‘Expats’: Amazon series filmed in Hong Kong is blocked from streaming there

“Expats,” an Amazon Prime series set in Hong Kong that stars Nicole Kidman, appears to be blocked in the Chinese territory amid censorship concerns.

HONG KONG — “Expats,” a new Amazon Prime series set and partly filmed in Hong Kong, appears to be blocked in the Chinese territory amid growing concerns about censorship under Beijing’s tightening control.

The first two episodes of the six-part series, which stars Nicole Kidman, were released worldwide on Friday. But in Hong Kong, they are listed as “currently unavailable to watch in your location” and can only be accessed using a VPN.

A spokesperson said Monday that the Hong Kong government had no comment on the “operational arrangement of individual businesses.” Amazon did not immediately reply to an emailed request for comment from NBC News.

The series, directed by Chinese-born American filmmaker Lulu Wang (“The Farewell”) and based on the 2016 novel “The Expatriates” by Janice Y.K. Lee, tells the stories of three American women living in Hong Kong, a former British colony that returned to Chinese rule in 1997.

It is set in 2014, and at least one later episode of the show is said to include scenes depicting pro-democracy protests held that year that lasted for months.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/expats-amazon-series-blocked-hong-kong-rcna136108

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