Serving as a producer of the eight-episode series, the 'Big Little Lies' star explains the decision to move production to Byron Bay, Australia as COVID took a stranglehold in the United States.
- Aug 15, 2021
AceShowbiz - Nicole Kidman's new limited series, "Nine Perfect Strangers", was almost canceled as COVID took a stranglehold in the United States.
The Oscar winner explains production on the Hulu drama ground to a halt last year (2020) and was almost called off for good, until producer Nicole relocated the filming to her native Australia.
"It was a hustle," she tells the Sunday Telegraph. "We were fully supported by all of the actors and the government and we were able to still get the show made instead of having to shut it down, which was the other possibility."
"We hadn't really finalized the location, so we were still kind of trying to find the right spot and we couldn't find it. And then suddenly the possibility of shooting in Byron Bay became available."
Despite the relief of finding shooting location, Nicole admitted to the Sydney Morning Herald about the stress she had been under due to the new COVID-19 safety protocols during filming. "There's an enormous amount of stress being responsible for people's safety and health," she said.
"We took that really seriously," the 54-year-old went on elaborating. "There was testing, mask wearing and if someone had a sore throat - even if the test came back negative - we rescheduled, or we shut down. We couldn't put anyone at risk. And we got through without one case, which is extraordinary."
Based on the 2018 novel by "Big Little Lies" author Liane Moriarty, the eight-episode series follows the exploits of nine strangers who escape to a wellness retreat run by Nicole's character, Masha. The cast also features Melissa McCarthy, Bobby Cannavale, and Luke Evans.
