It’s a beach read starring all of our favorite murder mystery staple actors — and it doesn’t get much better than that.
The upcoming Netflix series “The Perfect Couple” brings together alums from “Big Little Lies,” “Ripley,” and “The White Lotus” for yet another vacation gone awry. Nicole Kidman leads the novel adaptation, based on Elin Hilderbrand’s bestseller, as matriarch Greer Winbury whose son is getting married… only to find someone in the wedding party dead on the big day.
Jenna Lamia is the writer and showrunner, with Susanne Bier directing. Bier previously worked with Kidman in another novel adaptation “The Undoing” (2020), and also directed the series “The Night Manager” (2016) and “The First Lady” (2022), plus films “Brothers” (2004), “After the Wedding” (2006), “In a Better World” (2010), and “Bird Box” (2018).
Author Hilderbrand is executive producing, along with Lamia, Shawn Levy for 21 Laps Entertainment, Gail Berman and Hend Baghdady for The Jackal Group, Kidman and Per Saari for Blossom Films, and Josh Barry.
The official logline for the limited series is as follows: Amelia Sacks (Eve Hewson) is about to marry into one of the wealthiest families on Nantucket. Her disapproving future mother-in-law, famous novelist Greer Garrison Winbury (Kidman), has spared no expense in planning what promises to be the premiere wedding of the season — until a body turns up on the beach. As secrets come to light, the stage is set for a real-life investigation that feels plucked from the pages of one of Greer’s novels. Suddenly, everyone is a suspect.
Liev Schreiber stars as Tag Winbury, Kidman’s onscreen husband who may or may not have a few secret indiscretions of his own. Billy Howle is the groom Benji, while Dakota Fanning plays the Winbury’s daughter-in-law Abby, who is married to Benji’s brother Thomas (Jack Reynor). The third son is Will (Sam Nivola).
Ishaan Khatter plays Shooter Dival, the groom’s best friend, while Isabelle Adjani is Isabel Nallet, a family friend.
Michael Beach is Dan Carter, the chief of police, whose daughter Chloe (Mia Isaac) is also part of the case. Donna Lynne Champlin plays Nikki Henry, the detective.
Well, while the Netflix logline seems pretty elusive, it is the maid of honor, Merritt Monaco, who winds up dead in the novel. Meghann Fahy is playing Merritt in the series, but who is to say that the novel adaptation will stick to the novel itself?
Which Characters Aren’t in the Series?
Based on the synopsis, the bride’s family is glaringly absent. In the novel, Amelia’s mother is dying of cancer, hence the rushed nuptials. But there are no cast members listed who are affiliated with Amelia’s side. It remains to be seen how much the series will stray from the source material.
What Is the Novel’s Plot?
Elin Hilderbrand’s novel is described as follows: “It’s Nantucket wedding season, also known as summer- the sight of a bride racing down Main Street is as common as the sun setting at Madaket Beach. The Otis-Winbury wedding promises to be an event to remember: the groom’s wealthy parents have spared no expense to host a lavish ceremony at their oceanfront estate. But it’s going to be memorable for all the wrong reasons after tragedy strikes: a body is discovered in Nantucket Harbor just hours before the ceremony, and everyone in the wedding party is suddenly a suspect. As Chief of Police Ed Kapenash interviews the bride, the groom, the groom’s famous mystery-novelist mother, and even a member of his own family, he discovers that every wedding is a minefield and no couple is perfect.”
Hilderbrand also continued her franchise with the Chief of Police Ed Kapenash character in the novels, culminating in her recent release of “Swan Song.” In 2021, Hilderbrand announced her retirement from the Nantucket-set series.
Is This Hilderbrand’s First Adapatation?
Hilderbrand told the Wall Street Journal that her novels have been through a series of would-be adaptations, including one with late showrunner Aaron Spelling attached. However, Hilderbrand credited the Kidman-starring “Big Little Lies,” based on the Liane Moriarty novel, for revamping novel adaptations for the screen.
“That’s when my phone starts to ring,” Hilderbrand said. “The phenomenon of ‘Big Little Lies’ cannot be understated.”
She added of “The Perfect Couple” Netflix series, “Finally it’s going to be done correctly, and somebody took the time and energy and, most importantly, the budget — the money — to get it right.”
Now, in addition to “The Perfect Couple,” Hilderbrand has deals in the works for adapting novel “The Five-Star Weekend” into a Peacock series, and “Summer of ’69” for a limited series by the Sony label 3000 Pictures. “Swan Song” is under option with a not-yet-disclosed buyer, and a film version of “28 Summers” is in development at MRC. Plus, Hilderbrand’s four “Winter Street” books will be adapted by independent studio Wiip.
Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
Welcome to NewsBreak, an open platform where diverse perspectives converge. Most of our content comes from established publications and journalists, as well as from our extensive network of tens of thousands of creators who contribute to our platform. We empower individuals to share insightful viewpoints through short posts and comments. It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency: our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. We strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation. Join us in shaping the news narrative together.
Most Popular
Comments / 0