Sundance Now Will Debut 'The Last Anniversary'

Nicole Kidman first discussed adapting Liane Moriarty's The Last Anniversary in 2019, near the end of the pre-pandemic era. She was coming off the success of Big Little Lies, based on Moriarty's best-selling novel, followed by the whodunit thriller The Undoing, both of which aired/streamed on HBO and Max. She also was set to star in Nine Perfect Strangers at Hulu, another series based on Moriarty's books, and the Australian-born actor was eager to work more with the Australian-born author. However, the pandemic delays hit, Kidman decided she would not star in the Australian-made TV series, and instead cast Teresa Palmer (A Discovery of Witches) and Miranda Richardson (Good Omens). So instead of The Last Anniversary landing on HBO, Disney+, Hulu, or another topline streamer, the Aussie-centric series has wound up on Sundance Now, co-streamed on AMC+.

When Tom Cruise introduced the world to 23-year-old Nicole Kidman in 1990's Days of Thunder, he probably did not realize he was introducing Hollywood to a woman who would one day spearhead efforts to change it. Like most actresses, Kidman's heyday was in her late 20s and early 30s. However, as 40 began creeping up around the corner, she and her contemporaries chose one of two directions. Those like Gwenyth Paltrow, Jessica Alba, and Jessica Garner simply accepted other than the lucky break as girlfriends/wives in superhero blockbusters; their careers were effectively finished, and each started a company that made products for women and babies. But Kidman, along with Reese Witherspoon and Kate Winslet, refused to stop working because men thought they were no longer sexy over a certain age. 

Kidman's outfit, Blossom Films, which she co-founded in 2010, has been a gold mine for her career and other actors over 40 who struggled to find meaty parts for women. She says producing is not only a chance to supply herself with the roles Hollywood is too narrow-minded to create but also for those coming up behind her, women like Palmer, who have seen what Kidman and Winslet are putting out in their 40s and 50s and expect to be able to find those roles for themselves when they reach that age.

Here's the series synopsis:

Based on Liane Moriarty’s bestselling novel, The Last Anniversary is a wickedly funny, heartfelt dramedy wrapped in a gripping mystery about family, motherhood, and the women who define the generations that come after them. Set on the mysterious Scribbly Gum Island, where a young couple disappeared decades before, it follows Sophie Honeywell. She moves there after inheriting a house left to her by her ex-boyfriend’s great-aunt, Connie, who promises that Sophie can finally meet the man of her dreams. She receives an unwelcome reception on arrival but finds what she may actually need is an island full of women.

However, Palmer is not a big name in the States, and the lack of Kidman in front of the camera has made the show a harder sell. Not that it's a slouch in the casting department; along with Palmer and Richardson, the series also stars The Tourist's Danielle Macdonald and Hotel Portofino fan-favorite Claude Scott-Mitchell. Co-stars also include Helen Thomson (Colin From Accounts), Susan Prior (Chopin's Piano), Charlie Garber (Sisters), Uli Latukefu (Young Rock), and Jeremy Lindsay Taylor (Force of Nature: The Dry 2).

Samantha Strauss serves as head writer, with director John Polson helming all six episodes and Sarah L. Walker as script producer. Strauss, Polson, and Moriarty executive produce along with Kidman and Per Saari for Blossom Films; Alison Hurbert-Burns & Lana Greenhalgh for Binge; and Bruna Papandrea, Jodi Matterson, Steve Hutensky & Casey Haver for Made Up Stories. The New South Wales government is supporting through the Made in NSW Fund.

The Last Anniversary is expected to debut in Australia, the U.S., and the U.K. in 2025.