Jamie Lee Curtisand Blumhouse Television have partnered up to acquire the rights toPatricia Cornwell’s literary favorite character Kay Scarpetta, with the actress’ Comet Pictures and the horror hit factory seeking a showrunner and home for the one-hour series.
Forensic pathologist Scarpetta has appeared in 25 crime thriller novels since her first appearance in Cornwall’sPostmortemback in 1990, with the latest,Autopsy, set to be released in December, although it isn’t mentioned whether or not Curtis is eyeing an onscreen role. The project will fall under Curtis’ first-look deal with Blumhouse, and she’ll executive produce the show withJeremy Gold, while Blumhouse Television’sJason BlumandChris McCumberare additionally listed as executive producers.
The legendary scream queen just so happens to be both a big fan and a good friend of Cornwall, with the author notoriously reluctant to allow Hollywood to adapt Scarpetta for either film or television.Demi Moorewas set to play her in the early ’90s when Columbia Pictures placedCruel and Unusualinto development, while a decade laterAngelina Joliewas attached toRed Mistfor Fox 2000.
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Cornwall released a statement to celebrate the news, and is clearly enthusiastic at the prospect of Curtis and Blumhouse bringing her most famous creation into live-action at long last:
“I’ve had the honor and pleasure of knowing Jamie for a number of years, and have come to respect her hugely as an artist and a stellar human being. Blumhouse is a creative force of nature, and I’m confident that Scarpetta is going to make it to the screen in a fantastic way. To say I’m thrilled is an understatement, and I have no doubt my readers will feel the same.”
It’s yet another addition to a jam-packed slate for Curtis, who’s currently shootingEli Roth’sBorderlandsand has horror sequelsHalloween KillsandHalloween Endsarriving in October of this year and next, as well as A24’s mysterious sci-fiEverything Everywhere All at Once. On top of that, she’s also set to co-write and direct eco-horrorMother Nature, while a TV pilot based on her Audible podcastLetters from Campis also in the works.
The Cornwall series marks a further deviation from familiar territory for Blumhouse, with the company having pivoted away from horror on television already with historical miniseriesThe Good Lord Bird, dramaThe Loudest Voice, docuseriesA Wilderness of ErrorandThe Jinx, along with HBO’s psychological thrillerSharp Objectsand Netflix docA Secret Love, with Kay Scarpetta finally set for the screen over 30 years after her literary debut.
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