Connect with us

Entertainment

Nicole Kidman Leads New Amazon TV Show ‘Expats’: Everything to Know on December 25, 2023 at 9:00 pm Us Weekly

Published

on

Prime Video

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

The show is based on Janice Y.K. Lee’s 2016 novel The Expatriates, which follows three women in Hong Kong throughout different stages of their lives. Kidman found her way to the book through her sister, then immediately got the rights via her production company, Blossom Films.

She still needed the right director for the project, but she soon found her. As she told Vogue in a December 2023 interview, Kidman had just watched Lulu Wang’s The Farewell starring Awkwafina when inspiration struck. “I went, ‘OK, there she is — our visionary has appeared,’” Kidman said. “Now I’ve just got to go and convince her to do it. I think there was a lot of begging involved.”

Advertisement

Wang was compelled by Kidman’s offer but somewhat hesitant, as she also told Vogue. “I mean, Hong Kong means so much to so many people,” she said, noting her own experience of being born in Beijing and later emigrating to the United States as a child. “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 brought Expats to Amazon and got an Amazon-level budget that allowed them to film in Hong Kong. Wang also had creative control, which led to a standalone episode focusing on Filipino domestic workers.

Advertisement

Related: Everything the ‘Big Little Lies’ Cast Has Said About a Potential Season 3

Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon and more Big Little Lies cast members have teased the possibility of returning for season 3 of the HBO series. In November 2019, Kidman revealed that she would be open to another season if the writers were also on board. “If there is a third one, all of it will come […]

Since Big Little Lies debuted in 2017, Kidman has been a champion of telling women’s stories through television. Her other TV projects include The Undoing and Nine Perfect Strangers.

Keep scrolling for everything to know about Expats:

Clarke (Brian Tee) and Margaret (Nicole Kidman) in “Expats” Prime Video

Advertisement

When Will ‘Expats’ Be Released?

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 show follows three women living in Hong Kong, one of whom is Margaret (Kidman), whose whole 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 unraveling 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 grad whose odd jobs and aimlessness put her in contact with the Hong Kong expat community. She eventually becomes a central force in the tragedy that affects all three women.

How Many Episodes Will ‘Expats’ Have?

The limited series will have six episodes, including one 90-minute episode (which will be the fifth episode in the season).

Charly (Bonde Sham) and Mercy (Ji-young Yoo) in “Expats” Prime Video

Advertisement

Who Else Stars in ‘Expats’?

Blue, who plays Hilary, has been on many television shows but might be best known for playing Trina in the To All the Boys series and XO, Kitty.

Yoo, meanwhile, has mostly indie films on her resume but was in Netflix’s Moxie, directed by comedian Amy Poehler.

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

Why Is ‘Expats’ Controversial?

In September 2021, Variety reported the series was facing controversy over several issues. Expats was initially criticized for focusing on the minority group of rich, white foreigners. Hong Kong newspaper The South China Morning Post called the series “tone deaf,” with others describing the sets as orientalist because of the use of Chinese props.

Advertisement

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

In September 2021, a Hong Kong news publication claimed that Kidman and Wang had creative differences that allegedly led to an argument. Further rumors circulated that Kidman walked off set and left the production early, but an Amazon spokesperson denied the report. “Nicole wrapped as scheduled, she did not leave early,” the rep said at 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.”

Prime Video Nicole Kidman is bringing another compelling drama to television with her upcoming series, Expats. The show is based on Janice Y.K. Lee’s 2016 novel The Expatriates, which follows three women in Hong Kong throughout different stages of their lives. Kidman found her way to the book through her sister, then immediately got the 

​   Us Weekly Read More 

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Entertainment

What We Can Learn Inside 50 Cent’s Explosive Diddy Documentary: 5 Reasons You Should Watch

Published

on

50 Cent’s new Netflix docuseries about Sean “Diddy” Combs is more than a headline-grabbing exposé; it is a meticulous breakdown of how power, celebrity, and silence can collide in the entertainment industry.

Across its episodes, the series traces Diddy’s rise, the allegations that followed him for years, and the shocking footage and testimonies now forcing a wider cultural reckoning.

For viewers, it offers not just drama, but lessons about media literacy, accountability, and how society treats survivors when a superstar is involved.

Rapper 50 Cent pictured in Tup Tup Palace night club with owners James Jukes and Matt LoveDough, Newcastle, UK, 7th November 2015

1. It Chronicles Diddy’s Rise and Fall – And How Power Warps Reality

The docuseries follows Combs from hitmaker and business icon to a figure facing serious criminal conviction and public disgrace, mapping out decades of influence, branding, and behind-the-scenes behavior. Watching that arc shows how money, fame, and industry relationships can shield someone from scrutiny and delay accountability, even as disturbing accusations accumulate.

Rapper 50 Cent pictured in Tup Tup Palace night club with owners James Jukes and Matt LoveDough, Newcastle, UK, 7th November 2015

2. Never-Before-Seen Footage Shows How Narratives Are Managed

Exclusive footage of Diddy in private settings and in the tense days around his legal troubles reveals how carefully celebrity narratives are shaped, even in crisis.

Viewers can learn to question polished statements and recognize that what looks spontaneous in public is often the result of strategy, damage control, and legal calculation.

HCFF
HCFF

3. Survivors’ Stories Highlight Patterns of Abuse and Silence

Interviews with alleged victims, former staff, and industry insiders describe patterns of control, fear, and emotional or physical harm that were long whispered about but rarely aired in this detail. Their stories underline how difficult it is to speak out against a powerful figure, teaching viewers why many survivors delay disclosure and why consistent patterns across multiple accounts matter.

4. 50 Cent’s Approach Shows Storytelling as a Tool for Accountability

As executive producer, 50 Cent uses his reputation and platform to push a project that leans into uncomfortable truths rather than protecting industry relationships. The series demonstrates how documentary storytelling can challenge established power structures, elevate marginalized voices, and pressure institutions to respond when traditional systems have failed.

5. The Cultural Backlash Reveals How Society Handles Celebrity Accountability

Reactions to the doc—ranging from people calling it necessary and brave to others dismissing it as a vendetta or smear campaign—expose how emotionally invested audiences can be in defending or condemning a famous figure. Watching that debate unfold helps viewers see how fandom, nostalgia, and bias influence who is believed, and why conversations about “cancel culture” often mask deeper questions about justice and who is considered too powerful to fall.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Entertainment

South Park’s Christmas Episode Delivers the Antichrist

Published

on

A new Christmas-themed episode of South Park is scheduled to air with a central plot in which Satan is depicted as preparing for the birth of an Antichrist figure. The premise extends a season-long narrative arc that has involved Satan, Donald Trump, and apocalyptic rhetoric, positioning this holiday episode as a culmination of those storylines rather than a stand‑alone concept.

Episode premise and season context

According to published synopses and entertainment coverage, the episode frames the Antichrist as part of a fictional storyline that blends religious symbolism with commentary on politics, media, and cultural fear. This follows earlier Season 28 episodes that introduced ideas about Trump fathering an Antichrist child and tech billionaire Peter Thiel obsessing over prophecy and end‑times narratives. The Christmas setting is presented as a contrast to the darker themes, reflecting the series’ pattern of pairing holiday imagery with controversial subject matter.

HCFF
HCFF

Public and political reactions

Coverage notes that some figures connected to Donald Trump’s political orbit have criticized the season’s portrayal of Trump and his allies, describing the show as relying on shock tactics rather than substantive critique. Commentators highlight that these objections are directed more at the depiction of real political figures and the show’s tone than at the specific theology of the Antichrist storyline.

At the time of reporting, there have not been widely reported, detailed statements from major religious leaders focused solely on this Christmas episode, though religion-focused criticism of South Park in general has a long history.

Media and cultural commentary

Entertainment outlets such as The Hollywood Reporter, Entertainment Weekly, Forbes, Slate, and USA Today describe the Antichrist arc as part of South Park’s ongoing use of Trump-era and tech-world politics as material for satire.

These reports emphasize that the show’s treatment of the Antichrist, Satan, and prophecy is designed as exaggerated commentary rather than doctrinal argument, while also acknowledging that many viewers may see the storyline as offensive or excessive.

Viewer guidance and content advisory

South Park is rated TV‑MA and is intended for adult audiences due to strong language, explicit themes, and frequent use of religious and political satire. Viewers who are sensitive to depictions of Satan, the Antichrist, or parodies involving real political figures may find this episode particularly objectionable, while others may view it as consistent with the show’s long‑running approach to controversial topics. As with previous episodes, individual responses are likely to vary widely, and the episode is best understood as part of an ongoing satirical series rather than a factual or theological statement.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Entertainment

Sydney Sweeney Finally Confronts the Plastic Surgery Rumors

Published

on

Sydney Sweeney has decided she is finished watching strangers on the internet treat her face like a forensic project. After years of side‑by‑side screenshots, “then vs now” TikToks, and long comment threads wondering what work she has supposedly had done, the actor is now addressing the plastic surgery rumors directly—and using them to say something larger about how women are looked at in Hollywood and online.

Sweeney at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival red carpet premiere of Christy

Growing Up on Camera vs. “Before and After” Culture

Sweeney points out that people are often mistaking normal changes for procedures: she grew up on camera, her roles now come with big‑budget glam teams, and her body has shifted as she has trained, aged, and worked nonstop. Yet every new red‑carpet photo gets folded into a narrative that assumes surgeons, not time, are responsible. Rather than walking through a checklist of what is “real,” she emphasizes how bizarre it is that internet detectives comb through pores, noses, and jawlines as if they are owed an explanation for every contour of a woman’s face.

HCFF
HCFF

The Real Problem Isn’t Her Face

By speaking up, Sweeney is redirecting the conversation away from her features and toward the culture that obsesses over them.

She argues that the real issue isn’t whether an actress has had work done, but why audiences feel so entitled to dissect her body as public property in the first place.

For her, the constant speculation is less about curiosity and more about control—another way to tell women what they should look like and punish them when they do not fit. In calling out that dynamic, Sweeney isn’t just defending herself; she is forcing fans and followers to ask why tearing apart someone else’s appearance has become such a popular form of entertainment.


Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending