NBC has given a script commitment plus penalty to Red Stick, a crime drama from Venom and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle producer Matt Tolmach, bestselling author Patricia Cornwell and Sony Pictures TV.
Written by Samantha Humphrey (S.W.A.T.), Red Stick is based on an idea by Cornwell. It follows Dr. Annie Dodge who is summoned from New York to her hometown of Baton Rouge, LA, after the sudden death of her father, the city’s beloved coroner. Now, as she’s mourning the loss of her childhood hero, Annie finds herself reluctantly stepping into her father’s role to solve an ongoing murder while navigating the complicated waters of Bayou politics, Southern hospitality and a simmering past romance.
Humphrey executive produces with Cornwell. Tolmach and David Manpearl executive produce via Matt Tolmach Productions.
Dr. Annie Dodge draws parallels to Cornwell’s most famous character, Dr. Kay Scarpetta, a medical examiner. The bestselling Scarpetta series is comprised of 24 novels including Postmortem, Body of Evidence and All That Remains, among others. Her other works include the Andy Brazil/Judy Hammer series and At Risk/Win Garano series. Her books have sold more than 100 million copies worldwide.
Tolmach has produced recent hits as Venom and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, which together have grossed more than $1.4 billion worldwide. He is about to begin production on the Jumanji sequel, he is in pre-production on Spider-Man spinoff Morbius, and he recently signed on to produce Dark Harvest alongside Manpearl for New Line, based on Norman Partridge’s horror novel. He also serves as an executive producer on Hulu’s Future Man.
Humphrey’s TV series credits also include ABC’s Body of Proof and CBS’ NCIS: New Orleans.
Humphrey is repped by UTA and Hansen Jacobson. Tolmach is repped by in television by UTA and Hansen Jacobson. Cornwell is repped by UTA.
Must Read Stories
Subscribe to Deadline Breaking News Alerts and keep your inbox happy.