Actress Nicole Kidman, whose quarantine free pass has kicked up a row in Hong Kong, was spotted filming at Ladies Market in Mong Kok Monday.
According to local media, a film crew arrived at the tourist spot in the afternoon to cordon off parts of the market and set up lighting.
Kidman was seen at around 8 pm, acting out a scene in which she browsed the market’s wares with child actors in tow.
Props like Chinese-style lanterns, birdcages and new year banners were reportedly added to the market’s stalls by the production team ahead of filming. A white tent with air conditioning was also put up alongside market stalls, purportedly for Kidman’s use.
Dozens of extras, all maskless to portray a pre-COVID era, were hired as background actors to walk through the market.
Some stall owners were reportedly not happy about the shooting, arguing with production crew and accusing them of interrupting their business.
Kidman arrived in Hong Kong earlier this month to commence filming of her Amazon TV show “Expats,” a series about the city’s wealthy expatriate community.
She was allowed to skirt the government’s strict quarantine measures provided that she abide by rules including sticking to a planned itinerary and submitting to regular testing.
Days after, however, she was spotted shopping at a boutique in Central. Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Edward Yau surmised that her trip may have been part of her “costume fitting.”
At a Legislative Council meeting last week, riled up lawmakers asked health secretary Sophia Chan if all celebrities coming to Hong Kong would be exempt from quarantine.
According to a casting call on Facebook seeking actors for “Expats,” the filming is expected to run through to December. The latest casting call, posted last Thursday, raised eyebrows for its differing character descriptions seemingly split along racial lines. The two Hong Kong teen actors sought are described as “bratty and arrogant” and “self-centered” respectively, while the two expat characters the show is casting are characterized only as “upper class.”
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