Nine Perfect Strangers (TV series)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Nine Perfect Strangers
Nine Perfect Strangers title card.png
Genre
Created byDavid E. Kelley
Based onNine Perfect Strangers
by Liane Moriarty
Developed byDavid E. Kelley & John-Henry Butterworth
Directed byJonathan Levine
Starring
Music byMarco Beltrami and Miles Hankins
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes8
Production
Executive producers
  • Samantha Strauss
  • John-Henry Butterworth
  • Molly Allen
  • Melissa McCarthy
  • Liane Moriarty
  • Jonathan Levine
  • Jodi Matterson
  • Steve Hutensky
  • Bruna Papandrea
  • Nicole Kidman
  • Per Saari
  • David E. Kelley
Producers
  • Gillian Bohrer
  • Barbara Gibbs
Production locationsByron Bay, New South Wales
CinematographyYves Bélanger
Editors
  • Ben Lester
  • David Berman
Running time42–55 minutes
Production companies
DistributorFifth Season (formerly Endeavor Content)
Release
Original networkHulu
Picture format4K (Ultra HD)
Audio formatDolby Digital 5.1
Original releaseAugust 18 (2021-08-18) –
September 22, 2021 (2021-09-22)

Nine Perfect Strangers is an American drama streaming television miniseries based on the 2018 novel of the same name by Liane Moriarty. Created by David E. Kelley who also developed the series alongside John-Henry Butterworth, the series premiered on August 18, 2021, on Hulu.[3][4][5]

Premise[]

Nine strangers from the city gather for a 10-day retreat at Tranquillum House, a health and wellness resort in the fictional town of Cabrillo, California,[6] which promises to transform and heal the guests who stay there. The resort is not what it seems to be, and the guests are about to discover many secrets about each other and the resort's host.

Cast and characters[]

Main[]

  • Nicole Kidman as Masha Dmitrichenko,[7] the founder of a wellness resort called Tranquillum House
  • Melissa McCarthy as Frances Welty,[7] a novelist struggling with her professional and personal life
  • Michael Shannon as Napoleon Marconi,[7] Heather's husband and Zoe's father, a high school teacher grieving the death of his son
  • Luke Evans as Lars Lee,[7] a man who comes to the resort with a hidden agenda
  • Samara Weaving as Jessica Chandler,[7] a social media influencer and Ben's wife
  • Asher Keddie as Heather Marconi,[7] Napoleon's wife and Zoe's mother, mourning the death of her son
  • Melvin Gregg as Ben Chandler,[7] Jessica's wealthy lottery winner husband
  • Tiffany Boone as Delilah,[7] a devoted employee at Tranquillum House
  • Manny Jacinto as Yao,[7] Masha's right-hand man at Tranquillum House
  • Grace Van Patten as Zoe Marconi,[7] Napoleon and Heather's daughter, grieving the death of her twin brother
  • Zoe Terakes as Glory, another employee at Tranquillum House
  • Regina Hall as Carmel Schneider,[7] a single mother whose husband left her for a younger woman
  • Bobby Cannavale as Tony Hogburn,[7] a former American football tight end struggling with his drug addiction

Special guest star[]

  • Ben Falcone as Paul Drabble, a man who catfished Frances and left her heartbroken

Recurring[]

  • Hal Cumpston as Zach Marconi, Napoleon and Heather's deceased son

Production[]

Development[]

On May 1, 2019, it was reported that Hulu had given the production a straight-to-series order. The limited series was created by David E. Kelley who also developed the series alongside John-Henry Butterworth who also served as executive producers alongside Nicole Kidman, Per Saari, Bruna Papandrea, Steve Hutensky, and Casey Haver. Production companies involved with the limited series are Made Up Stories, Blossom Films, and Endeavor Content.[3] On January 7, 2020, Melissa McCarthy joined the miniseries as an executive producer.[8] On July 29, 2020, it was announced Jonathan Levine was set to direct all eight episodes of the limited series as well as serve as an executive producer, while Gillian Bohrer joined the series as producer.[9] Yves Bélanger served as cinematographer.[10]

Casting[]

Alongside the initial series announcement, it was reported that Nicole Kidman was cast in a lead role.[11] In addition to her executive producing announcement, Melissa McCarthy had also joined the cast in a starring role.[8] On May 27, 2020, Manny Jacinto joined the main cast.[12] In June 2020, Asher Keddie and Luke Evans were cast in starring roles.[13][14] In July 2020, Melvin Gregg, Samara Weaving, Grace Van Patten, Tiffany Boone and Michael Shannon joined the main cast.[4][15][16][17][18] In August 2020, Regina Hall and Bobby Cannavale were cast in starring roles.[19][20] On October 22, 2020, Hal Cumpston joined the cast in a recurring role.[21] On November 19, 2020, Zoe Terakes was cast in a recurring role.[22]

Filming[]

On July 8, 2020, Evans revealed that filming would take place in Australia. He also revealed that all actors were required to quarantine for fourteen days in the city of arrival in Australia, due to regulations imposed by the Australian government in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, all actors were required to be tested during the quarantine before filming could begin.[23] Principal photography began on August 10, 2020, in Byron Bay, New South Wales.[24] On December 21, 2020, Kidman announced that filming had wrapped.[25]

Kidman met most of the other nine actors right when filming their first scene together, and stayed in character as Masha during production.[26]

Episodes[]

No.Title [27]Directed byWritten byOriginal release date [27]
1"Random Acts of Mayhem"Jonathan LevineDavid E. Kelley & John-Henry ButterworthAugust 18, 2021 (2021-08-18)
2"The Critical Path"Jonathan LevineDavid E. Kelley & John-Henry ButterworthAugust 18, 2021 (2021-08-18)
3"Earth Day"Jonathan LevineTeleplay by : Samantha StraussAugust 18, 2021 (2021-08-18)
4"Brave New World"Jonathan LevineDavid E. Kelley & John-Henry ButterworthAugust 25, 2021 (2021-08-25)
5"Sweet Surrender"Jonathan LevineDavid E. KelleySeptember 1, 2021 (2021-09-01)
6"Motherlode"Jonathan LevineTeleplay by : Jessica Sharzer & Jonathan LevineSeptember 8, 2021 (2021-09-08)
7"Wheels on the Bus"Jonathan LevineDavid E. KelleySeptember 15, 2021 (2021-09-15)
8"Ever After"Jonathan LevineDavid E. KelleySeptember 22, 2021 (2021-09-22)

Release[]

Hulu released a first-look trailer for the show during the 93rd Academy Awards airing on ABC on April 25, 2021.[28] The miniseries premiered on Hulu on August 18, 2021, with the first three episodes released at once, and a new episode released weekly thereafter.[5] The finale was released on September 22, 2021.[29] Outside of the United States and China, the series was released on Prime Video.[30] It was broadcast free-to-air in Australia on SBS TV in October/November 2022.[31]

Reception[]

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reports a 61% approval rating with an average rating of 6.1/10, based on 106 critic reviews. The critics consensus reads, "A meandering mystery may muddle its impact, but strong performances across the board from its eclectic ensemble mean Nine Perfect Strangers is never less than watchable."[32] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 54 out of 100 based on 35 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[33]

On August 24, 2021, it was reported that the limited series' premiere was the most-watched Hulu original at the time.[34]

References[]

  1. ^ Horton, Adrian (August 25, 2021). "A perfect disaster: what went wrong with Nine Perfect Strangers?". The Guardian. Archived from the original on September 10, 2021. Retrieved September 11, 2021.
  2. ^ Lawler, Kelly (August 18, 2021). "Review: Nicole Kidman and Melissa McCarthy can't save Hulu's messy Nine Perfect Strangers". USA Today. Archived from the original on September 16, 2021. Retrieved September 11, 2021.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b Petski, Denise (May 1, 2019). "Hulu Orders Nine Perfect Strangers Series from Nicole Kidman, Confirms 'The Dropout' Starring Kate McKinnon". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 28, 2019. Retrieved January 11, 2020.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b Petski, Denise (July 1, 2020). "Melvin Gregg Joins Nine Perfect Strangers Hulu Limited Series". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 19, 2021. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b Mitovich, Matt Webb (May 18, 2021). "Martin/Short/Gomez Murders Mystery, Nicole Kidman's Nine Perfect Strangers Get Teasers and Hulu Release Dates". TVLine. Archived from the original on July 23, 2021. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  6. ^ Andriotis, Mary Elizabeth (August 25, 2021). "Inside the Tranquillum House From Hulu's Nine Perfect Strangers". House Beautiful. Archived from the original on September 16, 2021. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  7. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l "Nine Perfect Strangers Bios". Hulu Press (Press release). Archived from the original on June 2, 2021. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
  8. ^ Jump up to: a b Andreeva, Nellie (January 7, 2020). "Melissa McCarthy Joins Nicole Kidman in Nine Perfect Strangers Hulu Limited Series from David E. Kelley". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 13, 2021. Retrieved January 11, 2020.
  9. ^ Petski, Denise (July 29, 2020). "Nine Perfect Strangers: Jonathan Levine to Direct Hulu Limited Series". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 31, 2020. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  10. ^ Bouchard, Frédéric (June 15, 2020). "Yves Bélanger retrouve Jonathan Levine et Nicole Kidman" [Yves Bélanger reunites with Jonathan Levine and Nicole Kidman]. Qui fait Quoi (in French). Archived from the original on October 31, 2020. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
  11. ^ Otterson, Joe (May 1, 2019). "Hulu Greenlights Nine Perfect Strangers Starring Nicole Kidman, Elizabeth Holmes Series with Kate McKinnon". Variety. Archived from the original on February 25, 2021. Retrieved January 11, 2020.
  12. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (May 27, 2020). "Manny Jacinto Joins Nicole Kidman & Melissa McCarthy in Nine Perfect Strangers Hulu Limited Series". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 22, 2021. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  13. ^ Pascoe, Alley (June 7, 2020). "Exclusive: Asher Keddie's Big Hollywood Break". Marie Claire Australia. Archived from the original on April 10, 2021. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
  14. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (June 26, 2020). "Luke Evans Joins Nine Perfect Strangers Hulu Limited Series". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 27, 2020. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  15. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (July 15, 2020). "Samara Weaving Joins Nine Perfect Strangers'] Hulu Limited Series". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 19, 2021. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
  16. ^ Petski, Denise (July 20, 2020). "Grace Van Patten Joins Nine Perfect Strangers Hulu Limited Series". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 19, 2021. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
  17. ^ Petski, Denise (July 22, 2020). "Tiffany Boone Joins Nine Perfect Strangers Hulu Limited Series". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 19, 2021. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  18. ^ Thorne, Will (July 31, 2020). "Michael Shannon Joins Nine Perfect Strangers Cast at Hulu". Variety. Archived from the original on May 19, 2021. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
  19. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (August 5, 2020). "Regina Hall Boards Nine Perfect Strangers Hulu Limited Series". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 2, 2021. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  20. ^ Porter, Rick (August 6, 2020). "Bobby Cannavale Boards Hulu's Nine Perfect Strangers". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 6, 2020. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
  21. ^ Petski, Denise (October 22, 2020). "Elizabeth Mitchell Joins Outer Banks; Nine Perfect Strangers Casts Hal Cumpston". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 25, 2020. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  22. ^ Petski, Denise (November 19, 2020). "Alondra Delgado Joins All American; Nine Perfect Strangers Casts Zoe Terakes". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 9, 2021. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
  23. ^ Ramachandran, Naman (July 8, 2020). "Luke Evans Reveals Australia Quarantine Plans for Hulu's Nine Perfect Strangers (Exclusive)". Variety. Archived from the original on June 27, 2021. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
  24. ^ Groves, Don (August 10, 2020). "Hulu's Nine Perfect Strangers gets underway in Byron Bay". IF. Archived from the original on April 12, 2021. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
  25. ^ Kidman, Nicole [@nicolekidman] (December 21, 2020). "That's a wrap on #NinePerfectStrangers with my co-star @MelissaMcCarthy