As TIFF gears up for its start tomorrow, there are plenty of new titles premiering to anticipate. On the TV series side, none may be more anticipated than Prime Video’s “Expats.” Based on Janice Y.K. Lee’s 2016 novel “The Expatriates,” the series doesn’t premiere on the streamer until early next year, but its penultimate episode will screen in Toronto, showing off its stellar ensemble cast.
And what a cast it is. Nicole Kidman, Sarayu Blue, and Ji-young Yoo star in the series as three American women in 2014 Hong Kong whose lives become entwined after a sudden family tragedy. Brian Tee and Jack Huston also star, as does Flora Chan. The logline for “Expats” states that “the series interrogates privilege and explores what happens when the line between victimhood and culpability becomes blurred.” Will TIFF audiences be able to glean that sentiment from only one of the show’s six episodes? Follow The Playlist’s coverage of the festival to find out.
Lulu Wang serves as creator, director, and writer of “Expats.” She also executive produces with Daniele Melia through Local Time. Kidman also serves as an executive producers with Peer Saari through her Blossom Films, along with Alice Bell. Bell was the first writer to join the series. Wang writes the first episode of “Expats” solo, with the third through sixth episodes written by Wang, Vera Maio, Gursimran Sandhu, and Lee. Other executive producers on the series include Theresa Park for Per Capita Productions and Stan Wlodkowski.
The penultimate feature-length episode of “Expats” premieres at TIFF this Friday, September 8. Take a look at first-look pics from the upcoming Prime Video series below.
