What to know about Nicole Kidman’s TV show in Hong Kong, Expats – from the Amazon Prime series’ debut at TIFF and the book it’s based on, to the cast and controversy around Kidman skipping quarantine
Expats, the Amazon Prime Video TV series starring Nicole Kidman and shot in Hong Kong during the Covid-19 pandemic, just premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 8.
TIFF debuted the series’ penultimate episode “Central”, which follows the narratives of two Filipina domestic workers linked to the expat community.
It covers a time when the local political movement is at a point of no return. Meanwhile, a typhoon hits the city.
Based on Janice Y.K. Lee’s internationally bestselling 2016 novel The Expatriates, the new TV show takes a non-linear approach to storytelling, so audiences can watch and experience the characters’ journeys from any of the six episodes.
Here’s everything you need to know about the highly anticipated series …
What’s the storyline of Expats?
The story is set in Hong Kong during 2014. Architect Margaret (Kidman), her husband Clarke (Brian Tee) and their three kids move from the US to Hong Kong, where they meet and mingle with fellow expatriates in the city like Hilary (Sarayu Blue) and her hubby David (Jack Huston).
Within their close circle, wealth is celebrated and friendships come and go. But then, a family tragedy suddenly strikes, bringing their community even closer together.
The show was confirmed in 2018, when Amazon Studios agreed to collaborate with Kidman’s Blossom Films for the production, per Deadline. “I’m so thrilled about the Blossom-Amazon collaboration,” said Kidman at the time. “The Expatriates is just the beginning of our shared goal in making delicious stories with something meaningful to say about the world.”
Who’s behind the original book?
Janice Y.K. Lee, a Hong Kong-born author with Korean expatriate parents, studied at Hong Kong International School in the city. She then moved to the US in her teens, before moving back to Hong Kong for a few years.
“The world I entered and encountered there, the world of the American expatriate, inspired the world in this second book,” she told Penguin Random House. Now, she lives with her husband and four kids in New York.
Lee wrote her debut novel The Piano Teacher (2009), which landed on The New York Times bestseller list. The Expatriates also received positive feedback upon its release.
Who’s in it?
The cast list also includes Jack Huston (American Hustle, The Irishman, House of Gucci) as David.
Who’s the director?
The show is directed by Beijing-born, Miami-raised director Lulu Wang, behind features like Posthumous and A24’s The Farewell.
Where did they film it in Hong Kong?
The Aquaman actress even went shopping on Queen’s Road Central during her highly publicised trip.
When will Expats come out?
Expats will be available on Amazon Prime Video, though the official release date hasn’t been published.
Why was there controversy around Nicole Kidman’s visit to Hong Kong?
Kidman’s arrival into the city was met with a mix of both star-struck fans and public backlash, as the Hollywood star was exempt from undergoing the then-government-implemented mandatory quarantine period during her visit.
The rules at the time stated that Australia, where Kidman was flying from, was listed as a low-risk country, meaning fully-vaccinated arrivals who tested negative had to undergo one week of designated hotel quarantine.
Many travellers coming back to Hong Kong during the Covid-19 pandemic were put under isolation – with quarantine periods of up to 21 days – without being allowed to open their windows, and some had to be separated from their family members whom they didn’t travel with. Stress, anxiety and trauma were some of the listed psychological impacts on individuals.
The Commerce and Economic Development Bureau granted the exception in August, saying that overseas film personnel were only granted the privilege “for single entry on a specified date subject to a preapproved itinerary and conditions”, as previously reported.
- Expats, the Amazon Prime Video TV series starring Oscar-winning actress Nicole Kidman and directed by The Farewell’s Lulu Wang, just premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival
- The show’s cast list also features Sarayu Blue from XO, Kitty, Brian Tee from Jurassic World and Chicago Med, and Jack Huston, who stars in American Hustle, The Irishman and House of Gucci