Nicole Kidman is teaming up with HBO once more for another (gulp) limited series. The Eyes Wide Shut actor is set to lead and executive produce the limited series adaptation of Leïla Slimani’s thriller novel, The Perfect Nanny. PEN15's Maya Erskine will also star in the series, as well as write and executive produce the project.
The logline for the limited series reads, “A seemingly perfect nanny goes to work for a couple with two young children, but her helpful personality eventually deteriorates into something sinister.”
Slimani’s 2016 novel follows a couple as they develop a codependent relationship with the woman looking after their children. Back in 2019, the international bestseller was adapted into a French film by Lucie Borleteau, starring Karin Viard.
Kidman has appeared in a few limited series over the last few years, to varied success. Miniseries like Big Little Lies had audiences begging for more of the story, only for the second season to have people begging for it to end. Since then, Kidman’s limited series track record has been filled with duds, namely, HBO’s The Undoing and Hulu’s Nine Perfect Strangers.
All three of these have been David E. Kelley creations (and he will certainly pay for his crimes), so at least The Perfect Nanny will pair her with a different writer. We love, love, love Nicole and her ability to pull off any wig color, but her recent projects have been devoid of smart story writing and intrigue—unlike her advertisements for AMC.
Erskine has proven her talents again and again with her writing and performance in PEN15, and she’ll soon star in the new Mr. And Mrs. Smith series opposite Donald Glover. Please Maya, give Nicole a proper miniseries.