Prime Video is all set to debut “Scarpetta“ this Wednesday, March 11, a new crime drama adapted from Patricia Cornwell’s long-running Kay Scarpetta novels. The story follows forensic pathologist Dr. Kay Scarpetta, played by Nicole Kidman (The Northman, Babygirl), as she returns to her hometown to reopen a case that shaped her early career nearly three decades ago while investigating a new homicide.
The narrative unfolds across two time periods, moving between Scarpetta’s early work in the late 1990s and her present-day professional life. The dual timeline offers a detailed look at forensic procedures, investigative frameworks, and the behavioral analysis that guides complex criminal cases, with the two eras working seamlessly together, sure to broaden the series’ appeal across generations of viewers.
The ensemble cast includes Jamie Lee Curtis (Everything Everywhere All at Once, Halloween) as Scarpetta’s outspoken sister, Dorothy Farinelli; Bobby Cannavale (Ant-Man, “The Watcher”) as Detective Pete Marino; Simon Baker (“The Mentalist”, Land of the Dead) as FBI profiler Benton Wesley; and Ariana DeBose (West Side Story, Wish) as Scarpetta’s niece, Lucy Watson. Supporting roles feature actors portraying the younger versions of the principal characters — Rosy McEwen (Blue Jean, “The Alienist”) as the young Kay Scarpetta, Amanda Righetti (Firday the 13th, “The Mentalist”) as young Dorothy Farinelli, Jake Cannavale (Inside Man, Eat Brains Love) – Bobby Cannavale’s son – as the younger Pete Marino, and Hunter Parrish (“The Following”, “Quantico”) as the young Benton Wesley — reflecting the dual‑period narrative.
Ahead of the premiere, we spoke with Ariana DeBose, Bobby Cannavale, show creator Elizabeth Sarnoff, and Patricia Cornwell about bringing Scarpetta and her world from page to screen.
