Scarpetta has added a slate of new mind-bending characters for the Prime Video crime thriller’s second season.
Scarpetta was created by Liz Sarnoff and inspired by Patricia Cornwell’s bestselling novel series. The show stars Nicole Kidman as Dr. Kay Scarpetta, a forensic pathologist who relies on advanced technology to solve complex crimes. The cast also includes Bobby Cannavale (Detective Pete Marino), Jamie Lee Curtis (Dorothy Farinelli), Ariana DeBose (Lucy Farinelli Watson), and Simon Baker (Benton Wesley). Rosy McEwen, Amanda Righetti, Jake Cannavale, and Hunter Parrish play young versions of Kidman, Curtis, Cannavale, and Baker.
In an exclusive published by Deadline, Scarpetta, which began filming in March 2026 in Nashville, brought nine new cast members aboard. New additions include David Arquette, Jodi Balfour, William Zabka, Stella Baker, Kim Dickens, Troy Garity, Jerod Haynes, Killer Mike, and Holland Taylor.
Many of the newcomers have starred in many popular series or appeared in some capacity. Arquette recently completed work on Evil Genius and The Mess We Made, while Balfour is known for his roles in For All Mankind, Ted Lasso, and The Crown. Zabka plays Johnny Lawrence in The Karate Kid franchise and its follow-up series, Cobra Kai.
In addition to starring in the series, Kidman and Curtis are also executive producers alongside Cornwell and Sarnoff, all of whom will return for Scarpetta season 2. The project is produced by Amazon MGM Studios and Blumhouse Television alongside Blossom Films, Comet Pictures, and P&S Projects. The crime drama show debuted on Prime Video on March 11, 2026.
The book series the show is based on is titled Kay Scarpetta and contains eight installments. The novels were released from 1990 to 2023. The collection consists of Postmortem (1990), All That Remains (1992), Cruel & Unusual (1993), The Body Farm (1994), From Potter’s Field (1995), Cause of Death (1996), The Last Precinct (2000), and Blow Fly (2003).
The protagonist of the novel was inspired by a real-life medical examiner and forensic pathologist named Marcella Farinelli Fierro. She previously served as Virginia’s chief medical examiner from 1994 to 2008, when she retired. Fierro was one of the first women (ninth) to earn a certification in forensic pathology from the American Board of Pathology. Following her retirement, she continued contributing to the field through teaching and mentoring. She got her doctorate at the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Medicine after graduating from D’Youville College with a degree in biology.
There is currently no release date for Scarpetta season 2 at the time of this article’s publication. However, it is speculated that it will premiere in 2027.