HBO is hitting the ground running in 2023. After announcing a second season of the hit series The Last of Us, the network is bringing Nicole Kidman back for an adaptation of Leïla Slimani’s The Perfect Nanny. The project hails from Pen15 co-creator and co-lead Maya Erskine, who HBO courted in a competitive situation. Erskine is the creator and writer of The Perfect Nanny, based on the novel of the same name by Slimani. Legendary Television is also getting in on the action alongside HBO.
Here’s the official synopsis for Slimani’s novel via Amazon:
When Myriam decides to return to work as a lawyer after having children, she and her husband look for the perfect Nanny for their son and daughter. They never dreamed they would find Louise: a quiet, polite, devoted woman who sings to the children, cleans the family’s chic Paris apartment, stays late without complaint, and hosts enviable kiddie parties. But as the couple and the Nanny become more dependent on one another, jealousy, resentment, and suspicions mount, shattering the idyllic tableau. Building tension with every sentence, The Perfect Nanny is a compulsive, riveting, bravely observed exploration of power, class, race, domesticity, motherhood, and madness – and the American debut of an immensely talented writer.
In addition to her starring role, Kidman executive produces through her Blossom Films label with Per Saari. Erskine is executive producing with Pascal Caucheteux via Why Not Productions, with Philippe Godeau for Pan-Européenne.
In a dark twist, The Perfect Nanny took inspiration from the 2012 Krim children murder, initially published by Gallimard in France in 2016. The story delves into disturbing instances of jealousy and betrayal, making for a cautionary tale about dependency, blind trust, and murder. The book received France’s highest literary honor, the Prix Goncourt.
Child care comes with myriad challenges. I can’t begin to imagine the terror parents must feel when entrusting their babies to someone else’s care. The Perfect Nanny is a nail-biting drama that explores the fear of making terrible judgment calls and watching your family fall to pieces. It’s every parent’s worst nightmare, and Kidman and Erskine will act their pants off to make you feel every awkward and terrifying moment.