Scarlett Johansson's Death Row Drama Series JUST CAUSE to Be Written by Cord Jefferson and John Wells

Writer Cord Jefferson, best known for writing episodes of the series The Good Place, HBO’s Watchmen, and most recently, the great Oscar-nominated film American Fiction, which was also his directorial debut, is teaming up with writer, showrunner and EP John Wells, who has worked on shows like The West Wing, ER, Shameless, Southland, and much more. They will be working together to write and executive produce the upcoming Scarlett Johansson-starring limited series, Just Cause, which serves as her first major television role.

The series is in development at Amazon Prime Video, and it’s an adaptation of John Katzenbach’s novel of the same name. First published in 1992, Just Cause tells the story of Matt Cowart, a Miami reporter. In this adaptation, Johansson will portray a female iteration of Cowart, named Madison “Madi” Cowart. The narrative follows Cowart after receiving a letter from a death row inmate claiming innocence. The ensuing investigation not only casts doubt on the inmate’s guilt but also uncovers other hidden horrors.

This project marks the second adaptation of Just Cause, the first being a 1995 film featuring Sean Connery, Blair Underwood, Laurence Fishburne, Ed Harris, Ruby Dee and Kate Capshaw. Johansson appeared in the film as the daughter of Connery’s character when she was 10 years old.

Johansson’s production company, These Pictures, is leading the adaptation.

via: Variety