Angelina Jolie Signs Up For Patricia Cornwell-based Franchise

In a deal that could turn out to be larger than it sounds, Angelina Jolie will star in a new movie as Dr. Kay Scarpetta, the medical-examiner heroine of the blockbuster novel series by Patricia Cornwell.

The series includes 16 books in all, but rather than focus on any single story, the first movie will combine elements from several titles into a single feature. If it’s a hit, the series could become a major-wattage film franchise that Variety compares to the Jason Bourne movies. The project has been in development since the early ’90s, when the series launched, but no movie had ever came together.

Jolie will next star in the espionage thriller Salt. She’s managed a fairly diverse career, but she isn't new to the literary murder-mystery archetype—she starred in the thrillers Taking Lives and The Bone Collector, both also based on novels.

Related links:
Review: Changeling
News: Edwin A. Salt to star Angelina Jolie instead of Tom Cruise
Review: A Mighty Heart

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