Since The Last Update
With the May 31 Emmys eligibility cutoff almost exactly one month away, Emmys-related action is picking up.
On April 22, Ryan Seacrest, Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan came out for a screening and reception in Hollywood on behalf of ABC’s American Idol. Meanwhile, in New York, Peter Morgan, creator and principal writer of Netflix’s The Crown, was feted at the opening of his new Broadway play Patriots. And that same night, FX’s Shōgun had a well-received series — or season? — finale. (The following evening its lead actress, Anna Sawai, sat down with yours truly at Chapman University to record an episode of THR’s Awards Chatter podcast.)
On April 24, Max toasted the third season of Hacks (which debuts on May 2) with a party at the Chateau Marmont attended by the show’s creators and stars, including Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder. And at the same time,...
With the May 31 Emmys eligibility cutoff almost exactly one month away, Emmys-related action is picking up.
On April 22, Ryan Seacrest, Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan came out for a screening and reception in Hollywood on behalf of ABC’s American Idol. Meanwhile, in New York, Peter Morgan, creator and principal writer of Netflix’s The Crown, was feted at the opening of his new Broadway play Patriots. And that same night, FX’s Shōgun had a well-received series — or season? — finale. (The following evening its lead actress, Anna Sawai, sat down with yours truly at Chapman University to record an episode of THR’s Awards Chatter podcast.)
On April 24, Max toasted the third season of Hacks (which debuts on May 2) with a party at the Chateau Marmont attended by the show’s creators and stars, including Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder. And at the same time,...
- 4/30/2024
- by Scott Feinberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The stars and writer-director of the Prime Video limited series Expats sat down Sunday at the Deadline Studio at Prime Experience. Based on Janice Y.K. Lee’s bestselling novel of the same name, Expats revolves around the lives of a group of expatriates in Hong Kong — more specifically, it’s story of three women from different backgrounds linked by a tragic event, grief, loss and complicated family issues.
Appearing on our panel Sunday were star/executive producer Nicole Kidman, actors Ji-Young Yoo, Sarayu Blue, Jack Huston and Brian Tee, and creator/writer/director/executive producer Lulu Wang.
Watch the conversation here, and scroll down for a photo gallery of the event.
Kidman, who has become as prolific a producer through her Blossom Films as she is an actor, also just received the prestigious AFI Lifetime Achievement Award over the weekend, something celebrated by all her Expats colleagues as we began...
Appearing on our panel Sunday were star/executive producer Nicole Kidman, actors Ji-Young Yoo, Sarayu Blue, Jack Huston and Brian Tee, and creator/writer/director/executive producer Lulu Wang.
Watch the conversation here, and scroll down for a photo gallery of the event.
Kidman, who has become as prolific a producer through her Blossom Films as she is an actor, also just received the prestigious AFI Lifetime Achievement Award over the weekend, something celebrated by all her Expats colleagues as we began...
- 4/29/2024
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
Spoilers: This article and video contain spoilers about “Expats” episodes.
“It really invigorated me as an artist” admits “Expats” star Brian Tee about his role on the Amazon Prime Video limited series. For our recent webchat he adds, “I had a deep connection to it immediately, because I myself personally have a daughter. I have an eight-year-old, and for anyone to lose one of their children is, you know, you wouldn’t wish it on your worst enemy.” Watch our exclusive video interview above.
See Exclusive Video Interview: Yong Ok Lee (‘Expats’ production designer)
“Expats” was created and directed by BAFTA nominee Lulu Wang (“The Farewell”), based on the 2016 novel “The Expatriates” by Janice Y. K. Lee. The six-episode drama revolves around three expatriate women and the people that orbit their lives. Oscar and Emmy winner Nicole Kidman stars as Margaret, an American expatriate living in Hong Kong when tragedy befalls her family.
“It really invigorated me as an artist” admits “Expats” star Brian Tee about his role on the Amazon Prime Video limited series. For our recent webchat he adds, “I had a deep connection to it immediately, because I myself personally have a daughter. I have an eight-year-old, and for anyone to lose one of their children is, you know, you wouldn’t wish it on your worst enemy.” Watch our exclusive video interview above.
See Exclusive Video Interview: Yong Ok Lee (‘Expats’ production designer)
“Expats” was created and directed by BAFTA nominee Lulu Wang (“The Farewell”), based on the 2016 novel “The Expatriates” by Janice Y. K. Lee. The six-episode drama revolves around three expatriate women and the people that orbit their lives. Oscar and Emmy winner Nicole Kidman stars as Margaret, an American expatriate living in Hong Kong when tragedy befalls her family.
- 4/25/2024
- by Rob Licuria
- Gold Derby
“I don’t want to distract from the story, as my purpose is always to support the characters. But because we are showing Hong Kong a lot, I also wanted to make sure I show Hong Kong in the right perspective” explains production designer Yong Ok Lee about designing the sets for Amazon Prime Video’s limited series “Expats.” For our recent webchat the Korean designer adds, “I’m not Cantonese. I don’t know their culture,” noting that she “researched a lot of the background about Hong Kong politics, society and economy, but also I wanted to make sure that I can balance between an expat and a local perspective, because it’s not all about Hong Kong locals, it’s also about expats from their perspective.” Watch our exclusive video interview above.
See ‘Expats’ review round-up: Nicole Kidman is ‘mesmerizing’ in Prime Video’s new limited series
“Expats...
See ‘Expats’ review round-up: Nicole Kidman is ‘mesmerizing’ in Prime Video’s new limited series
“Expats...
- 4/24/2024
- by Rob Licuria
- Gold Derby
When actress-producer Nicole Kidman and filmmaker Lulu Wang set out to produce Expats, a miniseries adaptation of the novel The Expatriates, for Prime Video, they were committed to building both an acting ensemble and a writers room that would bolster the female-driven vision behind the project.
Speaking via satellite from Nashville, Kidman joined Wang and castmates Sarayu Blue and Ji-young Yoo at Deadline’s Contenders Television and revealed that she was immediately struck by the novel’s focus on its female characters and shined light on subjects that a diverse array of women face but receive little public discourse or attention.
“The themes of the show and the way in which it’s women, complicated women, but it’s very diverse and it’s very interesting and it’s very interconnected and the way we’re all interconnected. And I loved that it was a global show and that it was very,...
Speaking via satellite from Nashville, Kidman joined Wang and castmates Sarayu Blue and Ji-young Yoo at Deadline’s Contenders Television and revealed that she was immediately struck by the novel’s focus on its female characters and shined light on subjects that a diverse array of women face but receive little public discourse or attention.
“The themes of the show and the way in which it’s women, complicated women, but it’s very diverse and it’s very interesting and it’s very interconnected and the way we’re all interconnected. And I loved that it was a global show and that it was very,...
- 4/14/2024
- by Scott Huver
- Deadline Film + TV
Deadline’s Contenders Television: Los Angeles, a veritable smörgåsbord of awards-worthy TV for your Emmy voting perusal, kicks off the second day of its two-day run Sunday morning at the DGA Theater in Los Angeles. The livestream begins at 9:35 a.m. Pt.
Click to sign up for and launch Sunday’s livestream.
Deadline’s annual TV awards-season kickoff continues today with its showcase that by end will encompass panels featuring 20 networks and streamers spotlighting 35 shows, ranging from drama and action to documentaries, comedies, unscripted and late-night.
It follows Saturday’s event packed to the rafters with industry and guild voters hearing from the likes of Jodie Foster, Lily Gladstone, Kurt Russell, Tom Hiddleston, Jeff Probst, Kelsey Grammer, Tony Shalhoub and more discussing their buzzy shows.
Click to read Deadline’s Contenders magazine
Overall for the weekend, Apple TV+ is bringing a whopping seven shows: Masters of the Air, Lessons in Chemistry,...
Click to sign up for and launch Sunday’s livestream.
Deadline’s annual TV awards-season kickoff continues today with its showcase that by end will encompass panels featuring 20 networks and streamers spotlighting 35 shows, ranging from drama and action to documentaries, comedies, unscripted and late-night.
It follows Saturday’s event packed to the rafters with industry and guild voters hearing from the likes of Jodie Foster, Lily Gladstone, Kurt Russell, Tom Hiddleston, Jeff Probst, Kelsey Grammer, Tony Shalhoub and more discussing their buzzy shows.
Click to read Deadline’s Contenders magazine
Overall for the weekend, Apple TV+ is bringing a whopping seven shows: Masters of the Air, Lessons in Chemistry,...
- 4/14/2024
- by David Morgan
- Deadline Film + TV
Prime Video is gearing up for a strong Emmy push with Lulu Wang’s emotionally charged and intricately crafted miniseries “Expats.”
It was revealed exclusively to Variety that stars Nicole Kidman and Ji-young Yoo will be submitted for lead acting accolades, while Sarayu Blue and Ruby Ruiz will aim for supporting roles. Altogether, “Expats” will vie for 24 Primetime Emmy nominations, including outstanding limited or anthology series.
Set against the vibrant backdrop of Hong Kong, and adapted from the novel by Janice Y.K. Lee, “Expats” delves into the lives of a close-knit group of expatriates, navigating their affluent, yet complex world. The narrative centers around the mysterious disappearance of Margaret’s (Kidman) son during a market visit, intertwining the lives of three American women amidst the 2014 Umbrella Movement protests.
Read: All Primetime Emmy predictions in every category on Variety’s Awards Circuit.
Lulu Wang, the creator, writer and director of the...
It was revealed exclusively to Variety that stars Nicole Kidman and Ji-young Yoo will be submitted for lead acting accolades, while Sarayu Blue and Ruby Ruiz will aim for supporting roles. Altogether, “Expats” will vie for 24 Primetime Emmy nominations, including outstanding limited or anthology series.
Set against the vibrant backdrop of Hong Kong, and adapted from the novel by Janice Y.K. Lee, “Expats” delves into the lives of a close-knit group of expatriates, navigating their affluent, yet complex world. The narrative centers around the mysterious disappearance of Margaret’s (Kidman) son during a market visit, intertwining the lives of three American women amidst the 2014 Umbrella Movement protests.
Read: All Primetime Emmy predictions in every category on Variety’s Awards Circuit.
Lulu Wang, the creator, writer and director of the...
- 4/11/2024
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Updated, April 10: Additional top talent has been confirmed for Deadline’s Contenders Television, which will take place this weekend, April 13-14, at the Directors Guild of America in Los Angeles. Full details for the event, which can also be livestreamed, and an RSVP link can be found here here.
The new names added to the lineup include Jodie Foster, Kurt Russell, Quinta Brunson, Owen Wilson, Tyler James Williams, William Stanford Davis, Chris Perfetti, Aaron Moten and Ella Purnell.
They join previously announced roster that includes Tom Hiddleston, Nicole Kidman, Brie Larson, Kristen Wiig, Rebecca Ferguson, Lily Gladstone, Maya Rudolph, David Oyelowo, Common, Jimmy Fallon, Giancarlo Esposito, Joey King, Andrea Riseborough, Sebastian Maniscalco, Bill Pullman, Kiefer Sutherland, Logan Lerman, Kelsey Grammer, Matt Bomer, Tim Robbins, Josh Lucas, Jonathan Bailey, Tony Shalhoub, Maya Erskine, Nathan Fielder, Skeet Ulrich, Jeff Probst, Omar J. Dorsey, Harriet Dyer, Patrick Brammall, Sophia Di Martino, Sarayu Blue,...
The new names added to the lineup include Jodie Foster, Kurt Russell, Quinta Brunson, Owen Wilson, Tyler James Williams, William Stanford Davis, Chris Perfetti, Aaron Moten and Ella Purnell.
They join previously announced roster that includes Tom Hiddleston, Nicole Kidman, Brie Larson, Kristen Wiig, Rebecca Ferguson, Lily Gladstone, Maya Rudolph, David Oyelowo, Common, Jimmy Fallon, Giancarlo Esposito, Joey King, Andrea Riseborough, Sebastian Maniscalco, Bill Pullman, Kiefer Sutherland, Logan Lerman, Kelsey Grammer, Matt Bomer, Tim Robbins, Josh Lucas, Jonathan Bailey, Tony Shalhoub, Maya Erskine, Nathan Fielder, Skeet Ulrich, Jeff Probst, Omar J. Dorsey, Harriet Dyer, Patrick Brammall, Sophia Di Martino, Sarayu Blue,...
- 4/10/2024
- by The Deadline Team
- Deadline Film + TV
So many stars graced the red carpet outside Bar Marmont on Wednesday night (March 6) to attend Vanity Fair and Instagram Celebrate Vanities: A Night for Young Hollywood.
The celebrity packed guestlist featured the likes of Barry Keoghan, Hunter Schafer and Charles Melton. That’s barely scratching the surface, though.
We pulled together photos of more than 100 stars on the guestlist. That way you can easily see who was there and what they were wearing!
Head inside to see all of the photos from Vanity Fair and Instagram Celebrate Vanities: A Night for Young Hollywood…
Keep scrolling to see all of the photos from Vanity Fair and Instagram Celebrate Vanities: A Night for Young Hollywood…
Barry Keoghan
Fyi: Barry is wearing Amiri FW24 Rtw.
Hunter Schafer
Fyi: Hunter is wearing Prada SS13 Rtw.
Evan Ross Katz
Aria Mia Loberti
Reece Feldman
Derek Luh
Sammi Hanratty
Asa Germann
Dallas James Liu
Charles...
The celebrity packed guestlist featured the likes of Barry Keoghan, Hunter Schafer and Charles Melton. That’s barely scratching the surface, though.
We pulled together photos of more than 100 stars on the guestlist. That way you can easily see who was there and what they were wearing!
Head inside to see all of the photos from Vanity Fair and Instagram Celebrate Vanities: A Night for Young Hollywood…
Keep scrolling to see all of the photos from Vanity Fair and Instagram Celebrate Vanities: A Night for Young Hollywood…
Barry Keoghan
Fyi: Barry is wearing Amiri FW24 Rtw.
Hunter Schafer
Fyi: Hunter is wearing Prada SS13 Rtw.
Evan Ross Katz
Aria Mia Loberti
Reece Feldman
Derek Luh
Sammi Hanratty
Asa Germann
Dallas James Liu
Charles...
- 3/7/2024
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
Hello, and welcome to the Scene 2 Seen Podcast!
I am Valerie Complex, an associate editor and film writer at Deadline. Today I’m chatting with Ji-young Yoo, who has some anticipated performances on the horizon. It’s no wonder Variety named her one of the 10 Actors to Watch for 2023.
Ji-Young stars as a co-lead in the six-part limited series Expats, which is based on the Janice Y.K. Lee’s international best-selling novel, The Expatriates. Directed by Lulu Wang (The Farewell), the series also stars Nicole Kidman and Sarayu Blue. Set in Hong Kong 2014, the story centers on three American women – Margaret Mercy and Hilary – whose lives intersect after a sudden tragedy. The series made its debut at the 2023 Toronto Film Festival and was released on Prime Video in January.
The actress attended Sundance 2024 for the premiere of the immersive film Freaky Tales alongside Pedro Pascal and Jay Ellis. From Captain Marvel...
I am Valerie Complex, an associate editor and film writer at Deadline. Today I’m chatting with Ji-young Yoo, who has some anticipated performances on the horizon. It’s no wonder Variety named her one of the 10 Actors to Watch for 2023.
Ji-Young stars as a co-lead in the six-part limited series Expats, which is based on the Janice Y.K. Lee’s international best-selling novel, The Expatriates. Directed by Lulu Wang (The Farewell), the series also stars Nicole Kidman and Sarayu Blue. Set in Hong Kong 2014, the story centers on three American women – Margaret Mercy and Hilary – whose lives intersect after a sudden tragedy. The series made its debut at the 2023 Toronto Film Festival and was released on Prime Video in January.
The actress attended Sundance 2024 for the premiere of the immersive film Freaky Tales alongside Pedro Pascal and Jay Ellis. From Captain Marvel...
- 3/1/2024
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
Spoiler Alert: The following reveals major plot points from the Prime Video limited series Expats including the finale.
Lulu Wang’s Expats, an adaptation of Janice Y. K. Lee’s novel The Expatriates, concluded its 6-episode run on Friday with the episode aptly titled “Home.” What is home exactly?
The limited series takes viewers on a journey with three central female characters—Margaret Woo (Nicole Kidman), Hilary Starr (Sarayu Blue) and Mercy Cho (Ji-young Yoo)—whose lives become intertwined while they’re expatriates living in Hong Kong.
On the surface, life appears blessed and busy for Americans Margaret and Hilary, two married professionals who require the assistance of one or more helpers to keep their lives running and looking perfect from the outside.
Margaret is married to Clarke (Brian Tee) who is trying to make his way up the corporate ladder while helping to raise their three children: Daisy (Tiana Gowen...
Lulu Wang’s Expats, an adaptation of Janice Y. K. Lee’s novel The Expatriates, concluded its 6-episode run on Friday with the episode aptly titled “Home.” What is home exactly?
The limited series takes viewers on a journey with three central female characters—Margaret Woo (Nicole Kidman), Hilary Starr (Sarayu Blue) and Mercy Cho (Ji-young Yoo)—whose lives become intertwined while they’re expatriates living in Hong Kong.
On the surface, life appears blessed and busy for Americans Margaret and Hilary, two married professionals who require the assistance of one or more helpers to keep their lives running and looking perfect from the outside.
Margaret is married to Clarke (Brian Tee) who is trying to make his way up the corporate ladder while helping to raise their three children: Daisy (Tiana Gowen...
- 2/24/2024
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
Spoiler Alert: This interview contains spoilers for “Home” the series finale of “Expats,” now streaming on Prime Video.
“Keep on living” is the theme of the series finale of Lulu Wang’s “Expats.”
It wraps up the grief, loss and pain Margaret (Nicole Kidman), Mercy (Ji-Young Yoo) and Hilary (Sarayu Blue) have been experiencing throughout. In the final episode of “Expats,” Wang seeks to show how the women at the center of the story move forward and find peace and resolution in their lives.
Margaret and her family are planning to move back to America after dealing with the disappearance of their young son, Gus. Before that, she takes time to meet with both Mercy and Hilary at a coffee shop trying to put the past behind her so she can move on.
Meanwhile, Mercy is grappling with her unexpected pregnancy caused by her affair with Hilary’s husband David...
“Keep on living” is the theme of the series finale of Lulu Wang’s “Expats.”
It wraps up the grief, loss and pain Margaret (Nicole Kidman), Mercy (Ji-Young Yoo) and Hilary (Sarayu Blue) have been experiencing throughout. In the final episode of “Expats,” Wang seeks to show how the women at the center of the story move forward and find peace and resolution in their lives.
Margaret and her family are planning to move back to America after dealing with the disappearance of their young son, Gus. Before that, she takes time to meet with both Mercy and Hilary at a coffee shop trying to put the past behind her so she can move on.
Meanwhile, Mercy is grappling with her unexpected pregnancy caused by her affair with Hilary’s husband David...
- 2/23/2024
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
In the series finale of Prime Video’s Expats, Margaret, Hilary and Mercy finally came to terms with the weight of their individual traumas, and the complicated and sometimes brutal roles they played in each others’ lives.
When the three women met face to face, Margaret announced that her family was moving back to the States in order to help her other two children move on. And while Hilary reflected on healing from her father’s death and his abuse against her mother throughout her childhood, Mercy timidly faced motherhood, as she continued to struggle with her own grief stemming...
When the three women met face to face, Margaret announced that her family was moving back to the States in order to help her other two children move on. And while Hilary reflected on healing from her father’s death and his abuse against her mother throughout her childhood, Mercy timidly faced motherhood, as she continued to struggle with her own grief stemming...
- 2/23/2024
- by Nick Caruso
- TVLine.com
If you want to tell a story about expats in Hong Kong or anywhere else, one of the problems you’ll run into is that they necessarily have enough wealth to insulate their lives from a lot of the forces that loom over the locals — like politics and time. The three protagonists of “Expats” are all varying degrees of privileged and enmeshed in varying levels of grief that make them, as we all are, both victims of and perpetrators to the people around them. Director Lulu Wang, though, finds a wonderful cinematic answer to the question of how to connect the Prime Video series’ expatriates to the world around them, even if they can’t quite see it.
Mops.
Well, not always mops, but a moment at the start of the sixth and final episode is a great example of the canny visual ways Wang and her team make everything...
Mops.
Well, not always mops, but a moment at the start of the sixth and final episode is a great example of the canny visual ways Wang and her team make everything...
- 2/23/2024
- by Sarah Shachat
- Indiewire
There’s a very specific emotion I felt while watching Expats, Lulu Wang’s drama series about American expatriates in Hong Kong: frustration.
There was also admiration, of course, and enjoyment and suspense, but at some point, while watching the performances of Sarayu Blue and Brian Tee, the indignation set in: We could have been seeing them do this kind of work this whole time?
It’s a reaction that uniquely arises when you finally witness the full potential of someone whose face (if not name) has been a familiar presence on screens for quite a while, but almost always in a supporting role where they are serving the story — just not their story. These artists tend to disproportionately hail from historically excluded backgrounds, often cast to make an ensemble diverse but usually relegated to bridesmaid and never the bride. And in recent years, as Hollywood has sought to cash...
There was also admiration, of course, and enjoyment and suspense, but at some point, while watching the performances of Sarayu Blue and Brian Tee, the indignation set in: We could have been seeing them do this kind of work this whole time?
It’s a reaction that uniquely arises when you finally witness the full potential of someone whose face (if not name) has been a familiar presence on screens for quite a while, but almost always in a supporting role where they are serving the story — just not their story. These artists tend to disproportionately hail from historically excluded backgrounds, often cast to make an ensemble diverse but usually relegated to bridesmaid and never the bride. And in recent years, as Hollywood has sought to cash...
- 2/22/2024
- by Rebecca Sun
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
[This story contains spoilers through the fifth episode of Expats, “Central.”]
A show called Expats understandably focuses on the cosmopolitan lives of those privileged enough to make their fortunes abroad, and for most of the Amazon limited series’ six episodes, it does just that, following neighbors Margaret (Nicole Kidman) and Hilary (Sarayu Blue). The two wealthy women live in Hong Kong’s tony Victoria Peak neighborhood, as well as Mercy (Ji-young Yoo), the American drifter who complicates both of their lives. To recap: Mercy was tasked with watching Margaret’s two sons during a night market outing when the younger one disappeared. A year later, Gus is still missing, and Mercy is having an affair with Hilary’s husband, David (Jack Huston).
But the fifth episode drifts away from the trio of protagonists to focus on characters that have heretofore existed in the background, sometimes literally. “Central” (each episode of Expats is named after a geographically significant area in...
A show called Expats understandably focuses on the cosmopolitan lives of those privileged enough to make their fortunes abroad, and for most of the Amazon limited series’ six episodes, it does just that, following neighbors Margaret (Nicole Kidman) and Hilary (Sarayu Blue). The two wealthy women live in Hong Kong’s tony Victoria Peak neighborhood, as well as Mercy (Ji-young Yoo), the American drifter who complicates both of their lives. To recap: Mercy was tasked with watching Margaret’s two sons during a night market outing when the younger one disappeared. A year later, Gus is still missing, and Mercy is having an affair with Hilary’s husband, David (Jack Huston).
But the fifth episode drifts away from the trio of protagonists to focus on characters that have heretofore existed in the background, sometimes literally. “Central” (each episode of Expats is named after a geographically significant area in...
- 2/17/2024
- by Rebecca Sun
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Spoiler Alert: This interview contains spoilers for “Central,” the fifth episode of “Expats,” now streaming on Prime Video.
Lulu Wang’s “Expats” steps into feature-length territory for this week’s episode, which focuses on the working class women by diving into the lives of the helpers, Essie (Ruby Ruiz) and Puri (Amelyn Pardenilla). The story steps away from the wealthy world of Margaret (Nicole Kidman) and Hillary (Sarayu Blue), instead following Essie and Puri on their day off, unwinding from their hectic work week.
Poor Essie has spent much of the series fraught with guilt over the disappeareance of Margaret’s son, Gus, blaming herself for not being there the night the young boy vanished at the night market. Early in this week’s episode, the nanny is Facetiming with her son, who is in the Philippines, anticipating that she will return “soon.” Essie believes Margaret will head back to...
Lulu Wang’s “Expats” steps into feature-length territory for this week’s episode, which focuses on the working class women by diving into the lives of the helpers, Essie (Ruby Ruiz) and Puri (Amelyn Pardenilla). The story steps away from the wealthy world of Margaret (Nicole Kidman) and Hillary (Sarayu Blue), instead following Essie and Puri on their day off, unwinding from their hectic work week.
Poor Essie has spent much of the series fraught with guilt over the disappeareance of Margaret’s son, Gus, blaming herself for not being there the night the young boy vanished at the night market. Early in this week’s episode, the nanny is Facetiming with her son, who is in the Philippines, anticipating that she will return “soon.” Essie believes Margaret will head back to...
- 2/17/2024
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
In the wake of its penultimate episode, Amazon Prime Video confirmed the release date for Episode 6 of Expats and the show's remaining schedule.
The hit mini-series based on Janice Y. K. Lee's gripping mystery novel, The Expatriates, will end soon after telling the story of three foreign nationals working in Hong Kong and the quest to find one of their missing sons.
Led by the likes of Nicole Kidman, Sarayu Blue, and Ji-young Yoo, the series grabbed a hold of audiences and has not let go, with critics praising it for being "emotionally devastating" and its "ace cast" (via Rotten Tomatoes).
Read full article on The Direct.
The hit mini-series based on Janice Y. K. Lee's gripping mystery novel, The Expatriates, will end soon after telling the story of three foreign nationals working in Hong Kong and the quest to find one of their missing sons.
Led by the likes of Nicole Kidman, Sarayu Blue, and Ji-young Yoo, the series grabbed a hold of audiences and has not let go, with critics praising it for being "emotionally devastating" and its "ace cast" (via Rotten Tomatoes).
Read full article on The Direct.
- 2/16/2024
- by Klein Felt
- The Direct
Part of what makes “Expats” so potent is that it focuses on three women in Hong Kong grappling with momentous life changes in 2014 when the city was doing the same. But the Hong Kong of today — even the Hong Kong of 2020, when the Prime Video series began shooting — is markedly different from the Hong Kong of 2014 when the story is set.
Episode 5, “Central,” explicitly digs into the scale of these changes, as instead of following the show’s main expats, it focuses on local characters of all economic strata caught up in a particularly bad storm at the beginning of the Umbrella Movement protests, from a young activist on the frontlines (Will Orr) to his worried-sick mother (Maggie Lee) to a migrant worker (Amelyn Pardenilla) with big dreams. While the pandemic shifted some of the show’s production from Hong Kong to L.A., production designer Yong Ok Lee knew...
Episode 5, “Central,” explicitly digs into the scale of these changes, as instead of following the show’s main expats, it focuses on local characters of all economic strata caught up in a particularly bad storm at the beginning of the Umbrella Movement protests, from a young activist on the frontlines (Will Orr) to his worried-sick mother (Maggie Lee) to a migrant worker (Amelyn Pardenilla) with big dreams. While the pandemic shifted some of the show’s production from Hong Kong to L.A., production designer Yong Ok Lee knew...
- 2/16/2024
- by Sarah Shachat
- Indiewire
Expats Review Is Out! (Picture Credit: IMDb)
Expats Review: Star Rating:
Cast: Nicole Kidman, Sarayu Blue, Ji-young Yoo, Brian Tee, and Jack Huston
Creator: Lulu Wang
Director: Lulu Wang
Streaming On: Amazon Prime Video
Language: English (with subtitles)
Runtime: 6 episodes, around 1 hour each.
Expats Review Is Out! (Picture Credit: IMDb) Expats Review: What’s It About
The immigrant experience is very particular because what it means to go to a different country and start a life from scratch can mean different things to different people; some people adapt very well, while others never really manage to grow roots there. What is pretty much universal is that living in another culture is not an easy task, and that is the subject of Expats, a new series created by Lulu Wang and streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
Expats Review: Script Analysis
Expats take the chance to tell the stories of three women...
Expats Review: Star Rating:
Cast: Nicole Kidman, Sarayu Blue, Ji-young Yoo, Brian Tee, and Jack Huston
Creator: Lulu Wang
Director: Lulu Wang
Streaming On: Amazon Prime Video
Language: English (with subtitles)
Runtime: 6 episodes, around 1 hour each.
Expats Review Is Out! (Picture Credit: IMDb) Expats Review: What’s It About
The immigrant experience is very particular because what it means to go to a different country and start a life from scratch can mean different things to different people; some people adapt very well, while others never really manage to grow roots there. What is pretty much universal is that living in another culture is not an easy task, and that is the subject of Expats, a new series created by Lulu Wang and streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
Expats Review: Script Analysis
Expats take the chance to tell the stories of three women...
- 2/1/2024
- by Nelson Acosta
- KoiMoi
This weekend, Amazon introduced us to the world of Expats. The series featuring Nicole Kidman is about the intersecting lives of expatriates in Hong Kong. Along with Kidman, the six-part series stars Sarayu Blue, Ji-young Yoo, Brian Tee, and Jack Huston. It’s a bold work from the acclaimed novel “The Expatriates” by Janice Y.K. Lee, one that is impressively brought to life by filmmaker Lulu Wang. Wang, who directed the fantastic The Farewell, is a perfect fit to get Expats off the page.
Jack Huston and Brian Tee are both terrific in the series. And having interviewed Mr. Huston a few times before, it was delightful to chat with him again. The two talked about taking on this series, working with Lulu Wang, and their connection with the source material. Jack also discussed trusting the filmmaker to create a compelling and emotional role.
Happily, it didn’t end with the charming Huston and Tee.
Jack Huston and Brian Tee are both terrific in the series. And having interviewed Mr. Huston a few times before, it was delightful to chat with him again. The two talked about taking on this series, working with Lulu Wang, and their connection with the source material. Jack also discussed trusting the filmmaker to create a compelling and emotional role.
Happily, it didn’t end with the charming Huston and Tee.
- 1/30/2024
- by JimmyO
- JoBlo.com
The Sundance Film Festival has wrapped in snowy Park City, and Deadline was on the ground to watch all of the key films. Here is a compilation of our reviews from the fest, which include festival award winners like Daughters, the documentary that took the Festival Favorite Award, and A Real Pain, which won the Waldo Salt Screenwriter Award for its writer-director-star Jesse Eisenberg.
Other pics include several that were scooped up by distributors, led by Steven Soderbergh’s ghost story Presence selling to Neon, A Real Pain going to Searchlight, Ghostlight to IFC Films, and Netflix’s smash $17 million deal for It’s What’s Inside.
Check out the reviews below, click on the titles to read them in full, and keep checking back as we add more.
The American Society of Magical Negroes (L-r) Justice Smith and David Alan Grier in ‘The American Society of Magical Negroes’
Section: Premieres
Director-screenwriter: Kobi Libii
Cast: Justice Smith,...
Other pics include several that were scooped up by distributors, led by Steven Soderbergh’s ghost story Presence selling to Neon, A Real Pain going to Searchlight, Ghostlight to IFC Films, and Netflix’s smash $17 million deal for It’s What’s Inside.
Check out the reviews below, click on the titles to read them in full, and keep checking back as we add more.
The American Society of Magical Negroes (L-r) Justice Smith and David Alan Grier in ‘The American Society of Magical Negroes’
Section: Premieres
Director-screenwriter: Kobi Libii
Cast: Justice Smith,...
- 1/29/2024
- by Damon Wise, Valerie Complex and Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
On January 26, 2024, Prime Video released “Expats,” a limited series starring Oscar winner Nicole Kidman as an American living in Hong Kong. The show was created and directed by BAFTA nominee Lulu Wang (“The Farewell”) and takes a look at the personal and professional lives of a tight-knit group of expatriates living overseas. The ensemble cast includes Ji-young Yoo, Jack Huston, Sarayu Blue and Brian Tee.
The series has earned predominantly positive reviews from critics, holding fresh at 71% on Rotten Tomatoes. Read our full review round-up below.
See Nicole Kidman movies: 16 greatest films ranked from worst to best
Anna van Praagh of London Evening Standard writes, “Nicole Kidman is mesmerising, the music by Alex Weston is pitch perfect and Lulu Wang has now made her mark as a director of note. This is a triumph.” Concluding, “Based on Janice Y. K. Lee’s 2016 novel ‘The Expatriates’, the six-episode limited series takes...
The series has earned predominantly positive reviews from critics, holding fresh at 71% on Rotten Tomatoes. Read our full review round-up below.
See Nicole Kidman movies: 16 greatest films ranked from worst to best
Anna van Praagh of London Evening Standard writes, “Nicole Kidman is mesmerising, the music by Alex Weston is pitch perfect and Lulu Wang has now made her mark as a director of note. This is a triumph.” Concluding, “Based on Janice Y. K. Lee’s 2016 novel ‘The Expatriates’, the six-episode limited series takes...
- 1/28/2024
- by Vincent Mandile
- Gold Derby
Even before they earned Oscar nominations for their respective performances in “Elvis” and “The Banshees of Inisherin,” Austin Butler and Barry Keoghan were already flying high. In 2021, the talented duo joined BAFTA TV nominee Callum Turner in filming “Masters of the Air,” a new miniseries produced by Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg and Gary Goetzman. The World War II-set drama — the first two episodes of which are now streaming on Apple TV+ — is the long-awaited follow-up to the Emmy-winning HBO miniseries “Band of Brothers” and “The Pacific,” which followed members of the Army and Marine Corps, respectively, during the war.
The new series, which has been adapted for TV by John Orloff from Donald L. Miller‘s book of the same name, follows the U.S. Air Force’s Hundredth Bombardment Group as they carry out dangerous missions on the continent well ahead of the Allied invasion of Normandy. It’s not...
The new series, which has been adapted for TV by John Orloff from Donald L. Miller‘s book of the same name, follows the U.S. Air Force’s Hundredth Bombardment Group as they carry out dangerous missions on the continent well ahead of the Allied invasion of Normandy. It’s not...
- 1/27/2024
- by Kaitlin Thomas
- Gold Derby
Nicole Kidman is returning to the small screen. The Oscar-winning actress is headlining Prime Video’s new drama series “Expats,” which premieres on Thursday, Jan. 25. The series follows three women living in Hong Kong whose lives intersect following a startling family tragedy, and shows viewers the unintended consequences of the roles life forces people into. You can watch Expats with a 30-Day Free Trial of Amazon Prime Video.
How to Watch ‘Expats’ Premiere Starring Nicole Kidman When: Thursday, January 25, 2024 Where: Amazon Prime Video Stream: Watch with a 30-Day Free Trial of Amazon Prime Video. 30-Day Free Trial$8.99+ / month amazon.com About ‘Expats’ Premiere Starring Nicole Kidman
Margaret (Nicole Kidman), Hilary (Sarayu Blue), and Mercy (Ji-young Yoo) are all trying to carve out their own lives. Living in Hong Kong in 2014, these three American women all have different hopes, dreams and goals for their life in the city. But when Margaret’s child suddenly disappears,...
How to Watch ‘Expats’ Premiere Starring Nicole Kidman When: Thursday, January 25, 2024 Where: Amazon Prime Video Stream: Watch with a 30-Day Free Trial of Amazon Prime Video. 30-Day Free Trial$8.99+ / month amazon.com About ‘Expats’ Premiere Starring Nicole Kidman
Margaret (Nicole Kidman), Hilary (Sarayu Blue), and Mercy (Ji-young Yoo) are all trying to carve out their own lives. Living in Hong Kong in 2014, these three American women all have different hopes, dreams and goals for their life in the city. But when Margaret’s child suddenly disappears,...
- 1/26/2024
- by David Satin
- The Streamable
Plot: Four interconnected tales follow a teenager in love (Jack Champion), two female rappers trying to make it (Normani and Dominique Thorne), a world-weary debt mob enforcer (Pedro Pascal ) and a basketball legend (Jay Ellis) looking for vengeance in 1987 Oakland.
Review: Directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck (Half Nelson) make a triumphant return to Sundance with one of the festival’s most energetic offerings in years. Mixing a Tarantino-style crime tale with high-octane action, Boden and Fleck use the bag of tricks they earned working for the MCU (Captain Marvel) to deliver an unexpected smash. Freaky Tales is the kind of movie Sundance would have shown in its nineties heyday, with it likely the only film playing this year that ends in a kung-fu-heavy bloodbath. I loved every second of it.
Freaky Tales mostly takes place over a single night in Oakland; it uses a few things that were...
Review: Directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck (Half Nelson) make a triumphant return to Sundance with one of the festival’s most energetic offerings in years. Mixing a Tarantino-style crime tale with high-octane action, Boden and Fleck use the bag of tricks they earned working for the MCU (Captain Marvel) to deliver an unexpected smash. Freaky Tales is the kind of movie Sundance would have shown in its nineties heyday, with it likely the only film playing this year that ends in a kung-fu-heavy bloodbath. I loved every second of it.
Freaky Tales mostly takes place over a single night in Oakland; it uses a few things that were...
- 1/26/2024
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
Sitting at the center of Expats is a mystery of the sort that’s fueled countless crime dramas, and countless more true-crime series. On an otherwise unremarkable evening in Hong Kong, a little boy, Gus (Connor J. Gillman), goes missing on a night out with his family. The questions raised by this incident are obvious and urgent: What happened to him? Who did it? Where is he now?
But answers, in Amazon Prime Video’s Expats, are much harder to come by. Indeed, the questions the series is really invested in are the ones that arise when it becomes apparent that satisfying answers never might be obtained, of how to exist alongside such uncertainty and unfairness and unthinkable pain. Its six hour-ish episodes follow this line of thought through explorations of sexism and classism, home and family, and with so many big themes bouncing around, some are inevitably served better than others.
But answers, in Amazon Prime Video’s Expats, are much harder to come by. Indeed, the questions the series is really invested in are the ones that arise when it becomes apparent that satisfying answers never might be obtained, of how to exist alongside such uncertainty and unfairness and unthinkable pain. Its six hour-ish episodes follow this line of thought through explorations of sexism and classism, home and family, and with so many big themes bouncing around, some are inevitably served better than others.
- 1/25/2024
- by Angie Han
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Compared to the more rigid constraints imposed by a traditional TV network series or feature film, streaming provides as little or as much space as necessary to tell a story. But time and time again, this greater freedom results in a lack of concision, a tendency to get lost in the weeds. The latest example is Lulu Wang’s limited series Expats, which attempts to tell a story that might have worked just fine if it weren’t spread across six episodes.
Expats is adapted from Janice Y.K. Lee’s novel The Expatriates, which traces the lives of three American women living in Hong Kong in 2014. The expat community is represented here by Margaret Woo (Nicole Kidman) and Hilary Starr (Sarayu Blue), who live in a luxury apartment building with their husbands and, in Margaret’s case, children. They have live-in “helpers,” and they attend lavish parties even in the midst of tragedy.
Expats is adapted from Janice Y.K. Lee’s novel The Expatriates, which traces the lives of three American women living in Hong Kong in 2014. The expat community is represented here by Margaret Woo (Nicole Kidman) and Hilary Starr (Sarayu Blue), who live in a luxury apartment building with their husbands and, in Margaret’s case, children. They have live-in “helpers,” and they attend lavish parties even in the midst of tragedy.
- 1/25/2024
- by Steven Scaife
- Slant Magazine
If life is a series of choices, then one persistent question often carries outsized weight: Do I stay, or do I go? Staying means surrounding yourself with family, friends, and familiarity. Going necessitates discovery, be it new places, people, or customs. There are always extremes and exceptions, of course, but the beauty of Lulu Wang’s rich new series, “Expats,” is that it relishes the personal twist on each answer — the unique specificity of life that contends with its universal demands. Maybe staying means choosing one person over another. Maybe going isn’t a choice at all. What remains, as a constant, is the tug of the unknown, the path not chosen, the future that could’ve been — or could still be.
All three protagonists in “Expats” chose, at one point or another, to go. Margaret (Nicole Kidman), Hilary (Sarayu Blue), and Mercy (Ji-young Yoo) are all Americans living in China.
All three protagonists in “Expats” chose, at one point or another, to go. Margaret (Nicole Kidman), Hilary (Sarayu Blue), and Mercy (Ji-young Yoo) are all Americans living in China.
- 1/25/2024
- by Ben Travers
- Indiewire
Before the early-morning Sundance premiere of Freaky Tales, one of the festival’s programmers introduced the movie as an explosive, crazy ride that would surely wake an under-caffeinated audience. That same sentiment was shared moments later in the opening frames, promising that Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck’s Oakland-based 1980s mosaic would be a “hella wild” ride. Like the common trope of freeze-frame narration that begins in media res, it’s a bold choice to tell––instead of show––your audience what they’re about to get into.
And what do you get into with Freaky Tales? Unfortunately, something clever, self-satisfied, and much sleepier than its predetermined adrenaline rush. Its filmmakers made their first splash at Sundance with Half Nelson in 2006, eventually compounding their indie success through sensitive (It’s Kind of a Funny Story) and smart (Mississippi Grind) features that showcased their writing skills and casting decisions. Their mainstream...
And what do you get into with Freaky Tales? Unfortunately, something clever, self-satisfied, and much sleepier than its predetermined adrenaline rush. Its filmmakers made their first splash at Sundance with Half Nelson in 2006, eventually compounding their indie success through sensitive (It’s Kind of a Funny Story) and smart (Mississippi Grind) features that showcased their writing skills and casting decisions. Their mainstream...
- 1/25/2024
- by Jake Kring-Schreifels
- The Film Stage
Los Angeles, Jan 22 (Ians) Actress Nicole Kidman said that ‘Big Little Lies’ Season 3 is being worked upon.
“We’re at work on it,” Nicole told Variety.
Nicole says she and Reese Witherspoon are “texting every day” about the third season. “And there’s a timeline and we’re doing it.”
The actress laughed when asked for more details. “We can’t say anything more,” Nicole said.
“We’ve got to start keeping our mouths shut…We’ve got to button it.”
The news comes after Reese confirmed a new season was happening.
“We are working on it,” she told Variety during the Golden Globes pre-show.
“Nic and I have been working on it a lot.”
A ‘Big Little Lies’ reunion got additional buzz when HBO and Max content chairman/CEO Casey Bloys confirmed that he heard “a little bit about the idea.”
Bloys told Michael Schneider that Reese and Nicole...
“We’re at work on it,” Nicole told Variety.
Nicole says she and Reese Witherspoon are “texting every day” about the third season. “And there’s a timeline and we’re doing it.”
The actress laughed when asked for more details. “We can’t say anything more,” Nicole said.
“We’ve got to start keeping our mouths shut…We’ve got to button it.”
The news comes after Reese confirmed a new season was happening.
“We are working on it,” she told Variety during the Golden Globes pre-show.
“Nic and I have been working on it a lot.”
A ‘Big Little Lies’ reunion got additional buzz when HBO and Max content chairman/CEO Casey Bloys confirmed that he heard “a little bit about the idea.”
Bloys told Michael Schneider that Reese and Nicole...
- 1/22/2024
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
“Big Little Lies” Season 3 is coming along nicely.
“We’re at work on it,” Nicole Kidman told Variety Sunday night at the New York premiere of her new series “Expats.”
Kidman says she and Reese Witherspoon are “texting every day” about the third season. “And there’s a timeline and we’re doing it.”
She laughed when asked for more details. “We can’t say anything more,” Kidman said. “We’ve got to start keeping our mouths shut…We’ve got to button it.””
The news comes after Witherspoon confirmed a new season was happening. “We are working on it,” she told Variety’s Marc Malkin during the Golden Globes pre-show. “Nic and I have been working on it a lot.”
A “Big Little Lies” reunion got additional buzz when HBO and Max content chairman/CEO Casey Bloys confirmed to Variety that he heard “a little bit about the idea.
“We’re at work on it,” Nicole Kidman told Variety Sunday night at the New York premiere of her new series “Expats.”
Kidman says she and Reese Witherspoon are “texting every day” about the third season. “And there’s a timeline and we’re doing it.”
She laughed when asked for more details. “We can’t say anything more,” Kidman said. “We’ve got to start keeping our mouths shut…We’ve got to button it.””
The news comes after Witherspoon confirmed a new season was happening. “We are working on it,” she told Variety’s Marc Malkin during the Golden Globes pre-show. “Nic and I have been working on it a lot.”
A “Big Little Lies” reunion got additional buzz when HBO and Max content chairman/CEO Casey Bloys confirmed to Variety that he heard “a little bit about the idea.
- 1/22/2024
- by Elizabeth Taylor
- Variety Film + TV
Nicole Kidman is stunning at the premiere of Prime Video’s Expats!
The 56-year-old actress attended the event held on Sunday (January 21) at The Museum of Modern Art in New York City.
Other stars in attendance included Sarayu Blue, Jack Huston, Ji-young Yoo, Brian Tee, Tiana Gowen, Bodhi Del Rosario, and Ruby Ruiz.
Series creator Lulu Wang was also present at the premiere.
Jack was accompanied by his partner, former Victoria’s Secret model Shannan Click.
The official synopsis for Expats reads: “Set against the complex tapestry of Hong Kong residents, Expats depicts a multifaceted group of women after a single encounter sets off a chain of life-altering events that leaves everyone navigating the intricate balance between blame and accountability.”
The six-episode limited series premieres on Prime Video on January 26.
Fyi: Nicole is wearing Roberto Coin jewelry.
If you haven’t seen, we compiled a list of celebrities, including Nicole Kidman,...
The 56-year-old actress attended the event held on Sunday (January 21) at The Museum of Modern Art in New York City.
Other stars in attendance included Sarayu Blue, Jack Huston, Ji-young Yoo, Brian Tee, Tiana Gowen, Bodhi Del Rosario, and Ruby Ruiz.
Series creator Lulu Wang was also present at the premiere.
Jack was accompanied by his partner, former Victoria’s Secret model Shannan Click.
The official synopsis for Expats reads: “Set against the complex tapestry of Hong Kong residents, Expats depicts a multifaceted group of women after a single encounter sets off a chain of life-altering events that leaves everyone navigating the intricate balance between blame and accountability.”
The six-episode limited series premieres on Prime Video on January 26.
Fyi: Nicole is wearing Roberto Coin jewelry.
If you haven’t seen, we compiled a list of celebrities, including Nicole Kidman,...
- 1/22/2024
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
Nicole Kidman has revealed that she felt unable to film one particular scene in her forthcoming Amazon Video drama set in the expatriate world of Hong Kong.
Speaking to the UK’s Guardian newspaper about her role in Expats, in which she plays Margaret who loses her young son early in the piece, Kidman recalled of shooting the scene, “I said, I cannot, cannot do this.’ It was like when a donkey just goes, ‘I’m not going.’”
She explained why she felt particularly vulnerable during shooting in Hong Kong:
“I was alone in Hong Kong without my family, which was a terrible mistake. I couldn’t just get on a plane and get to them. And they couldn’t get to me. That affected the performance, to the degree that it also affected my psyche.
“But it was like the domestic violence storyline in Big Little Lies. I think: people go through this,...
Speaking to the UK’s Guardian newspaper about her role in Expats, in which she plays Margaret who loses her young son early in the piece, Kidman recalled of shooting the scene, “I said, I cannot, cannot do this.’ It was like when a donkey just goes, ‘I’m not going.’”
She explained why she felt particularly vulnerable during shooting in Hong Kong:
“I was alone in Hong Kong without my family, which was a terrible mistake. I couldn’t just get on a plane and get to them. And they couldn’t get to me. That affected the performance, to the degree that it also affected my psyche.
“But it was like the domestic violence storyline in Big Little Lies. I think: people go through this,...
- 1/20/2024
- by Caroline Frost
- Deadline Film + TV
Spoiler Alert: This story hints at a major cameo in the Sundance Film Festival premiere “Freaky Tales,” which debuted on opening night.
Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden’s electrified the opening night of the 2024 Sundance Film Festival with “Freaky Tales,” a genre-driven anthology movie that tells four interconnected stories in 1987 Oakland, California. The movie is a return to indie filmmaking for Fleck and Boden, who made a name for themselves as the directors of indie hits like “Half Nelson” before they jumped into the Marvel Cinematic Universe with “Captain Marvel.”
“It was great to come back to the indie film world in a lot of ways,” Boden said at the Variety Studio presented by Audible. “It felt really natural because we’re telling a story that is very personal. At the same time, we had all these tools we learned from making ‘Captain Marvel,’ from the stunts to the action and visual effects…...
Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden’s electrified the opening night of the 2024 Sundance Film Festival with “Freaky Tales,” a genre-driven anthology movie that tells four interconnected stories in 1987 Oakland, California. The movie is a return to indie filmmaking for Fleck and Boden, who made a name for themselves as the directors of indie hits like “Half Nelson” before they jumped into the Marvel Cinematic Universe with “Captain Marvel.”
“It was great to come back to the indie film world in a lot of ways,” Boden said at the Variety Studio presented by Audible. “It felt really natural because we’re telling a story that is very personal. At the same time, we had all these tools we learned from making ‘Captain Marvel,’ from the stunts to the action and visual effects…...
- 1/19/2024
- by Zack Sharf
- Variety Film + TV
‘Freaky Tales’ Sundance Review – Energetic Genre Mixtape Starring Pedro Pascal Revels in ‘80s Excess
Writer/Directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck interconnect four energetic, frequently bloody stories in infectious anthology Freaky Tales. The filmmakers set Freaky Tales in 1987 Oakland, capturing the subculture of the Bay Area amidst the peak of ‘80s excess. It yields an anything-goes anarchic spirit that, when combined with an impressive cast game for this type of madness, plays like a stylish and entertaining genre mixtape.
Borrowing a page from Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction, Freaky Tales segments its stories into four chapters, but they overlap in ways that don’t immediately reveal themselves as characters and timelines blur across the entire anthology. That careful structure makes up a large part of the fun, and Boden and Fleck bide their time immersing viewers in an eclectic world of punks versus Nazis, crooked cops, a crime enforcer’s attempt at retirement, and one Warrior all-star player who’s harnessed the mysterious green...
Borrowing a page from Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction, Freaky Tales segments its stories into four chapters, but they overlap in ways that don’t immediately reveal themselves as characters and timelines blur across the entire anthology. That careful structure makes up a large part of the fun, and Boden and Fleck bide their time immersing viewers in an eclectic world of punks versus Nazis, crooked cops, a crime enforcer’s attempt at retirement, and one Warrior all-star player who’s harnessed the mysterious green...
- 1/19/2024
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
If it takes doing an MCU movie, with all the corporate constrictions that entails, to plunge into the kind of exhilarating creative exorcism that Freaky Tales represents, then bring on the superhero as stepping-stone. Before they made Captain Marvel, longtime filmmaking duo Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck established their talents with three boldly idiosyncratic indies, Half Nelson, Sugar and Mississippi Grind. But nothing in those distinctive works can prepare you for the kinetic energy, the freewheeling imagination and the righteous battles — we’re talking rap and some serious blade slice-and-dice — of their love letter to the Bay Area and the pop-cultural imprint it left on Fleck as a kid in the ‘80s.
The tales of the title are four chapters all built around the theme of underdog victory, each of them different in texture and tone yet all ingeniously interconnected and all owing something to the big-screen aesthetics of the time.
The tales of the title are four chapters all built around the theme of underdog victory, each of them different in texture and tone yet all ingeniously interconnected and all owing something to the big-screen aesthetics of the time.
- 1/19/2024
- by David Rooney
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
There’s nothing so freaky about “Freaky Tales,” Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck’s sci-fi omnibus ode to ‘80s cinema nostalgia that takes the definition of “derivative,” packages a bunch of retro cinematic references smugly into winky “you get it, right?” pastiche, and stretches it to its furthest possible event horizon.
The problem with structuring your film around four interlocking chapters, each with its own segueing title card, is if you’re not down with the first, you’ll be counting down the passage of time groaningly until the next. Last time they were behind the camera, Boden and Fleck had decamped their indie roots, including the lovely “Half Nelson” and “Sugar” — films powered by real characters — for the irresistible Faust’s bargain of directing 2019’s “Captain Marvel.” It seems they have not stripped themselves of the MCU’s cheeky, self-reflexive DNA, here writing and directing a film that thinks...
The problem with structuring your film around four interlocking chapters, each with its own segueing title card, is if you’re not down with the first, you’ll be counting down the passage of time groaningly until the next. Last time they were behind the camera, Boden and Fleck had decamped their indie roots, including the lovely “Half Nelson” and “Sugar” — films powered by real characters — for the irresistible Faust’s bargain of directing 2019’s “Captain Marvel.” It seems they have not stripped themselves of the MCU’s cheeky, self-reflexive DNA, here writing and directing a film that thinks...
- 1/19/2024
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Oakland’s freaky side emerges in Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck’s ambitious yet tonally uneven new anthology film Freaky Tales starring Pedro Pascal, Jay Ellis, Ben Medelsohn, Jack Champion, Ji-Young Yoo, Normani, Dominique Thorne, Too Short and Lenny G. The directors spotlight diverse local subcultures against the backdrop of Too Short’s hit of the same name, with the film intertwining four tales linked by unfolding events and a puzzling supernatural emerald glow permeating the city. Though the gritty visuals and soundtrack immerse in the look and feel of 1987 Oakland, the narrative struggles to weave these stories into a satisfying whole.
The film opens on chaos with the segment The Gilman Strikes Back as young punks Tina (Yoo) and Lucid (Champion), usually retreating from violent Nazi skinheads, finally fight back when their underground venue is attacked. Next, in Don’t Fight the Feeling, best friends and rap duo Barbie...
The film opens on chaos with the segment The Gilman Strikes Back as young punks Tina (Yoo) and Lucid (Champion), usually retreating from violent Nazi skinheads, finally fight back when their underground venue is attacked. Next, in Don’t Fight the Feeling, best friends and rap duo Barbie...
- 1/19/2024
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
Sundance revved up with the premiere of Freaky Tales tonight, a debut met with rousing applause, including at the film’s last title card that read, “In loving memory of Angus Cloud.”
The Euphoria actor died last year of a drug overdose at 25. His role is small in Freaky Tales, but Cloud “gave such a great performance, and was just there to have so much fun with,” said Jay Ellis, one of the film’s stars. “Rest in peace to Angus.”
The anthology set in 1987 Oakland was written and directed by Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden, and also stars Pedro Pascal, Ben Mendelsohn Normani, Dominique Thorne and Ji-Young Yoo.
Tom Hanks has a surprise cameo as a garrulous video store owner, talking movies with
“This is sort of like my 12-year old fantasy of a movie,” said an exuberant Fleck. “You know, some movies you want to make to work...
The Euphoria actor died last year of a drug overdose at 25. His role is small in Freaky Tales, but Cloud “gave such a great performance, and was just there to have so much fun with,” said Jay Ellis, one of the film’s stars. “Rest in peace to Angus.”
The anthology set in 1987 Oakland was written and directed by Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden, and also stars Pedro Pascal, Ben Mendelsohn Normani, Dominique Thorne and Ji-Young Yoo.
Tom Hanks has a surprise cameo as a garrulous video store owner, talking movies with
“This is sort of like my 12-year old fantasy of a movie,” said an exuberant Fleck. “You know, some movies you want to make to work...
- 1/19/2024
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
After a snowy Wednesday in Park City dampered some of the arrival fanfare of previous festivals, Sundance soaked up the sun on Thursday’s opening day. With plenty of powder to lend an idyllic backdrop to selfies and social media updates, the festival crowd was buzzing in line for the day’s largest film opening: “Freaky Tales,” taking the coveted early evening spot at the Eccles Center. Dozens of stand-by hopefuls were left in the cold for the popular event though, which kicked off the festival with a riotous screening.
The film marks a Sundance homecoming for director Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden, whose breakout hit was the 2006 Sundance favorite “Half Nelson”; the pair most recently helmed the decidedly not indie 2019 superhero flick “Captain Marvel.” “Freaky Tales” is a return to their scrappy roots: An anthology horror-thriller-comedy that pays tribute to ’80s Oakland, the film stars Pedro Pascal, Jay Ellis,...
The film marks a Sundance homecoming for director Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden, whose breakout hit was the 2006 Sundance favorite “Half Nelson”; the pair most recently helmed the decidedly not indie 2019 superhero flick “Captain Marvel.” “Freaky Tales” is a return to their scrappy roots: An anthology horror-thriller-comedy that pays tribute to ’80s Oakland, the film stars Pedro Pascal, Jay Ellis,...
- 1/19/2024
- by William Earl, J. Kim Murphy and Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Normani and Dominique Thorne are all smiles while stepping out for the premiere of their new movie Freaky Tales held at Eccles Theatre on Thursday (January 18) in Park City, Utah.
The 27-year-old singer and the 26-year-old Black Panther: Wakanda Forever actress joined several of their co-stars at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival premiere.
This actually marks Normani‘s film debut!
Also stepping out from the movie were Pedro Pascal, who notably was not wearing an arm sling, Jay Ellis, Keir Gilchrist, Jack Champion, Michelle Farrah Huang and Ji-young Yoo. Writers and directors of the movie, Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden, were in attendance as well.
Here’s a synopsis: In 1987 Oakland, a mysterious force guides The Town’s underdogs in four interconnected tales: Teen punks defend their turf against Nazi skinheads, a rap duo battles for hip-hop immortality, a weary henchman gets a shot at redemption, and an NBA All-Star settles the score.
The 27-year-old singer and the 26-year-old Black Panther: Wakanda Forever actress joined several of their co-stars at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival premiere.
This actually marks Normani‘s film debut!
Also stepping out from the movie were Pedro Pascal, who notably was not wearing an arm sling, Jay Ellis, Keir Gilchrist, Jack Champion, Michelle Farrah Huang and Ji-young Yoo. Writers and directors of the movie, Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden, were in attendance as well.
Here’s a synopsis: In 1987 Oakland, a mysterious force guides The Town’s underdogs in four interconnected tales: Teen punks defend their turf against Nazi skinheads, a rap duo battles for hip-hop immortality, a weary henchman gets a shot at redemption, and an NBA All-Star settles the score.
- 1/19/2024
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
Variety is returning to the Sundance Film Festival this year with its annual Interview Studio, presented by Audible, the leading creator and provider of premium audio storytelling. Throughout the festival, videos from the interview studio will be distributed across Variety.com as well as Variety and Audible’s social media channels.
Beginning Friday, January 19, running through Sunday, January 21, the Variety Studio, presented by Audible, will feature interviews with industry-leading directors and top talent from the films premiering at the Sundance Film Festival. Confirmed talent includes Jesse Eisenberg, Kieran Culkin (“A Real Pain”); Jodie Foster, Alex Hedison, Alok Vaid-Menon (“Alok”); Lionel Richie, Bao Nguyen, Julia Nottingham (“The Greatest Night in Pop”); Kerry Washington, Angela Patton, Natalie Rae (“Daughters”); June Squibb, Fred Hechinger, Clark Gregg, Josh Margolin (“Thelma”); Anna Fleck, Ryan Boden, Pedro Pascal, Jay Ellis, Normani, Dominique Thorn, Ji-Young Yoo, Jack Champion (“Freaky Tales”); Richard Linklater, Glen Powell (“Hit Man”); Susanna Fogel,...
Beginning Friday, January 19, running through Sunday, January 21, the Variety Studio, presented by Audible, will feature interviews with industry-leading directors and top talent from the films premiering at the Sundance Film Festival. Confirmed talent includes Jesse Eisenberg, Kieran Culkin (“A Real Pain”); Jodie Foster, Alex Hedison, Alok Vaid-Menon (“Alok”); Lionel Richie, Bao Nguyen, Julia Nottingham (“The Greatest Night in Pop”); Kerry Washington, Angela Patton, Natalie Rae (“Daughters”); June Squibb, Fred Hechinger, Clark Gregg, Josh Margolin (“Thelma”); Anna Fleck, Ryan Boden, Pedro Pascal, Jay Ellis, Normani, Dominique Thorn, Ji-Young Yoo, Jack Champion (“Freaky Tales”); Richard Linklater, Glen Powell (“Hit Man”); Susanna Fogel,...
- 1/17/2024
- by William Earl
- Variety Film + TV
Festival runs January 18-28.
Sundance Film Festival kicks off on Thursday when the industry will gather on the mountain to put the world to rights and buyers will engage in the annual hunt for the festival’s must-have acquisition titles.
Streamers and theatrical buyers will vie for coveted breakouts and while there will almost certainly be a number of on-site deals as there were last year when Netflix swooped on Fair Play in a $20m deal, Apple forked out close to that amount for Flora And Son, and Searchlight Pictures paid $8m for Theater Camp, the post-Covid deal lag will...
Sundance Film Festival kicks off on Thursday when the industry will gather on the mountain to put the world to rights and buyers will engage in the annual hunt for the festival’s must-have acquisition titles.
Streamers and theatrical buyers will vie for coveted breakouts and while there will almost certainly be a number of on-site deals as there were last year when Netflix swooped on Fair Play in a $20m deal, Apple forked out close to that amount for Flora And Son, and Searchlight Pictures paid $8m for Theater Camp, the post-Covid deal lag will...
- 1/17/2024
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
“Expats” is a new live-action TV series, based on “The Expatriates” by Janice Y. K. Lee, directed by Lulu Wang, starring Nicole Kidman, Ji-young Yoo, Jack Huston, Sarayu Blue, Brian Tee and Flora Chan, streaming January 26, 2024 on Amazon Prime Video:
“…’Expats’ follows the lives of a close-knit expatriate community: where affluence is celebrated…
“…friendships are intense but knowingly temporary, and personal lives, deaths and marriages…
“…are played out publicly—then retold with glee…”
Click the images to enlarge…...
“…’Expats’ follows the lives of a close-knit expatriate community: where affluence is celebrated…
“…friendships are intense but knowingly temporary, and personal lives, deaths and marriages…
“…are played out publicly—then retold with glee…”
Click the images to enlarge…...
- 1/16/2024
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
Exclusive: The MacRo Lodge at Sundance Film Festival (www.StayMACRO.com), hosted by MacRo Founder & CEO Charles D. King (Mudbound, Judas and the Black Messiah) and his wife Stacey Walker King, Chief Brand Officer of the company, returns to the Sundance Film Festival for its seventh annual showcase of panels and parties at the iconic film festival to champion inclusion and people of color at its prime location at 136 Heber Avenue in Park City, Ut with three days of programming.
Featured events from January 19-21, 2024 will include appearances by David Alan Grier, Demario Driver, Dominique Thorne, Jack Champion, Jay Ellis, Ji-Young Yoo, Justice Smith, Keir Gilchrist, Michelle Farrah Huang, Normani, director/writer/producers Anna Boden, Carlos Lopez Estrada, Dawn Porter, Kobi Libii and Ryan Fleck, producers Datari Turner, Debby Wolfe, Debra Martin Chase, Jelani Johnson, Leah Smith, Nkechi Okoro Carroll, Poppy Hanks, Sonja Warfield and more.
Midnight MacRo, MacRo’s...
Featured events from January 19-21, 2024 will include appearances by David Alan Grier, Demario Driver, Dominique Thorne, Jack Champion, Jay Ellis, Ji-Young Yoo, Justice Smith, Keir Gilchrist, Michelle Farrah Huang, Normani, director/writer/producers Anna Boden, Carlos Lopez Estrada, Dawn Porter, Kobi Libii and Ryan Fleck, producers Datari Turner, Debby Wolfe, Debra Martin Chase, Jelani Johnson, Leah Smith, Nkechi Okoro Carroll, Poppy Hanks, Sonja Warfield and more.
Midnight MacRo, MacRo’s...
- 1/12/2024
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
Film lovers, filmmakers, industry insiders, actors, artists and more are expected to return en masse for the milestone festivities that will include a packed calendar of parties, panels, concerts, gatherings and networking opportunities, in addition to all the big-screen showings. Below is a roundup of all of the intel The Hollywood Reporter has gathered thus far, featuring events in Park City. All times listed are local and information for how to submit an event is at the end of the list.
Houses, Lodges and Activations
Acura House of Energy
Acura House of Energy, 550 Swede Alley, daily from Jan. 19-22 (with both public and private, invite-only hours)
Acura returns to Sundance for a 14th year as presenting sponsor and official vehicle of the festival by bringing new “energy” to its commitment to uplift independent artists and underrepresented through official Sundance programming and a reimagined, revamped space dubbed the Acura House of Energy.
Houses, Lodges and Activations
Acura House of Energy
Acura House of Energy, 550 Swede Alley, daily from Jan. 19-22 (with both public and private, invite-only hours)
Acura returns to Sundance for a 14th year as presenting sponsor and official vehicle of the festival by bringing new “energy” to its commitment to uplift independent artists and underrepresented through official Sundance programming and a reimagined, revamped space dubbed the Acura House of Energy.
- 1/12/2024
- by Chris Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
New year, new month, new titles to watch at Prime Video! The streamer has kicked off January 2024 in fashion with plenty of classic titles that were released on the first of the month, including 2007’s “No Country for Old Men” and Quentin Tarantino’s hit “Pulp Fiction,” but the best is still yet to come this month, including Lula Wang’s highly anticipated miniseries “Expats,” the A24-produced adult animated musical comedy series “Hazbin Hotel,” and much more.
Check out The Streamable’s picks for the best of January, and continue below for everything coming to the streamer this month!
30-Day Free Trial $8.99+ / month amazon.com What are the 5 Best Shows and Movies Coming to Prime Video in January 2024? “Role Play” | Friday, Jan. 12
The new action-thriller comedy stars Kaley Cuoco as Emma, a suburban New Jersey woman with a wonderful husband, two kids, and a secret life as an assassin for hire.
Check out The Streamable’s picks for the best of January, and continue below for everything coming to the streamer this month!
30-Day Free Trial $8.99+ / month amazon.com What are the 5 Best Shows and Movies Coming to Prime Video in January 2024? “Role Play” | Friday, Jan. 12
The new action-thriller comedy stars Kaley Cuoco as Emma, a suburban New Jersey woman with a wonderful husband, two kids, and a secret life as an assassin for hire.
- 1/3/2024
- by Ashley Steves
- The Streamable
“Expats” is a new live-action TV series, based on “The Expatriates” by Janice Y. K. Lee, directed by Lulu Wang, starring Nicole Kidman, Ji-young Yoo, Jack Huston, Sarayu Blue, Brian Tee and Flora Chan, streaming January 26, 2024 on Amazon Prime Video:
“…’Expats’ follows the lives of a close-knit expatriate community: where affluence is celebrated…
“…friendships are intense but knowingly temporary, and personal lives, deaths and marriages…
“…are played out publicly—then retold with glee…”
Click the images to enlarge…...
“…’Expats’ follows the lives of a close-knit expatriate community: where affluence is celebrated…
“…friendships are intense but knowingly temporary, and personal lives, deaths and marriages…
“…are played out publicly—then retold with glee…”
Click the images to enlarge…...
- 1/3/2024
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
Lulu Wang’s “Expats” Gets Trailer
“The Farewell” filmmaker Lulu Wang is making her highly anticipated follow-up next month on Prime Video with “Expats,” and the streamer has released the first trailer for the six-part limited series.
Based on the best-selling novel “The Expatriates” by Janice Y. K. Lee, “Expats” stars Nicole Kidman, Sarayu Blue, Ji-young Yoo, Brian Tee, and Jack Huston and is set in 2014 Hong Kong, where the lives of three American women lives intersect after a sudden family tragedy, “interrogat[ing] privilege and explor[ing] what happens when the line between victimhood and culpability becomes blurred.”
Watch the trailer for “Expats” below:
The series will premiere with two episodes on Jan. 26, 2024, with new episodes launching weekly until the finale on Feb. 23, 2024.
30-Day Free Trial $8.99+ / month amazon.com Apple TV+ Renews “The Buccaneers”
The Buccaneers are here to stay! Apple TV+ has given a Season 2 renewal to its acclaimed drama “The Buccaneers,...
“The Farewell” filmmaker Lulu Wang is making her highly anticipated follow-up next month on Prime Video with “Expats,” and the streamer has released the first trailer for the six-part limited series.
Based on the best-selling novel “The Expatriates” by Janice Y. K. Lee, “Expats” stars Nicole Kidman, Sarayu Blue, Ji-young Yoo, Brian Tee, and Jack Huston and is set in 2014 Hong Kong, where the lives of three American women lives intersect after a sudden family tragedy, “interrogat[ing] privilege and explor[ing] what happens when the line between victimhood and culpability becomes blurred.”
Watch the trailer for “Expats” below:
The series will premiere with two episodes on Jan. 26, 2024, with new episodes launching weekly until the finale on Feb. 23, 2024.
30-Day Free Trial $8.99+ / month amazon.com Apple TV+ Renews “The Buccaneers”
The Buccaneers are here to stay! Apple TV+ has given a Season 2 renewal to its acclaimed drama “The Buccaneers,...
- 12/21/2023
- by Ashley Steves
- The Streamable
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