Scarpetta Season 2: What We Know So Far

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Dr. Kay Scarpetta’s work is far from done. There are more murder mysteries left for the medical examiner to solve, and she’ll put her deductive skills to the test in Scarpetta season 2.

The Prime Video series, executive produced by Nicole Kidman and Jamie Lee Curtis—who respectively star in the show as Scarpetta and her sister, Dorothy—received an automatic season 2 greenlight with the news of its arrival in September 2024. Deadline reported that the streaming platform ordered two seasons of the show, which is based on author Patricia Cornwell’s best-selling book series of the same name.

“I’m beyond excited that this is finally happening. This will be great fun for all, and I’m grateful for the immense talent that the show is drawing,” Cornwell told Deadline in a statement. “I’ve always been a huge fan of Jamie Lee Curtis and Nicole Kidman. Their wanting to do this is humbling and simply awesome. Working with the brilliant [writer] Liz Sarnoff is amazing. Blumhouse and Prime Video are a dream. This has been worth waiting for, and I’m so looking forward to the show.”

The author also told ELLE in November 2025 that she has attempted to bring Scarpetta to the screen “since the beginning of my career.” Cornwell added, “That long road of disappointments has turned into something so worth waiting for and beyond my biggest dreams.”

Here’s everything we know about Scarpetta season 2.

Scarpetta season 1 largely followed the plot of Postmortem, the first book in Cornwell’s Kay Scarpetta series. Prime Video shared in a press release about the show’s first season:

“Scarpetta brings Patricia Cornwell’s iconic literary character to life in a gripping series starring Nicole Kidman as Dr. Kay Scarpetta. With skilled hands and an unnerving eye, this unrelenting medical examiner is determined to serve as the voice of the victims, unmask a serial killer, and prove that her career-making case from 28 years prior isn’t also her undoing. Set against the backdrop of modern forensic investigation, the series delves beyond the crime scene to explore the psychological complexities of both perpetrators and investigators, creating a multi-layered thriller that examines the toll of pursuing justice at all costs.”

If the writers plan to follow the book series directly, Scarpetta season 2 might take its main plot from Body of Evidence, the next book in Cornwell’s series. The official synopsis for the book reads: “A reclusive author, Beryl Madison finds no safe haven from months of menacing phone calls—or the tormented feeling that her every move is being watched. When the writer is found slain in her own home, Kay Scarpetta pieces together the intricate forensic evidence—while unwittingly edging closer to a killer waiting in the shadows.” But we’ll have to wait for Prime Video to confirm the logline of the upcoming season.

Body of Evidence by Patricia Cornwell

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Who is in the cast?

Kidman and Curtis will reprise their roles as Scarpetta and Dorothy. According to Deadline’s September 2024 report, the series will likely see its regulars returning as well:

• Ariana DeBose as Lucy Farinelli-Watson, Dorothy’s daughter

• Bobby Cannavale as former detective Pete Marino

• Simon Baker as FBI profiler Benton Wesley

• Rosy McEwen as Past Kay Scarpetta

• Jake Cannavale as Past Pete Marino

What has the cast said about Scarpetta?

In ELLE’s exclusive look at Scarpetta season 1, Kidman gushed over the foresight exhibited in Cornwell’s writing, all while keeping the plot as scientific as possible.

“I love where Patricia’s imagination goes in her writing, that she really doubles down on wild storylines, but stays scientific,” she said. “There are things like AI bots that Patricia explored years ago. The books are cutting-edge, just a tiny bit sci-fi in the crime mystery genre.”

Kidman further noted that she thought the character of Scarpetta would be “fascinating and scary onscreen—exploring cases through the lens of a slightly rogue medical examiner. We tried to adapt them to film years ago, but serializing them was the way to go.” Finding out that Curtis was also playing a part in the series further cemented her interest in bringing the story to life. “I was in,” she adde. “Jamie is an inspiring force of nature—brilliant and hilarious—and I’ve loved watching where life has taken her. I very much wanted to work with her.”

Curtis was equally excited to work with Kidman on the show: “Although I have a small part, that sister relationship is very important to the show,” she said. “And I’m just thrilled that now I get to act opposite Nicole Kidman, when in fact, I just thought I was going to be [a producer].”

When will Scarpetta season 2 come out?

The release date has not yet been announced. If we are to look at past seasons for reference, Scarpetta season 1 arrived on March 11, 2026, a year and five months after Deadline reported the show received a green light in September 2024.

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