Scarlett Johansson to Lead Amazon Limited Series ‘Just Cause’ Based on John Katzenbach Novel

Joe Otterson
·2 min read
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Scarlett Johansson is set to star in a limited series adaptation of the John Katzenbach novel “Just Cause” at Amazon, Variety has confirmed.

Amazon has given the project a straight-to-series order. It will mark Johansson’s first major television role.

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Originally published in 1992, “Just Cause” centers on Miami reporter Matt Cowart. According to an individual with knowledge of the production, Johansson will be playing a female version of the character named Madison “Madi” Cowart. In the book, Cowart receives a letter from a death row inmate who claims to be innocent. As the investigation unfolds, not only does the case against the inmate prove to be shaky, but other horrors are lurking in the background.

Christy Hall will write and executive produce “Just Cause,” with Johansson executive producing under her These Pictures banner. Jonathan Lia and Keenan Flynn of These Pictures will also executive produce, with These Pictures’ head of TV, Zara Duff, overseeing the project. Warner Bros. Television is the studio.

This will mark the second time “Just Cause” has been adapted for the screen. The book was previously turned into a film in 1995 starring Sean Connery, Blair Underwood, Laurence Fishburne, Ed Harris, Ruby Dee, and Kate Capshaw.

Johansson is perhaps best known for her work in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, in which she has played Natasha Romanoff — a.k.a. Black Widow — since 2010’s “Iron Man 2.” She has played the character in eight films total to date, most recently in the standalone “Black Widow” film that was released in 2021.

Johansson is also a two-time Oscar nominee for both best actress and best supporting actress. The former was for her role in “Marriage Story” and the latter for her role in “Jojo Rabbit.” She is also known for her work in films like “Lost in Translation,” “Her,” “Ghost in the Shell,” and “Vicky Christina Barcelona.”

She repped by CAA and Yorn Levine.

Hall previously co-developed the Netflix series “I Am Not Okay With This,” based on the graphic novel of the same name. Next up she will make her directorial debut with the feature “Daddio,” based on her play, with Dakota Johnson and Sean Penn set to star.

She is repped by CAA, Grandview, and attorney Miles Metcoff

Deadline first reported the series order for “Just Cause.”

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