Nicole Kidman Makes Key Change In Netflix’s The Perfect Couple to Avoid Big Little Lies Comparisons

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As an ardent fan who’s read Elin Hilderbrand’s books and watched every Nicole Kidman movie, I must say, the adaptation of “The Perfect Couple” is a thrilling blend of familiar faces and unexpected twists! While it’s disappointing to see the character name change from Celeste to Amelia (I can’t unsee Celeste as Kidman, can I?), I appreciate the effort to avoid any confusing similarities with Big Little Lies.

Nicole Kidman’s newest Netflix series, titled “The Perfect Couple,” is a crime drama with elements of mystery, inspired by Elin Hilderbrand’s novel of the same name. Netflix has made some notable adjustments to the storyline, such as altering a character’s name to avoid resemblance to one of Kidman’s iconic roles. It’s worth mentioning that the series deviates significantly from the source material in its portrayal of events.

In the series, Eve Hewson portrays a character named Amelia, which is different from her name in the original book, Celeste. At a glamorous red carpet premiere on September 4, showrunner Jenna Lamia explained that this change was made to avoid directly mirroring Nicole Kidman’s character Celeste from Big Little Lies. Lamia further mentioned that this alteration was just one of many modifications that author Elin Hilderbrand agreed upon.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, it took five years for the show’s creation, and during this time, while early drafts closely followed the book, various factors like Suzanne Bier’s creative input and casting decisions gradually shaped its unique elements. Some alterations were minor, such as renaming the character from Celeste to Amelia to avoid resemblance with Nicole Kidman’s past roles.

Even after reading the book, some alterations may be noticeable. Hilderbrand didn’t object to these changes, but it was evident that her focus was on the quality of a television adaptation rather than the original novel. She reassured the readers that the novel and the series would be distinct entities, implying that there was no requirement to read the book before understanding the series.

She shared with the media, “I made it clear to Jenna from the outset that I don’t hold this project in high regard. Viewers are welcome to read the book whenever they choose, as the experience will differ slightly since it has been altered somewhat; they can observe how it was changed and I simply aimed for it to be top-notch television.”

Hilderbrand openly expressed her thoughts, mentioning that she had initially wanted Liev Schreiber to play Kidman’s husband’s role in the movie. When the showrunner agreed with her suggestion and selected Schreiber for the part, Kidman was delighted to discover he was already part of the cast. Besides Schreiber, the series also boasts Dakota Fanning, Meghann Fahy, Jack Reynor, and Ishaan Khatter, along with other talented actors. Now, you can stream all six episodes of The Perfect Couple on Netflix.

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2024-09-06 10:41