Zoe Saldana To Star In & Executive Produce ‘From Scratch’ Netflix Limited Series With Reese Witherspoon

Netflix has ordered From Scratch, a new limited series starring and executive produced by Zoe Saldana. Based on Tembi Locke’s best-selling memoir, it’s from Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine banner and 3 Arts Entertainment.

From Scratch, published on April 30 by Simon & Schuster, was selected as Reese’s Book Club x Hello Sunshine May 2019 book pick.

From Scratch is a sweeping, autobiographical romance that follows an American woman as she falls in love with a Sicilian man while studying abroad in Italy then builds a life with him in the United States. When she unexpectedly loses him to illness, she is challenged to pull herself through grief so she can raise their daughter as they would have raised her together: with hope, joy and infinite love.

ocke’s sister Attica Locke (Empire, When They See Us), will serve as showrunner and executive producer with Saldana. Witherspoon and her producing partner, Lauren Neustadter will executive produce under Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine banner, along with Richard Abate, Jermaine Johnson and Will Rowbotham of 3 Arts Entertainment. Saldana’s sisters Cisely Saldana and Mariel Saldana will co-produce.

“Attica and I are honored to be adapting From Scratch with the visionary Reese Witherspoon, Lauren Neustadter, Richard Abate and the incredibly gifted Zoe Saldana,” said Tembi Locke. “We have a shared interest in championing stories that bring a rich tapestry of experiences to the screen. I am thrilled that this global love story has found a perfect home at Netflix.”

Said Zoe Saldana: “This is a profound true story of love and family, deprivation and nourishment, that needs to be brought to life on the screen as Tembi Locke brought it vividly to life for me on the page. We are grateful to Netflix and thrilled to be working with Reese, Lauren, Attica and 3 Arts on this wonderful project.”

Witherspoon said: “Tembi’s memoir is a raw and tender exhibition of life in all its pieces. She brings you into her love, her loss and her resilience with such vulnerability and strength. We immediately fell for Attica and Tembi’s vision and feel honored to have the opportunity to help bring it to life onscreen. We could not imagine more perfect partners for this than Zoe and her sisters and 3 Arts Entertainment, along with the incredible team at Netflix.”

Added Channing Dungey, VP Original Series at Netflix: “Between the Locke sisters and the Saldana sisters, I’ve never seen a show that’s more of a family affair,”Reese Witherspoon and Hello Sunshine have been producing really exciting content, and we’re thrilled to make this powerful and emotional series with them.”

(Deadline)