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Angelina Jolie Will Be Scarpetta in Mystery Series Adaptation

by Ethan Anderton
January 14, 2010

The crime thriller will never die. It seems to still be an unstoppable subgenre with madlib fill-in-the-blank elements from at-odds detective partners to crooked cops, as well as socipathic serial killers to rapists. The combination of possibilities of these elements seem to be endless, and now we can add another crime thriller to the mix as THR's Risky Biz reports Angelina Jolie will take on the role of medical examiner Dr. Kay Scarpetta, the main character of a still running 17-novel mystery series from author Patricia Cornwell. The medical examiner often finds herself caught up in mind-boggling and even dangerous criminal mysteries.

Writer Kerry Williamson will adapt the story from the entire world and cast of characters in Cornwell's series rather than just one individual title. The hope is to launch a potential franchise with so much source material at filmmaker's fingertips. No word on who will direct the Scarpetta film, but we've got some time to kill since Williamson has only just been hired to write the script. Why don't we just give Jolie a guest spot on "CSI: Miami," let her spout a few one-liners while taking off some sunglasses, and call it a day?

In all seriousness though, these crime mysteries do have the potential to be suspenseful and fun, especially if viewers are kept out of the loop and left to uncover the mystery with our protagonist. Personally, I have a jaded attitude when it comes to crime thrillers because there's so many of them in movies and on TV (how many "Law & Order" or "CSI" shows do we need?). And I'm always intrigued as to just how crime scene investigators and medical examiners are the ones who find themselves in the most heated action, and not the on-duty police officers or detectives themselves. But if anyone can carry a series like this, it's Jolie.

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