Nicole Kidman’s new Netflix series changed lead because of ‘Big Little Lies’

Nicole Kidman’s new Netflix drama series, The Perfect Couple, made a major change in contrast to its original source, in fear of drawing criticism.

The showrunner, Jenna Lamia, shared with The Hollywood Reporter how she had to change the name of a lead role, which Eve Hewson plays, to Amelia from Celeste, which is the original name of the character in Elin Hilderbrand’s novel.

Lamia did the change “just to avoid any potential confusion” or heat that may come towards the series, due to the fact that Kidman, 57, played a character of the same name, Celeste, in HBO’s Big Little Lies.

However, Lamia was only able to make the changes she made confidently, because of the creative freedom she got from Hilderbrand.

“I wanted them to make the best possible television show, I wasn’t worried about how they changed the book,” Hilderband told THR.

“I said to Jenna right from the beginning, I do not feel precious about this. People can go and read the book later or before; it’ll be a different experience because it is a little bit different, they can see how they changed it, and I just wanted it to be excellent television.”