Editor’s note: Following the publication of this article, a source told Coconuts that Kidman has not returned to Hong Kong. The Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, the government department that processes business-related quarantine exemptions, said it has not granted any exemptions “in respect of the filming project in question.”
Actress Nicole Kidman has reportedly returned to Hong Kong to continue filming Amazon series “Expats,” after allegedly falling out with the show’s director and going home to Australia last month for a break.
Local media outlets said the Hollywood star was spotted on set in Fa Yuen Street in Mong Kok Tuesday. According to a stall owner at Ladies’ Market, Kidman arrived for shooting in the morning and left at noon. A typhoon signal 3 was in force at the time.
Kidman first flew to Hong Kong in August, when authorities confirmed that she and four crew members were allowed to enter the city without quarantining at a hotel. The government maintained that they were made to adhere to strict measures, including sticking to an itinerary and undergoing regular COVID-19 testing.
It is unclear if Kidman was exempted from quarantine again. Coconuts has reached out to the Center for Health Protection for comment.
The celebrity’s quarantine-free travel aside, there has been no lack of controversy around her show “Expats.” Starring the high life of wealthy expatriates in Hong Kong, the series has been criticized as disconnected from reality given the tense political climate in the city.
Read more: Nicole Kidman’s visit proves Hong Kong is ‘safe and fun,’ lawmaker Regina Ip says
A recent comment that Lulu Wang, director of “Expats” and who Kidman allegedly had a disagreement with before leaving Hong Kong in September, also prompted backlash on social media.
Wang tweeted Sunday that two “pre-teen girls stumbled” onto their set that day and were so impressed by the all-female production team that they stayed “the entire day to watch.”
“I have no idea where their parents were, but I really hope they went home tonight with lots of ideas in their heads!” Wang added.
On Twitter, many doubted the director’s anecdote. They pointed out the unlikeliness of two minors casually chancing upon Wang’s set—sans parents—on a typhoon day, and being dazzled by the gender representation in a city where the film industry traditionally boasts successful, award-winning female directors.
“Anyone who works in HK cinema knows the backbone of the biz are women,” one person wrote.
A casting call page for “Expats” on Facebook suggests that the series will wrap up filming in December.
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