If you’re already on the lookout for the first must-watch TV series of 2024, Prime Video wants you to know you should look no further. The streamer unveiled today the very first trailer for Expats, the upcoming limited series that stars Nicole Kidman (Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom), Sarayu Blue (Never Have I Ever), and Ji-young Yoo (The Sky is Everywhere). The show centers around three American women whose lives get interconnected after a tragedy strikes them in Hong Kong. The series premieres on January 26.

The atmospheric trailer for Expats sets the tone of the story, and you can feel that the aftermath of the tragedy is lingering in every scene. Even though it isn’t blatantly revealed, it all points to a terrible incident involving small children, so we also need to have a box of tissues at the ready for the kind of themes that the show will tackle.

Not by chance, this is set against the backdrop of an ever-vibrant Hong Kong, which makes a powerful contrast to what the women might feel inside and what’s going on outside their lives. The opening narration of Kidman’s character Margaret also encapsulates the troubles of a life post-tragedy, as well as the kind of relationships we form with people who have different cultures and backgrounds throughout our lives.

Who Is Behind The Production of ‘Expats’?

Expats is directed by Lulu Wang, who previously helmed the critically acclaimed The Farewell. The filmmaker took on the task of transforming the best-seller The Expatriates from author Janice Y. K. Lee – and then some. Aside from directing, Wang doubles down as showrunner, writer, and executive producer of the series. Lee also co-produces the series, which indicates that the adaptation will be satisfactory for fans of the novel.

The six-episode miniseries had an unusual production schedule that was spread across “500 days,” according to Wang herself. While the number was likely mentioned as a joke on her Instagram post, it does allude to the unusually long production process that the team had to endure. Wang revealed that filming ran into all sorts of trouble, including a COVID lockdown (the episodes began filming in 2021), scheduling conflicts with Kidman, and even political unrest in Hong Kong. Wang called it “the biggest” milestone of her career so far.

Prime Video premieres Expats with two episodes on January 26, with the remaining four rolling out weekly on Fridays.

You can watch the trailer below:

via Collider