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Scarlett Johansson Finds Just Cause to Lead a TV Show

Photo: Monica Schipper/Getty Images for David Yurman

Scarlett Johansson is going back to her roots — and no, we’re not suggesting she’ll be returning to her natural brunette. Actually, on second thought, who knows? She’s apparently into the idea of a full-circle moment right now. Per Deadline, the Black Widow star will be taking on her first major TV role as the lead of a Just Cause limited series. The upcoming Prime Video show is based on the 1992 book by John Katzenbach, which was previously adapted into a 1995 feature film starring Sean Connery, Laurence Fishburne, Kate Capshaw, Ruby Dee, Ed Harris … and yep, you guessed it, a young ScarJo. (She was 10, and it was her second movie role ever.)

The original thriller follows Matt Cowart, a burnt-out crime reporter who saves an inmate from death row and inadvertently sets off a chain of suspenseful events. In the Just Cause movie, Johansson played Cowart’s daughter. This time around, however, she’ll get her main-character moment. Does that mean she’ll be starring as a male protagonist? While she does seem to believe she can play any role, thankfully, no: The show will gender-bend its source material to have Johansson star as reporter Madison “Madi” Cowart. Christy Hall (I Am Not Okay With This) will write the script, which will still center on the death-row plot. Just ’cause.

Scarlett Johansson Finds Just Cause to Lead a TV Show