Expats first trailer reveals a grief-laden path for Nicole Kidman's protagonist

Expats, a highly anticipated series from Amazon Prime Video, premiered its trailer on December 19, 2023. The series, which features Nicole Kidman in the lead, is based on Janice Y.K. Lee's novel The Expatriates.

The upcoming limited series, Expats on Prime Video, chronicles the journey of three American women residing in Hong Kong in 2014, to explore intricate questions of privilege and social duty. The official synopsis of the series reads:

"Set against the vibrant and tumultuous tapestry of 2014 Hong Kong, “Expats” centers on three American women — Margaret (Kidman), Hilary (Sarayu Blue), and Mercy (Ji-young Yoo) — whose lives intersect after a sudden family tragedy. The series interrogates privilege and explores what happens when the line between victimhood and culpability becomes blurred."

The series has been directed by Lulu Wang. Nicole Kidman also serves as the executive producer for the series.

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Amazon Prime Video releases the trailer for Expats: Shades of grief overcome Nicole Kidman's character in the upcoming drama

Lulu Wang is back with this limited series, after the success of her 2019 film, The Farewell. The limited series, based on Janice Y.K. Lee's novel, centers on the story of three women and how their lives intertwine.

After a family tragedy, Margaret (Nicole Kidman), an expat wife makes friends with Hilary (Sarayu Blue) and Mercy (Ji-young Yoo). Brian Tee plays Margaret's husband Clarke, while Jack Huston plays Hilary's husband David.

The show reportedly sheds light on the covert lives domestic servants lead away from their wealthy employers in the expat bubble by examining the issue of when victimhood and guilt merge.

As per the trailer, Hilary and Margaret are both married ladies with varied, tragic private lives. Meanwhile, a younger lady named Mercy is looking for a new beginning after graduating from college.

The three ladies in the series are linked by fate, and it is here that they must face the problems endangering their relationships and, more generally, their lives. Viewers will get to see Margaret, Hilary, and Mercy, whose adventures will unfold through non-linear storylines in episodes that are certain to hold the attention of the audience.

Nicole Kidman's character Margaret is seen wallowing in grief (image via Amazon Prime Video)

The trailer shows Margaret enjoying her life in Hong Kong. The city is also treated as a character in the story, as it gives and takes from the protagonists. Kidman's character goes through an inexplicable loss as per the trailer, and there are many scenes that reveal her experiencing the different stages of pain and loss.

The story is female-led and incorporates themes like the dichotomy between classes and dealing with loss. Each theme is subtly portrayed through the protagonists of the story, as per the trailer. The three leading ladies of Expats promise to deliver compelling performances, breathing life into the characters from Janice Y.K. Lee's novel.

Apart from the three lead actors Nicole Kidman, Sarayu Blue, and Ji-young Yoo, the series also features some notable names like Brian Tee, Jack Huston, Flora Chan, and Leon Masuda, among others.

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Expats, which is set against the colorful but turbulent background of 2014 Hong Kong, will make its Prime Video debut early in January 2024. It will premiere with two episodes on January 26, 2024. From there, new episodes will be released weekly until the finale on February 23, 2024. The limited series has a total of six episodes.