Angelina Jolie and Fox developing Scarpetta franchise

Angelina Jolie may have found her third active franchise after "Kung Fu Panda" and "Wanted."

Credit: AP Photo/Matt Sayles

After leaving Lara Croft in the dust (or was she abandoned?), Angelina Jolie may have found her next franchise.  Variety reports the Oscar-winner has teamed up with Fox 2000 to develop a mystery thriller around Patricia Cornwell's best-selling Scarpetta series. 

Centered on medical examiner Dr. Kay Scarpetta, Cornwell has written 16 novels so far including "Scarpetta" which was released this past December. 

The trade reports Fox and producer Mark Gordon won't base the film on any specific Scarpetta mystery. However, like  the "Bourne" series weren't locked into Robert Lundlum's books, the first movie will find the doctor in an appropriate storyline in the vein of "The Silence of the Lambs" or "Seven."  A search is currently out for a writer to fashion a screenplay.

Columbia Pictures originally optioned Cornwell's character 17 years ago, but let the rights lapse after several attempts to develop the property.

Jolie is currently shooting the drama "Salt" for director "Salt." Besides reprising the voice of Tigress in the "Kung Fu Panda" sequel, its possible she'll appear in a "Wanted" sequel as well.  That project is awaiting a new script before Jolie, James McAvoy and director Timur Bekmambetov agree to return.