Jamie Lee Curtis & Blumhouse Developing Kay Scarpetta Series

Jamie Lee Curtis’ production company Comet Pictures is teaming up with Blumhouse Television to adapt a one-hour series based on bestselling author Patricia Cornwell’s Kay Scarpetta character, according to Variety. Scarpetta is a forensic psychologist who has been featured in 24 of Cornwell’s novels, starting with 1990’s Postmortem. The award-winning author’s 25th book in the series, Autopsy, will release on November 30, 2021.

“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,” said Cornwell in a statement. “To say I’m thrilled is an understatement, and I have no doubt my readers will feel the same.”

Comet Pictures and Blumhouse have reportedly acquired the rights to Cornwell’s Kay Scarpetta franchise. The companies are now seeking a showrunner for the series adaptation.

“Patricia Cornwell is a bonafide literary trailblazer, and collaborating with her to bring her beloved character Kay Scarpetta to life through the power of television and to introduce her to an entirely new audience is exciting,” Curtis said. “The confluence of Blumhouse and Comet bringing to life a dark, fun, and layered work world and family life, spearheaded by the smart and sexy indomitable Kay Scarpetta is going to be a thrilling ride.”

Cornwell, Curtis, Jason Blum, Blumouse Television president Chris McCumber, and Jeremy Gold will executive produce.

“We are so honored to be partnering with one of the most successful authors in history in Patricia Cornwell,” McCumber said. “Kay Scarpetta has been a much sought-after character, for a long time, and we are excited to finally bring her to life on television. We are also grateful to Jamie Lee Curtis for connecting the Blumhouse team to Patricia, and to Patricia for trusting us with her iconic creation.”