Everything You Need to Know About Nicole Kidman’s New TV Show ‘Expats’

Nicole Kidman brings another compelling drama to television with her upcoming series, Expats.

The series is based on the 2016 novel by Janice YK Lee The expats, which follows three women in Hong Kong through different stages of their lives. Kidman found her way to the book through her sister and then immediately received the rights through her production company Blossom Films.

She still needed the right director for the project, but she quickly found one. As she said Fashion in December 2023 interviewKidman had just looked Lulu Wang’s The goodbye starring Awkwafina when inspiration struck. “I said, ‘Okay, there she is – our visionary has appeared,’” Kidman said. ‘Now I just have to convince her to do it. I think there was a lot of begging involved.”

Wang was compelled by Kidman’s offer, but hesitated somewhat, as she also said Fashion. “I mean, Hong Kong means so much to so many people,” she said, noting her own experience of being born in Beijing and later immigrating to the United States as a child. “Am I an expat? Am I an immigrant? What community do I really relate to more, and how would I tell the story of the intersection of all these different communities? I think my hesitation actually came from a sense of responsibility. I didn’t know if I could be all things to all people.’

Wang and Kidman then brought Expats to Amazon and were given an Amazon-level budget that allowed them to film in Hong Kong. Wang also had creative control, leading to a standalone episode focused on Filipino domestic workers.

Since Big little lies Kidman made her debut in 2017 and is a champion of telling women’s stories through television. Her other TV projects include Undoing it And Nine perfect strangers.

Keep scrolling to find out everything Expats:

When will ‘expats’ be released?

Expats premieres on Friday, January 26, with new episodes released weekly. The final will air on Friday, February 23.

What is ‘Expats’ about?

The show follows three women living in Hong Kong, one of whom is Margaret (Kidman), whose entire family has moved to the city for her husband’s (Brian Tee) job. Then there’s Hilary (Sarayu Blue), Margaret’s friend and neighbor, who is dealing with the breakdown of her marriage to David (Jack Huston) and her struggle to have a child. Finally, there’s Mercy (Ji-young Yoo), a carefree Korean-American Ivy League student whose odd jobs and aimlessness brought her into contact with Hong Kong’s expat community. She ultimately becomes a central force in the tragedy that affects all three women.

How many episodes will ‘Expats’ have?

The limited series will consist of six episodes, including one 90-minute episode (the fifth episode of the season).

Who else stars in ‘Expats’?

Blue, who plays Hilary, has appeared in many television shows but is perhaps best known for her role as Trina in the film To all the boys series and XO, Kitty.

Yoo now mainly has indie films on her resume, but has also appeared on Netflix Moxiedirected by comedian Amy Poehler.

Huston, who plays David, is perhaps best known for his work on HBO’s crime drama Boardwalk Empire. Tee, who plays Margaret’s husband, played the role of Dr. Ethan Choi Chicago Med on and off for eight seasons.

Why are ‘expats’ controversial?

In September 2021, Variety reported the series faced controversy over several issues. Expats was initially criticized for targeting the minority group of wealthy, white foreigners. Hong Kong newspaper The South China Morning Post called the series “tone deaf”, while others described the sets as orientalist due to the use of Chinese props.

Other critics accused Wang of ignoring the ongoing political situation in Hong Kong. When Kidman flew there to film Expats it was given in August 2021 quarantine exemption to enter the city despite Hong Kong’s strict COVID procedures for residents and other travelers who had to participate in mandatory hotel lockdowns of two to three weeks.

In September 2021, a Hong Kong news publication claimed that Kidman and Wang had creative differences that reportedly led to a falling out. Further rumors swirled that Kidman left the set and left production early, but an Amazon spokesperson denied the report. “Nicole wrapped up as planned, she didn’t leave early,” the rep said at the time. “She always had other projects she was committed to. The production is not fixed or on pause, the recordings would always continue without her.”