Summer is ending but Netflix’s The Perfect Couple proves that murder, mystery and messy family dynamics are always in season.
The limited series is based on Elin Hilderbrand‘s novel about a wedding weekend in Nantucket that doesn’t go exactly as planned.
“The Otis-Winbury wedding promises to be an event to remember: the groom’s wealthy parents have spared no expense to host a lavish ceremony at their oceanfront estate,” reads the synopsis for the book. “But it’s going to be memorable for all the wrong reasons after tragedy strikes: a body is discovered in Nantucket Harbor just hours before the ceremony — and everyone in the wedding party is suddenly a suspect.”
The summary concluded: “As Chief of Police Ed Kapenash interviews the bride, the groom, the groom’s famous mystery-novelist mother, and even a member of his own family, he discovers that every wedding is a minefield — and no couple is perfect.”
Despite taking a lot of inspiration from Hilderbrand’s novel, Netflix’s version sets out to tell its own version. No tangent information on The Perfect Couple has been released except the main cast which includes Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Meghann Fahy, Eve Hewson, Dakota Fanning, Ishaan Khattar, Billy Howle and Jack Reynor.
Keep scrolling for everything to know about Netflix’s murder mystery The Perfect Couple:
When Is ‘The Perfect Couple’ Premiering on Netflix?
The six-episode limited series starts streaming on Netflix Thursday, September 5.
What Is the Plot of ‘The Perfect Couple’?
The Perfect Couple follows Amelia (Hewson) as she prepares to marry into one of Nantucket’s wealthiest families.
“But when a dead body appears on the beach, everyone’s Champagne dreams quickly vanish and are replaced by suspicion,” read Netflix’s synopsis for the TV adaptation. “As secrets bubble up to the surface, an investigation takes hold that feels plucked from one of Greer’s books. Suddenly, everyone is a suspect.”
Is ‘The Perfect Couple’ Taking Inspiration From Its Source Material?
While Netflix’s version sticks close to the book summary, most TV adaptations do make changes to fit the small screen so it isn’t clear yet what will and what won’t make the final cut.
One of the major changes confirmed so far is the bride’s name going from Celeste Otis to Amelia Sacks.
Who Else Makes Up the Cast of ‘The Perfect Couple’?
Sam Nivola, Mia Isaac, Donna Lynne Champlin, Isabelle Adjani, Michael Beach and Nick Searcy round out the cast.
How Involved Was the Author in Bringing the Show to Life?
“I’m [an] executive producer on all my projects, but I’m not writing them, so the pressure is minimal,” Hilderbrand told Boston in July 2024. “My involvement with The Perfect Couple has been so much fun, like, I got dinner with Nicole Kidman. It’s just been incredible.”
She continued: “It’s an incredible cast, one of the best ensembles, honestly, of all time. It has an amazing director, Susanne Bier, who did The Undoing, The Night Manager and Bird Box. She’s incredible, so I’m super excited about that.”
What Does the Teaser Reveal?
In July 2024, Netflix released a brief video that introduced each character while hiding just about every detail about the show. It wasn’t revealed whose body was found on the beach — or what led to the murder. The sneak peek only made it clear that everyone was a suspect because they were all keeping secrets.
Will ‘The Perfect Couple’ Have More Seasons?
The show has been promoted as a limited series which means there wouldn’t be a continuation — especially since there are no other books in the series.
However, fans itching for some more books in the same tone have more of Hilderbrand’s work making its way to their screens.
“I have a bunch of other projects, too. The Five Star Weekend is in development with Peacock right now. Swan Song has been optioned — I can’t tell you by who. The Winter Street book series has been optioned and 28 Summers [has been optioned] with a movie company,” Hilderbrand told Boston. “I’m going to hope and pray that The Perfect Couple is successful enough that those all end up getting greenlit. That would be so much fun, and I can be as involved or as uninvolved as I want to be on those.”
What Was It Like Filming the Series in Massachusetts?
Hewson spoke with N Magazine about her experience filming the show, sharing in July 2024, “It was incredible what they did. They took over a lot of places in Chatham, but it was mainly the house that they rented for those three months. First of all, the house was absolutely stunning. I don’t know what it looked like beforehand, but apparently, it was a complete transformation. It was beautiful. And we spent most of our time in that house, which is really great. It’s such a luxury to be in one set and on such a beautiful set, as well.”
She continued: “We spent a lot of time there, we had a green room up in the attic, where all the kids went up in between scenes and entertained themselves and we got to sit out on the beach during lunchtime to enjoy the sunshine. It was really beautiful.”
