Nicole Kidman’s latest crime series isn’t going anywhere.
Scarpetta season 2 is expected to arrive on Prime Video sometime in 2027, giving fans of the Patricia Cornwell adaptation another mystery to solve with Kidman’s Dr. Kay Scarpetta. While Prime Video has not announced an exact premiere date, ScreenRant reports that producer Jason Blum teased a 2027 release window for the second season.
The news isn’t particularly surprising considering Scarpetta was given a two-season order before the series even premiered. Prime Video announced the renewal in 2024, allowing the second season to move into production quickly after Season 1 arrived in March 2026.
Production on Season 2 began in March and has since wrapped, with the series now in post-production as of October. That means the wait for new episodes could be considerably shorter than the gap between the show’s first season and its debut.
‘Scarpetta’ Season 2 Already Has Its Story Set
The second season will once again draw from Patricia Cornwell’s long-running series of Scarpetta novels.
Showrunner Liz Sarnoff previously revealed that Season 2 will adapt Cruel and Unusual and The Body Farm, continuing the show’s approach of combining two books within a single season. The series will also maintain its dual-timeline structure, following both the present-day Scarpetta played by Kidman and the younger version portrayed by Rosy McEwen.
The show’s sophomore season is expected to pick up immediately after the events of the first-season finale before moving into another major case involving a child abduction. Several unresolved storylines from season 1 are also expected to continue.
The returning cast includes Kidman, Jamie Lee Curtis, Bobby Cannavale, Simon Baker, Ariana DeBose, and the actors playing their younger counterparts. New additions include David Arquette, William Zabka, Holland Taylor, and Michael “Killer Mike” Render.
‘Scarpetta’ Season 1 Didn’t Exactly Win Over Critics
The Season 2 news comes despite a decidedly mixed reception for the show’s first season. According to Rotten Tomatoes, Scarpetta Season 1 currently has a 58% Tomatometer score from 69 critics and a 44% Popcornmeter score from more than 500 audience ratings.
The critics’ consensus acknowledges that the series can be messy and occasionally unfocused but argues that its stacked cast and central mystery make it entertaining enough to keep watching. Some critics were considerably more enthusiastic.
Variety’s review, for example, praised the show’s storytelling and Kidman’s performance, while other reviews highlighted the complicated family drama surrounding the central mystery. Other critics weren’t nearly as impressed, with complaints ranging from the show’s multiple timelines to its pacing and complicated storytelling.
The audience response has been similarly divided. Some viewers on Rotten Tomatoes are already looking forward to Season 2, while others have criticized the acting, pacing and adaptation of Cornwell’s books.
When Will ‘Scarpetta’ Season 2 Premiere?
There is no exact release date yet.
ScreenRant’s report points to a 2027 release window, while the production is already in post-production.
A spring 2027 return would put season 2 roughly a year after the show’s March 2026 debut, although that’s only an estimate at this point and shouldn’t be treated as an official premiere date.
For now, fans can stream all eight episodes of Scarpetta Season 1 on Prime Video while waiting for Kidman’s next case.
