Having the chance to be relocated to another country for work may sound appealing to many. Who would not be excited to experience a change in environment, and an opportunity to explore new grounds? It’s no wonder the world’s expat community has significantly been growing through the years. More and more people are seeking for a fresh start abroad. Hong Kong is one of the places that currently houses one of the largest expat communities in the world. The British still remain to be one of the highest European populations in the city, but other nationalities have also flocked to Hong Kong in the recent years. The Asian city’s fast-paced lifestyle, delicious food, and vibrant culture, all wrapped up together by its iconic skyline, are just some of the reasons why a lot of foreign nationals are instantly smitten upon arrival. This is just the tip of the iceberg, there are still a lot more other reasons to fall in love with Hong Kong. It’s not only businessmen who have taken a liking to the hustle and bustle of the place. Through the years, a lot of filmmakers and writers have also featured Hong Kong in their stories. One novel that is able to essentially capture Hong Kong’s expat lifestyle is called, The Expatriates, which was written by Hong Kong-born author, Janice Y.K. Lee. This may have also caught the attention of producers, as Amazon Video is bringing the story into the small screen.
What to Expect from the Adaptation
The upcoming mini-series, which is adapted from Lee’s bestselling novel will aptly be called, Expats. The show that was given a straight-to-series order by Amazon last July 2018, will be directed by Lulu Yang (The Farewell), and will also be co-written by Yang and Lee, together with Alice Bell (The Beautiful Lie). Viewers are expected to be brought into the posh and dazzling tight-knit world of Hong Kong’s elite expats, which is filled with colorful characters with interesting back stories. The show’s storyline is rich and complex, as it explores the lives of three American expat women whose paths become intertwined after an unfortunate family tragedy. The series is reported to be top-billed by award-winning Hollywood actress, Nicole Kidman (Big Little Lies), whose projects have been dominating the small screen the past few years. Other cast members that have been announced include Jack Huston (Boardwalk Empire), Ji-young Yoo (Spider-Man: Far from Home), and Sarayu Blue (Sons of Tucson).
The famed novel provided a fresh perspective on a topic that is often times overlooked — the lives of foreigners living abroad. The story was written in such an intimate way that felt both vulnerable yet respectful, which made its readers relate to and feel for the complicated cast of characters. What was really lurking behind the polished façade? This and a lot more questions were unraveled as the chapters went on. These days, a lot of consumers look to books for relief. The feeling of being transported into another world is a temporary escape from the daily grind that comes with life. The novel was easily able to achieve this feeling through its gripping storyline. The page turner welcomed its readers into a world where what you see, is not really want you get. The women in which the story revolved around seemed to have it all together on the outside, but in reality, they were either breaking apart, or already broken inside. Ironically, this does not sound too far-fetched from what today’s society is experiencing, with the rise of social media and influencers living “their best lives”. Another reason why this book is relevant, is because the author was able to bravely tackle some issues that are generally not talked about enough. These include marital problems, career frustrations, parenting woes, and heartbreaking losses. Watching all these events come to life in the small screen will be such a treat for fans of the novel.
As of the moment, news on the much-anticipated series is still limited, but Kidman recently stirred some controversy when she was reported to have been allowed to skip Hong Kong’s strict quarantine measures to film for the show. One good thing that might have come out of it, is some sort of proof that production of the series is well underway. The element of surprise continues on, as the show’s potential release date has not yet been announced as well. For the meantime, fans of the novel can take solace in the fact that good things take hustle, but great things take time.
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