Nicole Kidman’s new show censored by Amazon

Nicole Kidman’s new show has fallen victim to censorship following a surprising move from Amazon.

Clarke (Brian Tee), Margaret (Nicole Kidman) both star today in Prime Video's new thriller Expats. Picture supplied.

Nicole Kidman’s new show has fallen victim to censorship following a surprising move from Amazon.

The Aussie star’s new Prime series Expats debuted its first two episodes last Friday worldwide, and has become a big hit with viewers and critics alike.

Clarke (Brian Tee), Margaret (Nicole Kidman) both star today in Prime Video's new thriller Expats. Picture supplied.

However, sadly not everyone will be allowed to enjoy the show in its entirety following a tough decision from Amazon.

When viewers in Hong Kong, where the show is based, try to watch it, they are met with a message saying that “this video is currently unavailable to watch in your location”.

This is because the streaming service has elected to self-censor the show in an effort to “pre-empt any future potential business risk”, according to a report from The Sydney Morning Herald.

Set against the backdrop of Hong Kong, Expats is an adaptation of Janice Y.K. Lee’s novel about three American women who struggle to move on after a shocking tragedy that ties them altogether forever.

The first episode includes a brief scene in which people at a rally chant in Cantonese: “I want real general elections.”

The city has hardened its controls over political speech after years of major protests.

The trailer for the show also features a crowd holding umbrellas, a reference to the 2014 Umbrella Movement, when protesters demanded the right to choose the city’s chief executive.

It’s not the first time Kidman’s show has sparked controversy in the region.

The Aussie star faced a backlash during the height of the pandemic, when the government gave her permission to skip mandatory quarantine when she came to Hong Kong to film.

Kidman’s new show won’t stream in Hong Kong due to the current political climate in the area. Photo by Charly TRIBALLEAU / AFP.

Meanwhile, Kidman’s next big show is already in the works, at least according to the star herself.

She recently confirmed that Big Little Lies season three is well underway, and that fans have a lot to look forward to. Kidman, who won an Emmy for her portrayal of Celeste in the series, told Variety she and co-star Reese Witherspoon were “texting every day” about the new season.

“We’re at work on it,” she said. “And there’s a timeline and we’re doing it.”

Kidman refused to reveal any further details however, adding: “We can’t say anything more. We’ve got to start keeping our mouths shut … we’ve got to button it.”

Kidman and Witherspoon are executive producers on the David E. Kelley-created series, which is based on Liane Moriarty’s book of the same name.

Director Jean-Marc Vallée sadly passed away recently, so the third season will be the first without his input.

Originally published as Nicole Kidman’s new show censored by Amazon