Nicole Kidman is bringing one other compelling drama to tv along with her upcoming sequence, Expats.
The present is predicated on Janice Y.Okay. Lee’s 2016 novel The Expatriates, which follows three ladies in Hong Kong all through totally different levels of their lives. Kidman discovered her option to the guide by way of her sister, then instantly bought the rights by way of her manufacturing firm, Blossom Movies.
She nonetheless wanted the appropriate director for the venture, however she quickly discovered her. As she informed Vogue in a December 2023 interview, Kidman had simply watched Lulu Wang’s The Farewell starring Awkwafina when inspiration struck. “I went, ‘OK, there she is — our visionary has appeared,’” Kidman stated. “Now I’ve just got to go and convince her to do it. I think there was a lot of begging involved.”
Wang was compelled by Kidman’s supply however considerably hesitant, as she additionally informed Vogue. “I mean, Hong Kong means so much to so many people,” she stated, noting her personal expertise of being born in Beijing and later emigrating to the US as a baby. “Am I an expat? Am I an immigrant? Which community do I really relate to more, and how would I tell the story of the intersection of all of these different communities? I think that my hesitation just came from a sense of responsibility, really — I didn’t know if I could be all things to all people.”
Wang and Kidman then introduced Expats to Amazon and bought an Amazon-level funds that allowed them to movie in Hong Kong. Wang additionally had artistic management, which led to a standalone episode specializing in Filipino home staff.
Since Huge Little Lies debuted in 2017, Kidman has been a champion of telling ladies’s tales by way of tv. Her different TV initiatives embody The Undoing and 9 Excellent Strangers.
Hold scrolling for all the pieces to find out about Expats:
When Will ‘Expats’ Be Launched?
Expats will premiere on Friday, January 26, with new episodes dropping weekly. The finale will air on Friday, February 23.
What Is ‘Expats’ About?
The present follows three ladies residing in Hong Kong, considered one of whom is Margaret (Kidman), whose complete household has moved to the town for her husband’s (Brian Tee) job. Then there’s Hilary (Sarayu Blue), Margaret’s pal and neighbor, who’s coping with the unraveling of her marriage to David (Jack Huston) and her wrestle to have a baby. Lastly, there’s Mercy (Ji-young Yoo), a carefree Korean American Ivy League grad whose odd jobs and aimlessness put her in touch with the Hong Kong expat neighborhood. She finally turns into a central pressure within the tragedy that impacts all three ladies.
How Many Episodes Will ‘Expats’ Have?
The restricted sequence can have six episodes, together with one 90-minute episode (which would be the fifth episode within the season).
Who Else Stars in ‘Expats’?
Blue, who performs Hilary, has been on many tv exhibits however may be finest identified for enjoying Trina within the To All of the Boys sequence and XO, Kitty.
Yoo, in the meantime, has largely indie movies on her resume however was in Netflix’s Moxie, directed by comic Amy Poehler.
Huston, who performs David, is probably finest identified for his work on HBO’s interval crime drama Boardwalk Empire. Tee, who performs Margaret’s husband, starred as Dr. Ethan Choi on Chicago Med on and off for eight seasons.
Why Is ‘Expats’ Controversial?
In September 2021, Selection reported the sequence was dealing with controversy over a number of points. Expats was initially criticized for specializing in the minority group of wealthy, white foreigners. Hong Kong newspaper The South China Morning Publish referred to as the sequence “tone deaf,” with others describing the units as orientalist due to the usage of Chinese language props.
Different critics accused Wang of ignoring the continued political state of affairs in Hong Kong. When Kidman flew there to movie Expats in August 2021, she was given quarantine exemption to enter the town regardless of Hong Kong’s strict COVID procedures for residents and different vacationers who needed to partake in obligatory two-to-three week resort lockdowns.
In September 2021, a Hong Kong information publication claimed that Kidman and Wang had artistic variations that allegedly led to an argument. Additional rumors circulated that Kidman walked off set and left the manufacturing early, however an Amazon spokesperson denied the report. “Nicole wrapped as scheduled, she did not leave early,” the rep stated on the time. “She always had other projects she was committed to. The production is not stalled or on hiatus, it was always going to continue shooting without her.”