In Lulu Wang’s Expats , production designer Yong Ok Lee found a “way bigger” studio production than she’d ever before tackled, which would challenge her to recreate the bustling and vibrant metropolis of Hong Kong as it was in 2014. For Wang, who had hired Lee for her acclaimed family drama The Farewell , hacing worked with her since just after graduating from the American Film Institute, authenticity was key with this project, something that was made all the more challenging to achieve given that much of production took place on soundstages on the other side of the world. Related Stories News 2024 Premiere Dates For New & Returning Series On Broadcast, Cable & Streaming Casting Hamish Linklater Joins 'Gen V' For Season 2 RELATED: ‘Expats’ Duo Nicole Kidman And Lulu Wang On The Emotional Toll Of Bringing Novel To Life “The worst possible thing would be to come in as an American production and get a bunch of establishing shots, and then cut inside to [a] Burbank stage, something that’s so obviously a stage,” Wang reflects in conversation with Lee in today’s episode of The Process.
“So part of the visual language was just making sure that everything felt seamless.” The trickiest sets to work with were the apartments of our trio of expatriate leads, which were partially shot both overseas and in Los Angeles and had to match practical shots out on location. “Hong Kong just feels so textural and so real,” Wang says, “and these apartments, even though .
