Some of us went to western countries and some people went to Hong Kong.
Her father left first.
A few months later Wang and her mother joined him in the U.S.
Lulu Wang and ‘Expats’Elias Roman/Christopher Belanger
These are all the reasons that I have to have full control.
I cant have any censorship.
I cant be limited in where I go and how I tackle it.
Nicole Kidman and Lulu Wang on set of ‘Expats‘Christopher Belanger
Twenty-four hours later Kidman called and said, Okay, its yours.
The director was flabbergasted.
However you want to do it, its yours, the star told her.
So then I was like, Oh no, now Im in trouble!, laughs Wang.
Nicole and I are from very different backgrounds, Wang told me.
We are incredibly different people.
She was so incredibly supportive.
Thats the thing about Nicole: She so believes in strong creative vision.
She was on board with supporting my vision from the beginning.
But the scale was daunting.
I felt very conflicted about that.
A powerful, mouthwatering project
Its not overstretching to declare the six-partExpatsa masterpiece drama.
Those characters are given breathtaking life, respectively, by Ji-young Yoo, Sarayu Blue and Kidman.
Theyre treated as part of the family, but also with waspish disdain by their mistresses.
Episode five, titled Central, will be shown Friday at TIFF.
I watched the episode over and over, each time marvelling at the detail Wang captures.
Its frustrating and infuriating when studios deny me!)
Expatsis like six back-to-back movies an enormous undertaking.
Shooting Central was a key part of Wangs deal.
She used the episode to test the waters, she told me.
Everyone thought I was joking but Nicole got it and was like, Thats great, right?
It was exciting for us to go against what they were expecting…
I said, Shes not even getting a closeup, and Nicoles like, I love it.
I love it.'
Im joking, I tell them.
Shes going to get closeups but I really wanted to shift the perspective in this episode.
Collaboration was absolutely essential in gettingExpatsmade.
It started with the the writers room.
Writing began for three months in person before the pandemic.
The five of us were in Culver City, says Wang.
It was a really magical time because it was just brainstorming sessions and storytelling and sharing.
All of us described it as therapy, in a way, and it was really beautiful.
We were writing about Hong Kong so we went out and got bubble tea.
That was our afternoon treat.
It was such a collaborative and open space, where we just all talked.
That was how we started.
It wasnt about breaking story or solving the story right away.
It was just talking about our own experiences.
Having the novels author in the room was a plus.
But in this situation, because Amazon was fully on board, and Janice was so not precious.
She said, I wrote this book many years ago.
I want the series to be alive.
Lee was adamant that she did not want to just force the novel onto the series.
Theyre related, but that they are also separate.
Of course, Janice is an incredible writer and was so poetic in that description.
I am terrified, because if you fall now, I cant catch you.
Wang recognised that she is not from Hong Kong.
Im somebody who left Beijing, she says.
I left China when I was six years old.
Their friends had participated in Tiananmen Square, so it was a really scary moment.
I still have that image.
She continues through tears.
It hasnt been out in the world yet, she says.
I believe you have to do things that scare you.
We instantly fell in love, she says, explaining that they bonded over Japanese Nikki gin.
Wang had wanted herThe Farewellteam to join her onExpats.
Having an A-lister in her corner helped her get her way.
You get yourself a Nicole Kidman to help you fight those battles, she said with a broad smile.
