Nicole Kidman is headed back to HBO with another limited series, teaming with “Pen15” co-creator and star Maya Erskine to adapt the Leïla Slimani novel “The Perfect Nanny.” The duo will executive produce and headline the project, of which Erskine is creator and writer.
Legendary Entertainment and HBO serve as co-studios after what was described as a highly competitive bidding situation.
The book’s logline is as follows: “When Myriam decides to return to work as a lawyer after having children, she and her husband look for the perfect nanny for their son and daughter. They never dreamed they would find Louise: a quiet, polite, devoted woman who sings to the children, cleans the family’s chic Paris apartment, stays late without complaint, and hosts enviable kiddie parties. But as the couple and the nanny become more dependent on one another, jealousy, resentment, and suspicions mount, shattering the idyllic tableau. Building tension with every page, ‘The Perfect Nanny’ is a compulsive, riveting, bravely observed exploration of power, class, race, domesticity, motherhood, and madness—and the American debut of an immensely talented writer.”
As for the series, the storyline will follow a seemingly perfect nanny who goes to work for a couple with two young children. However, over time the family sees the nanny’s helpful personality transition into something dark and sinister.
Kidman will serve as executive producer alongside Per Saari for Blossom Films, along with Pascal Caucheteux for Why Not Productions and Philippe Godeau of Pan-Européenne.
Erskine co-created Hulu’s Emmy-nominated series, “Pen15,” and she is currently filming the Amazon series, “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” with Donald Glover as co-star. Erskine is represented by Gersh Mosaic and her lawyer, Melissa Fox. She is also known for her role in the 2019 rom-com “Plus One,” opposite Jack Quaid.
Kidman is coming off of David E. Kelley’s Emmy-winning HBO drama “Big Little Lies,” in which she plays Celeste. The role earned her an acting and producing Emmy. Kidman’s other upcoming projects include starring in and executive producing Lulu Wang’s drama series “Expats” on Prime Video. Kidman will also star in the Netflix romantic comedy “A Family Affair,” where Zac Efron and Joey King will be her co-star. She is also currently filming for Taylor Sheridan’s “Lioness.” Kidman will also star in and executive produce Amazon Studios thriller “Holland, Michigan,” which is set to start production in 2023.
She is known for “The Hours,” “Moulin Rouge!,” “Rabbit Hole,” “Lion,” “Being the Ricardos,” “Eyes Wide Shut,” “Nine,” “Killing of a Sacred Deer,” “Beguiled,” “Boy Erased,” “Bombshell,” “The Northman” and many others. On the TV side, she was also in HBO’s limited series “The Undoing” (also from Kelley) opposite Hugh Grant, Hulu’s ensemble drama “Nine Perfect Strangers” and Apple TV+’s anthology “Roar,” for all of which she also served as EP under her banner. The Oscar winner is represented by CAA, Media Talent Group, Jackoway Tyerman and The Lede Company.
Slimani’s novel was originally published by Gallimard in France in 2016 and by Penguin in the U.S. in 2018. It was awarded France’s highest literary prize, the Prix Goncourt, in its debut year, with the translation rights being sold in a bidding war in 40 territories, becoming an international bestseller. The American edition is a national bestseller and landed on the New York Times Book Review’s 10 Best Books of the Year list in 2018, garnering rave reviews. In the U.K., “The Perfect Nanny,” known as “Lullaby,” won Debut of the Year at the British Book Awards 2019. It is widely praised for its thoughtful exploration of race and class divisions and perceptive character studies, amid the realization of a universal fear: the death of one’s children. Slimani is repped by Frédérique Massart for Gallimard.
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