. \u201cThey will hear that and go, \u2018Oh, that\u2019s how you get (expletive) done!\u2019 You persevere.\u201d<\/p>\n

Two \u201cScarpetta\u201d seasons were ordered, and Curtis has famously said she will leave acting before Hollywood leaves her. Could more success delay her plan though?<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen my parents were in their heyday, they were enormous movie stars. There is a point where the industry just moves on. \u2026 I want to be able to end it on my own terms \u2026 I\u2019ve been saying that since I was 30,\u201d said the 67-year-old Emmy winner. \u201cI want to be able to walk away with the dignity and pride in my work, and not kind of be grasping at something that\u2019s fading away.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPay no attention to her,\u201d Kidman interrupted, and said to Curtis, \u201cWe\u2019re not listening to that because we\u2019re asking you to stay forever.\u201d <\/p>\n

The two teased each other playfully, like real-life sisters.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe will be working well past 100, probably,\u201d Kidman said, \u201cAnd we\u2019ll all be going, \u2018That\u2019s an inspiration.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

Follow Associated Press entertainment journalist Gary Gerard Hamilton at @GaryGHamilton on all his social media platforms.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"NEW YORK (AP) \u2014 When Jamie Lee Curtis\u2019 blockbuster film \u201cTrue Lies\u201d premiered worldwide, it would\u2019ve been improbable…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":646707,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[9],"tags":[15797,42125,274822,228808,435,108690,171,723,24457,274824,274823,173149,228810,15460,109690,17525,274826,57119,53,1046,274821,274827,274825,399,67,132,68],"class_list":["post-646706","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-entertainment","tag-academy-awards","tag-angelina-jolie","tag-ariana-debose","tag-bobby-cannavale","tag-celebrity","tag-demi-moore","tag-entertainment","tag-florida","tag-forensics","tag-gary-gerard-hamilton","tag-hunter-parrish","tag-jack-ryan","tag-jake-cannavale","tag-jamie-lee-curtis","tag-jason-blum","tag-keith-urban","tag-liz-sarnoff","tag-media-and-entertainment-industry","tag-movies","tag-nicole-kidman","tag-patricia-cornwell","tag-pete-marino","tag-simon-baker","tag-television","tag-united-states","tag-unitedstates","tag-us"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/116207616768841327","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/646706","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=646706"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/646706\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/646707"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=646706"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=646706"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=646706"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}