For the previous few years, Reacher has been Prime Video’s undisputed book-adaptation champ. It’s dominated streaming charts, spawned a spinoff (Neagley), and turned Alan Ritchson from “that man from Blue Mountain State” right into a full-blown international motion star. While Season 4 and the spin-off are still on the horizon, Amazon is already lining up its subsequent status improve — and this one hits very otherwise. Enter Scarpetta.
Based mostly on the long-running novel sequence by Patricia Cornwell, Scarpetta premieres on Prime Video on March 11, 2026, with Nicole Kidman main the sequence as Kay Scarpetta: a brilliant forensic pathologist who solves crimes utilizing mind, science, and cutting-edge know-how moderately than brute drive. This one’s gonna have much less bar fights, and extra autopsies that quietly break everybody’s day.
As for who she is? Scarpetta is a globe-trotting investigator of Italian descent, shifting from jurisdiction to jurisdiction as instances demand. The sequence is being developed by Liz Sarnoff, whose résumé contains Misplaced and Barry, which is a reasonably sturdy sign that this received’t be a paint-by-numbers procedural. Jamie Lee Curtis co-stars as Kay’s older sister, rounding out a forged that’s already doing essentially the most on paper.
How Many Scarpetta Novels Are There?
One in every of Reacher’s greatest benefits is quantity. Lee Child wrote 30 novels and brief tales about Jack Reacher, which implies Prime Video might theoretically hold the sequence operating without end if the viewers sticks round. Scarpetta is working with the identical form of literary runway. Cornwell has written 29 Kay Scarpetta novels, with the newest launched in 2025. Prime Video will not battle to seek out tales to provide. And that is why a TV sequence makes good sense, as a result of Hollywood has tried — and failed — to crack Scarpetta earlier than.
In 1992, a characteristic movie starring Demi Moore was deliberate however quietly fell by way of, whereas in 2009, Fox 2000 acquired the display screen rights to duplicate the success of the Bourne franchise. That model additionally collapsed, to the shock of no person. It wasn’t till 2023 that the gears lastly began turning for a correct display screen adaptation, and TV was at all times the proper format for it. As for what we should always anticipate? Most likely one thing nearer to Ballard — a slow-burn forensic thriller the place stress comes from psychology, proof, and ethical stress, not punches. Though there might be a few of these, too.
Scarpetta arrives subsequent month, on March 11, 2026, completely on Prime Video.
- Launch Date
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March 11, 2026
- Community
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Prime Video
- Administrators
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David Gordon Inexperienced
