Nicole Kidman To Star In 'Things I Know To Be True' Series For Amazon

As the adult mid-sized, mid-budgeted drama has continued to move away from the big screen and find a (permanent?) home on television, many A-list superstars realize their future lies in premium cable channels or streaming networks. Perhaps two of the biggest come from “Big Little Lies” and the big HBO experiment they took on in 2017. “Big Little Lies” was a smash hit, a critical darling and reaped many Emmys and Golden Globes awards or nominations for the cast (and while PeakTV had been raging for years, ‘BLL was maybe the last piece of supporting evidence needed to convince top-shelf actors of a certain caliber to lose the long-lasting stigma of slumming on TV). Reese Witherspoon quickly re-upped a similar idea on Hulu (“Little Fires Everywhere”), and Nicole Kidman swiftly went back to cable for “The Undoing,” which is airing now on HBO. The trend will continue for Kidman, as well, and she’s found her next project, “Things I Know To Be True,” a dramatic series for Amazon.

“Things I Know To Be True” is based on the play of the same name by Australian theater director/writer Andrew Bovell, and is a family drama/dark comedy about hidden secrets. Here’s a synopsis from StageAgent:

Bob and Fran Price have four adult children: Pip, Mark, Ben, and Rosie. Each child has his or her own unique struggles and secrets that they try to keep hidden from their parents. Still, Fran has a knack for knowing what is true in each of their lives, whether it is an unhappy marriage (Pip), heartbreak (Rosie), redefined sexuality (Mark), or drug use (Ben). As the children try to redefine their lives separately from their parents’ hopes and dreams, what is real and genuine in the Price family falls apart under scrutiny, and Bob and Fran must redefine their relationships with their children and with each other. Funny, poignant, and heartbreaking, Things I Know to be True examines the dynamics of a family and how they understand the truth in the face of tragedy.

“I’ll never forget the experience I had watching Andrew’s play in Sydney, having one of those transcendent theater experiences,” Kidman said in a statement. “Andrew’s play is exquisite, and his scripts for the series are just as good. With Amazon’s belief, Jen Salke’s guidance, and an extraordinary producing team, we have big hopes for what this can be.”

Bovell is sticking around and will write the screen adaptation and will also serve as an executive producer. Kidman will serve as an executive producer via Blossom Films, along with Per Saari. No directors have been named, but Kidman, so far in television, has only worked with auteurs and top-shelf directors—Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Jean-Marc Vallée for “Big Little Lies,” directors like Andrea Arnold for season two, and Academy Award-winner Susanne Bier for “The Undoing.” Presumably, this pattern will continue.