After six years, “Big Little Lies” Season 3 is officially a go.
Variety reports that HBO has tapped Francesca Sloane to write the new episodes, which are part of her two-year overall deal with the network. The news comes on the heels of another Sloane project, “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” Season 2 at Prime Video, being delayed indefinitely, so clearly she has room in her schedule. Sloane will also serve as executive producer on “Big Little Lies” S3, with David E. Kelley, Nicole Kidman, and Reese Witherspoon.
News of a third season of “Big Little Lies” shouldn’t come as a surprise to fans of the series. Kidman told Vanity Fair last summer that development on a new season was “fast and furious,” and HBO Content CEO Casey Bloys confirmed her statement last December. “She wasn’t getting [of herself], she’s very excited,” Bloys said. “They’re all excited. We’re excited. We’re all waiting for the book. We all need to read the book, which I believe is coming soon, but I do not have a copy in my hands.”
What book would that be? Liane Moriarty’s upcoming sequel novel to the 2014 one, on which the show is based. It’s due in bookstores sometime this year and will obviously serve as primary source material for Season 3. Moriarty also provided original material for Season 2, which went beyond the story of the 2014 novel.
Six years later, “Big Little Lies” remains one of HBO’s biggest hits in recent memory. Originally intended as a limited series, Season 1 debuted in 2017 to unanimous critical praise, winning Emmy Awards for Best Limited Series, Best Actress In A Limited Series (Kidman), Best Supporting Actress In A Limited Series (Laura Dern), and more. Kidman, Witherspoon, Dern, Shalene Woodley, and Zoë Kravitz all returned for Season 2 in 2019, with Meryl Streep joining the ensemble.
But will everyone return for Season 3? That becomes the big question now. Season 2 ended on a major cliffhanger involving the female ensemble, so it’s safe to expect at least five leading actresses to return. Let’s see what happens, though.
