EXCLUSIVE: Patricia Cornwell’s beloved Kay Scarpetta may finally be closer to stepping onto the big screen with some help from Marvel‘s Jessica Jones. Two of the EPs on the upcoming Disney-own comic giant series from Netflix are joining the long gestating project. Liz Friedman has been tapped to pen the feature based on Cornwell’s best-selling Scarpetta crime novels series, I’ve learned. In addition, fellow Marvel’s Jessica Jones EP and Twilight Saga scribe Melissa Rosenberg has joined The Untitled Kay Scarpetta Project from Fox 2000 as a producer along with Mark Gordon and Geyer Kosinski.
This marks the first feature film deal for Friedman, who also co-wrote the pilot to Orange Is The New Black. That pilot garnered her an Emmy nomination. She also was a writer/producer on Emmy-nominated House M.D. for seven of the show’s eight seasons, eventually becoming to co-executive producer. Additionally, Friedman was a co-executive producer on CBS’ Elementary from 2012 to 2014.. Rosenberg also several episodes of Dexter, in addition to AKA Jessica Jones and, of course, adapted the blockbuster The Twilight Saga for the big screen from Stephanie Meyer’s books. Starring Krysten Ritter in the title role, the 13-episodes of Marvel’s Jessica Jones is expect to debut on the streaming service late this year. Formerly called A.K.A. Jessica Jones, the series marks the second in the four-series Netflix-Marvel deal with Daredevil having premiered earlier this year.
The fictional Scarpetta character first appeared in Cornwell’s 1990 novel Postmortem. Scarpetta was inspired by former Virginia Chief Medical Examiner Marcella Fierro, MD and the series is noted for its use of recent forensic technology in Scarpetta’s investigations.
Friedman is repped by CAA and Rosenberg is repped by UTA and 3Arts. The two share an attorney in Jeanne Newman of Hansen, Jacobson, Teller, Hoberman, Newman, Warren, Richman, Rush & Kaller, LLP.
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