HBO’s Big Little Lies was never supposed to be more than a limited series.
But when you have a cast as talented as this in one place and creatives behind the screen who can capitalize on what makes the show work, expansion makes sense.
But if you had told us in 2019, when Big Little Lies Season 2 took its final bow, that five years later, another season could very well be on the way, we would have been skeptical.
Yet, here we are.
Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman are bonafide TV stars and film stars, and like many other film actors, they’ve discovered the creative freedom of working on TV.
What is Big Little Lies About?
Big Little Lies Season 1 introduced us to the Monterey Five, a group of women living in Monterey who become friends through their shared experiences.
Through the unlikely friendships of five women and those in their orbit,...
But when you have a cast as talented as this in one place and creatives behind the screen who can capitalize on what makes the show work, expansion makes sense.
But if you had told us in 2019, when Big Little Lies Season 2 took its final bow, that five years later, another season could very well be on the way, we would have been skeptical.
Yet, here we are.
Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman are bonafide TV stars and film stars, and like many other film actors, they’ve discovered the creative freedom of working on TV.
What is Big Little Lies About?
Big Little Lies Season 1 introduced us to the Monterey Five, a group of women living in Monterey who become friends through their shared experiences.
Through the unlikely friendships of five women and those in their orbit,...
- 1/23/2024
- by Carissa Pavlica
- TVfanatic
Shailene Woodley is speaking on the possibility of Big Little Lies season 3!
The HBO series, based on the novel of the same name, aired two seasons in 2017 and 2019. Shailene co-starred with Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Zoë Kravitz, Laura Dern, Adam Scott, Alexander Skarsgård, and more.
In November, Nicole seemingly revealed that Big Little Lies season 3 is in the works, though an official confirmation is yet to surface.
Keep reading to find out more…
During an interview with Harper’s Bazaar, published on Friday (December 22), Shailene was asked about the possibility of reuniting with her Big Little Lies castmates and what she would be most excited to explore next with her character Jane Chapman.
“It’s been a dream for us [to do a third season]. Working together on that show was so many things, and the way that it affected so many people around the world and the way that it affected us—that was something none of us expected,...
The HBO series, based on the novel of the same name, aired two seasons in 2017 and 2019. Shailene co-starred with Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Zoë Kravitz, Laura Dern, Adam Scott, Alexander Skarsgård, and more.
In November, Nicole seemingly revealed that Big Little Lies season 3 is in the works, though an official confirmation is yet to surface.
Keep reading to find out more…
During an interview with Harper’s Bazaar, published on Friday (December 22), Shailene was asked about the possibility of reuniting with her Big Little Lies castmates and what she would be most excited to explore next with her character Jane Chapman.
“It’s been a dream for us [to do a third season]. Working together on that show was so many things, and the way that it affected so many people around the world and the way that it affected us—that was something none of us expected,...
- 12/23/2023
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
Season 2 of "Big Little Lies" (in 2019) ended with an explosive reveal, one that undoubtedly helped result in the highest viewership the series had seen. The Monterey Five, made up of Reese Witherspoon's Madeline Mackenzie, Nicole Kidman's Celeste Wright, Shailene Woodley's Jane Chapman, Laura Dern's Renata Klein, and Zoë Kravitz's Bonnie Carlson, ostensibly put their titular lie to bed. In the finale, after suffering through a season of guilt and repressed rage stemming from their involvement in and subsequent cover-up of Perry Wright's (Alexander Skarsgård) death, all five women walk together to the Monterey police station, presumptively going inside to confess.
The series ends there, though for sticklers it concluded a season before when the show wrapped the story contained in source author Liane Moriarty's original novel. The cover-up, Meryl Streep's ferocious mother-in-law Mary Louise — all of that was fiction stemming from fiction.
The series ends there, though for sticklers it concluded a season before when the show wrapped the story contained in source author Liane Moriarty's original novel. The cover-up, Meryl Streep's ferocious mother-in-law Mary Louise — all of that was fiction stemming from fiction.
- 8/14/2023
- by Chad Collins
- Slash Film
Though Shailene Woodley may not seem like it, she was, in fact, a child actor. She was only five when she got her start in the entertainment industry. While she attended regular school, she also started getting consistent work and building her resume. Today, her CV spans more than two decades and features a bunch of great movies and TV shows. But there was a time, shortly before she was cast in Big Little Lies, that Woodley needed to take a hard stop with acting.
‘Big Little Lies’ alum Shailene Woodley | Edward Berthelot/Getty Images Shailene Woodley gave a standout performance in ‘Big Little Lies’
Though she was already a successful working actor prior to Big Little Lies, playing Jane Chapman was another boon to Woodley’s career. Even amid a star-studded cast, Woodley’s performance stood out and she earned an Emmy nomination for her portrayal of the young mom.
‘Big Little Lies’ alum Shailene Woodley | Edward Berthelot/Getty Images Shailene Woodley gave a standout performance in ‘Big Little Lies’
Though she was already a successful working actor prior to Big Little Lies, playing Jane Chapman was another boon to Woodley’s career. Even amid a star-studded cast, Woodley’s performance stood out and she earned an Emmy nomination for her portrayal of the young mom.
- 2/15/2023
- by Abeni Tinubu
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
“Will somebody give a woman a moment?!” Laura Dern’s Renata Klein roaringly implored last summer – and she got her wish, you could say. After winning Best Limited Series/TV Movie Supporting Actress for playing Renata on “Big Little Lies’” first season in 2017, Dern returns to the Emmys this year for the acclaimed HBO series, but in Best Drama Supporting Actress as she contends for its second installment. On her eighth career nomination, the actress is gunning to accrue her second victory just three years after snagging her first with a little help from her episode submission to Emmy voters, “Tell-Tale Hearts,” the season’s second outing.
When we meet Renata in the first season, she is unbridled, snooty and forthright, married to her wealthy husband Gordon (Jeffrey Nordling) and living a most luxurious lifestyle in her glamorous Monterey home. At the same time, she’s an uber-protective, concerned mother...
When we meet Renata in the first season, she is unbridled, snooty and forthright, married to her wealthy husband Gordon (Jeffrey Nordling) and living a most luxurious lifestyle in her glamorous Monterey home. At the same time, she’s an uber-protective, concerned mother...
- 9/18/2020
- by Luca Giliberti
- Gold Derby
Though she’s not ready to talk about it in explicit terms, Shailene Woodley spoke about a “very scary physical situation” she endured in her early 20s, at the height of her rising fame while making the “Divergent” films. In an interview with The New York Times‘ Kyle Buchanan, Woodley said she was “very, very sick,” forcing her to “let go” of her career for a beat and pass on high-profile roles that ended up going to her peers.
“I haven’t spoken much about this yet publicly, and I will one day, but I was very, very sick in my early 20s. While I was doing the ‘Divergent’ movies and working hard, I also was struggling with a deeply personal, very scary physical situation,” she said. “Because of that, I said no to a lot of opportunities because I needed to get better, and those jobs ended up going...
“I haven’t spoken much about this yet publicly, and I will one day, but I was very, very sick in my early 20s. While I was doing the ‘Divergent’ movies and working hard, I also was struggling with a deeply personal, very scary physical situation,” she said. “Because of that, I said no to a lot of opportunities because I needed to get better, and those jobs ended up going...
- 4/11/2020
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Shailene Woodley proved herself to be a bit of a minx when she appeared on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” this week. The actress who plays Jane Chapman on HBO’s “Big Little Lies” apparently told a whopper about the season 2 finale airing on Sunday, July 21 at 9 p.m. Et/Pt.
She said that her character — along with those played by Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, Laura Dern and Zoe Kravitz — will visit the grave of sexual predator and abusive spouse Perry Wright (Alexander Skarsgard), who died from a fall on the previous season, only to find his resting place to be empty. She walked back her fib on Thursday by clarifying on an Instagram post that confessed, “Too Late To Tell You That Was Just one big. little. lie.”
So cross that off your bingo card of possibilites for the show’s wrap-up.
Still, there are countless theories being floated about what...
She said that her character — along with those played by Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, Laura Dern and Zoe Kravitz — will visit the grave of sexual predator and abusive spouse Perry Wright (Alexander Skarsgard), who died from a fall on the previous season, only to find his resting place to be empty. She walked back her fib on Thursday by clarifying on an Instagram post that confessed, “Too Late To Tell You That Was Just one big. little. lie.”
So cross that off your bingo card of possibilites for the show’s wrap-up.
Still, there are countless theories being floated about what...
- 7/20/2019
- by Susan Wloszczyna
- Gold Derby
(Warning: This post contains spoilers from Sunday’s Season 2 finale of “Big Little Lies”)
HBO is keeping the second season finale of “Big Little Lies” so under wraps that they wouldn’t even send Jimmy Kimmel a clip from Sunday’s season closer to show when star Shailene Woodley dropped by “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Monday.
But to make amends for the lack of footage, Woodley said the pay-tv channel gave her the all-clear to reveal one massive spoiler from the opening of the episode.
“They did say I could say this, which is kind of cool,” the actress, who plays Jane Chapman on the HBO drama, told Kimmel and his audience. “In the beginning of the next episode, all of the — it’s a little bit of a cliffhanger — but all of the women go to visit Perry’s grave, and his body is missing.”
Also Read: 'Big Little Lies...
HBO is keeping the second season finale of “Big Little Lies” so under wraps that they wouldn’t even send Jimmy Kimmel a clip from Sunday’s season closer to show when star Shailene Woodley dropped by “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Monday.
But to make amends for the lack of footage, Woodley said the pay-tv channel gave her the all-clear to reveal one massive spoiler from the opening of the episode.
“They did say I could say this, which is kind of cool,” the actress, who plays Jane Chapman on the HBO drama, told Kimmel and his audience. “In the beginning of the next episode, all of the — it’s a little bit of a cliffhanger — but all of the women go to visit Perry’s grave, and his body is missing.”
Also Read: 'Big Little Lies...
- 7/16/2019
- by Jennifer Maas
- The Wrap
[This story contains spoilers from the third episode of Big Little Lies season two, "The End of the World."]
The second season of Big Little Lies is about a reclaiming of identity for one of the main characters.
After the fatal season one finale — where Jane Chapman identified her rapist before he was pushed to his death — the return of the HBO drama opens up months later and Shailene Woodley felt that Jane should look different onscreen. The actress imagined how her Monterey Five character would react after identifying Perry Wright (Alexander Skarsgard) as her attacker, and the ...
The second season of Big Little Lies is about a reclaiming of identity for one of the main characters.
After the fatal season one finale — where Jane Chapman identified her rapist before he was pushed to his death — the return of the HBO drama opens up months later and Shailene Woodley felt that Jane should look different onscreen. The actress imagined how her Monterey Five character would react after identifying Perry Wright (Alexander Skarsgard) as her attacker, and the ...
- 6/23/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Of all the stories and issues that surround our favorite group of moms in Big Little Lies' first season, one of the biggest mysteries is the identity of Jane Chapman's rapist. Played by Shailene Woodley, Jane is a newcomer to the affluent Monterey community and is raising her son Ziggy as a single mom, struggling to make ends meet. Jane is clearly haunted by a trauma from her mysterious past, but she refuses to talk about it. She soon realizes that she won't be able to avoid discussion for much longer - Ziggy has questions about his father and he wants answers.
Slowly, Jane entrusts her new group of friends with the dark truth behind Ziggy's paternity: his father is a man who went by the name Saxon Banks and raped her. Understandably, Jane doesn't want to tell her son the awful details of his conception, but it's...
Slowly, Jane entrusts her new group of friends with the dark truth behind Ziggy's paternity: his father is a man who went by the name Saxon Banks and raped her. Understandably, Jane doesn't want to tell her son the awful details of his conception, but it's...
- 6/14/2019
- by Mekishana Pierre
- Popsugar.com
We all knew that Meryl Streep was coming to HBO's Big Little Lies, but we didn't know that she was coming straight for answers. Playing Perry's mother, Mary Louise, in season two, the queen herself makes one heck of a chilling appearance in the official trailer for the upcoming batch of episodes.
Addressing her daughter-in-law Celeste (Nicole Kidman) with a poker face, she firmly declares, "My son is dead, and I want answers." Celeste tells her, "I gave you answers." Mary Louise goes straight for the kill, saying, "Yes, but you left some things out, didn't you? You were planning to leave him, and you learned of his infidelity just 10 seconds before he died. Oh, you left that out too." Cue dramatic gasp! So what is this infidelity that she is talking about? If you're unclear, let's rewind to season one to unpack.
For the most apparent explanation, we...
Addressing her daughter-in-law Celeste (Nicole Kidman) with a poker face, she firmly declares, "My son is dead, and I want answers." Celeste tells her, "I gave you answers." Mary Louise goes straight for the kill, saying, "Yes, but you left some things out, didn't you? You were planning to leave him, and you learned of his infidelity just 10 seconds before he died. Oh, you left that out too." Cue dramatic gasp! So what is this infidelity that she is talking about? If you're unclear, let's rewind to season one to unpack.
For the most apparent explanation, we...
- 5/14/2019
- by Stacey Nguyen
- Popsugar.com
What happens when a secret shared among a group begins eating away at one of its members? We’re about to find out in the second season of HBO’s Big Little Lies, which brings back The Monterey Five – Madeline Mackenzie (Reese Witherspoon), Celeste Wright (Nicole Kidman), Jane Chapman (Shailene Woodley), Renata Klein (Laura Dern), and […]
The post ‘Big Little Lies’ Season 2 Trailer: The Lie is Going to Get Them All appeared first on /Film.
The post ‘Big Little Lies’ Season 2 Trailer: The Lie is Going to Get Them All appeared first on /Film.
- 5/10/2019
- by Ben Pearson
- Slash Film
“Big Little Lies” was supposed to be a miniseries; it wasn’t supposed to return for a second season. But it proved to be such a big hit that HBO just couldn’t let it go.
After much speculation and a triumphant awards season, HBO made it official and ordered another seven episodes full of mom drama, lies (of all shapes and sizes) and stunning beachfront property.
Since the first season covered the entirety of Liane Moriarty’s bestselling novel, little is known about the direction the second season will take or how the show will build upon the already-told story. But with the series currently in production, we do know some of what “Big Little Lies” Season 2 will look like. Here’s everything we know so far.
Also Read: First Look at Meryl Streep on 'Big Little Lies' Season 2, Courtesy of Nicole Kidman (Photo)
1. Most of the cast is returning
As executive producers in addition to their on-screen roles, Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman were the first announced to return to Monterey, but they were followed by nearly all of the show’s original cast.
Shailene Woodley, Laura Dern and Zoë Kravitz will also star in the second season, and they’ll be joined by Adam Scott, James Tupper, Jeffrey Nordling, Iain Armitage, Kathryn Newton, Robin Weigert, Sarah Sokolovic and Merrin Dungey.
2. Even Alexander Skarsgard
Skarsgard’s character Perry, the abusive husband of Kidman’s Celeste, died at the end of the first season, but according to TV Line, he is still expected to appear “in some capacity.”
When asked about the report by People, the actor replied, “I don’t even know if I’m really dead or not.”
Also Read: Laura Dern Shares On-Set Photo From 'Big Little Lies': 'Madeline and Renata Are Back' (Photo)
3. Newcomers include Meryl Streep and Bonnie’s parents
As though a second season pick up wasn’t surprising enough, “Big Little Lies” shocked everybody when it announced its newest cast member: Meryl Streep.
For the first time on television since 2003’s “Angels in America,” the three-time Oscar-winner will play Perry’s mother Mary Louise Wright, who arrives in Monterey over worry about her mourning grandchildren.
Kidman shared the first photo of Streep in character (complete with one hell of a wig) on Instagram:
First day on the set with Meryl and “my” darling boys! #BigLittleLies
A post shared by Nicole Kidman (@nicolekidman) on Apr 5, 2018 at 11:00am Pdt
And though Kravitz’s character Bonnie saw her role reduced from the book in Season 1, it seems like Season 2 will take a deeper dive into her backstory.
“Weeds” alum Martin Donovan and “In the Heat of the Night” star Crystal Fox have signed on to recur in the upcoming episodes as her parents, Martin and Elizabeth, though further character and plot details are being kept tightly under wraps.
Also Read: HBO Exec Apologizes for Saying Network Was 'Raped' by 'Big Little Lies' Cast Negotiations
4. Here’s what the other characters will be up to
Much of the plot remains unknown — as the show will go beyond its source material in Season 2 — but the episodes will be written by showrunner David E. Kelley and are partially based on story by Moriarty herself.
HBO has teased some of the season’s arcs in character descriptions, which you can read below:
Nicole Kidman as Celeste Wright: Reeling from her husband Perry’s death, Celeste is adrift, but determined to fight for her family and find the woman she once was.
Reese Witherspoon as Madeline Martha Mackenzie: Finding that good intentions don’t always yield good consequences, Madeline confronts the truth of Perry’s death, while coming to terms with her own marriage and traditional notions of family.
Shailene Woodley as Jane Chapman: While processing Perry’s sudden death, Jane is trying to build a new life for herself and Ziggy.
Laura Dern as Renata Klein: The epitome of control, Renata is now faced with new challenges in her marriage.
Zoë Kravitz as Bonnie Carlson: Bonnie struggles with Perry’s death and is forced to face demons in her past.
Meryl Streep as Mary Louise Wright: Concerned for the well-being of her grandchildren following her son Perry’s death, Mary Louise arrives in Monterey searching for answers.
Adam Scott as Ed Mackenzie: Ed is forced to confront major challenges in his marriage to Madeline.
James Tupper as Nathan Carlson: Nathan copes with a complicated turn of events in his marriage and with his eldest daughter Abby.
Jeffrey Nordling as Gordon Klein: Gordon faces the consequences of a big mistake and risks losing everything along the way.
Iain Armitage as Ziggy Chapman: Ziggy starts second grade and continues to be the light of Jane’s life.
5. Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman got big pay bumps to return
Because the show was conceived as a miniseries, HBO did not have options for the cast beyond the first season. And, as The Hollywood Reporter reported in January, landing deals for the cast to return came at a steep price for the network.
Witherspoon alone, whose producing slate has exploded in recent months with high-profile projects at Apple and now Hulu, is earning “in the $1 million-an-episode ballpark” for the second season, along with fees for serving as an executive producer and points off the backend. Kidman, also an executive producer, is said to have a similar deal.
That led to a brief controversy for the network when an HBO exec said the company had been “sort of raped” financially by the negotiations, comments for which she later apologized.
6. David E. Kelley will write the show; Andrea Arnold will direct
As noted above, Kelley will write and executive produce the second season, as he did the first. But Season 1 director Jean-Marc Vallée (who retains an Ep credit) will be replaced by Andrea Arnold.
Arnold won an Academy Award in 2005 for directing the short film “Wasp” and has since gone on to direct a number of acclaimed films including “Red Road,” “Fish Tank” and a 2011 adaptation of “Wuthering Heights.”
Her most recent film, 2016’s “American Honey,” took home the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival and was hailed by critics as the film that proved Arnold to be one of the industry’s best working directors.
7. It will probably premiere in 2019
HBO programming president Casey Bloys confirmed in an interview with THR in January that with filming on “Big Little Lies” beginning in March, the show would not be back on the air in 2018.
So fans will have to wait until next year to watch Season 2, along with the final run of “Game of Thrones” and the long-awaited third season of “True Detective.”
8. There’s a dog, and he has great hair
Look at him!
Introducing Jolly. He has the best hair of all the cast !! #BigLittleLies @nicolekidman @hbo
A post shared by Reese Witherspoon (@reesewitherspoon) on Apr 12, 2018 at 9:00am Pdt
Read original story ‘Big Little Lies’ Season 2: Everything We Know So Far At TheWrap...
After much speculation and a triumphant awards season, HBO made it official and ordered another seven episodes full of mom drama, lies (of all shapes and sizes) and stunning beachfront property.
Since the first season covered the entirety of Liane Moriarty’s bestselling novel, little is known about the direction the second season will take or how the show will build upon the already-told story. But with the series currently in production, we do know some of what “Big Little Lies” Season 2 will look like. Here’s everything we know so far.
Also Read: First Look at Meryl Streep on 'Big Little Lies' Season 2, Courtesy of Nicole Kidman (Photo)
1. Most of the cast is returning
As executive producers in addition to their on-screen roles, Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman were the first announced to return to Monterey, but they were followed by nearly all of the show’s original cast.
Shailene Woodley, Laura Dern and Zoë Kravitz will also star in the second season, and they’ll be joined by Adam Scott, James Tupper, Jeffrey Nordling, Iain Armitage, Kathryn Newton, Robin Weigert, Sarah Sokolovic and Merrin Dungey.
2. Even Alexander Skarsgard
Skarsgard’s character Perry, the abusive husband of Kidman’s Celeste, died at the end of the first season, but according to TV Line, he is still expected to appear “in some capacity.”
When asked about the report by People, the actor replied, “I don’t even know if I’m really dead or not.”
Also Read: Laura Dern Shares On-Set Photo From 'Big Little Lies': 'Madeline and Renata Are Back' (Photo)
3. Newcomers include Meryl Streep and Bonnie’s parents
As though a second season pick up wasn’t surprising enough, “Big Little Lies” shocked everybody when it announced its newest cast member: Meryl Streep.
For the first time on television since 2003’s “Angels in America,” the three-time Oscar-winner will play Perry’s mother Mary Louise Wright, who arrives in Monterey over worry about her mourning grandchildren.
Kidman shared the first photo of Streep in character (complete with one hell of a wig) on Instagram:
First day on the set with Meryl and “my” darling boys! #BigLittleLies
A post shared by Nicole Kidman (@nicolekidman) on Apr 5, 2018 at 11:00am Pdt
And though Kravitz’s character Bonnie saw her role reduced from the book in Season 1, it seems like Season 2 will take a deeper dive into her backstory.
“Weeds” alum Martin Donovan and “In the Heat of the Night” star Crystal Fox have signed on to recur in the upcoming episodes as her parents, Martin and Elizabeth, though further character and plot details are being kept tightly under wraps.
Also Read: HBO Exec Apologizes for Saying Network Was 'Raped' by 'Big Little Lies' Cast Negotiations
4. Here’s what the other characters will be up to
Much of the plot remains unknown — as the show will go beyond its source material in Season 2 — but the episodes will be written by showrunner David E. Kelley and are partially based on story by Moriarty herself.
HBO has teased some of the season’s arcs in character descriptions, which you can read below:
Nicole Kidman as Celeste Wright: Reeling from her husband Perry’s death, Celeste is adrift, but determined to fight for her family and find the woman she once was.
Reese Witherspoon as Madeline Martha Mackenzie: Finding that good intentions don’t always yield good consequences, Madeline confronts the truth of Perry’s death, while coming to terms with her own marriage and traditional notions of family.
Shailene Woodley as Jane Chapman: While processing Perry’s sudden death, Jane is trying to build a new life for herself and Ziggy.
Laura Dern as Renata Klein: The epitome of control, Renata is now faced with new challenges in her marriage.
Zoë Kravitz as Bonnie Carlson: Bonnie struggles with Perry’s death and is forced to face demons in her past.
Meryl Streep as Mary Louise Wright: Concerned for the well-being of her grandchildren following her son Perry’s death, Mary Louise arrives in Monterey searching for answers.
Adam Scott as Ed Mackenzie: Ed is forced to confront major challenges in his marriage to Madeline.
James Tupper as Nathan Carlson: Nathan copes with a complicated turn of events in his marriage and with his eldest daughter Abby.
Jeffrey Nordling as Gordon Klein: Gordon faces the consequences of a big mistake and risks losing everything along the way.
Iain Armitage as Ziggy Chapman: Ziggy starts second grade and continues to be the light of Jane’s life.
5. Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman got big pay bumps to return
Because the show was conceived as a miniseries, HBO did not have options for the cast beyond the first season. And, as The Hollywood Reporter reported in January, landing deals for the cast to return came at a steep price for the network.
Witherspoon alone, whose producing slate has exploded in recent months with high-profile projects at Apple and now Hulu, is earning “in the $1 million-an-episode ballpark” for the second season, along with fees for serving as an executive producer and points off the backend. Kidman, also an executive producer, is said to have a similar deal.
That led to a brief controversy for the network when an HBO exec said the company had been “sort of raped” financially by the negotiations, comments for which she later apologized.
6. David E. Kelley will write the show; Andrea Arnold will direct
As noted above, Kelley will write and executive produce the second season, as he did the first. But Season 1 director Jean-Marc Vallée (who retains an Ep credit) will be replaced by Andrea Arnold.
Arnold won an Academy Award in 2005 for directing the short film “Wasp” and has since gone on to direct a number of acclaimed films including “Red Road,” “Fish Tank” and a 2011 adaptation of “Wuthering Heights.”
Her most recent film, 2016’s “American Honey,” took home the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival and was hailed by critics as the film that proved Arnold to be one of the industry’s best working directors.
7. It will probably premiere in 2019
HBO programming president Casey Bloys confirmed in an interview with THR in January that with filming on “Big Little Lies” beginning in March, the show would not be back on the air in 2018.
So fans will have to wait until next year to watch Season 2, along with the final run of “Game of Thrones” and the long-awaited third season of “True Detective.”
8. There’s a dog, and he has great hair
Look at him!
Introducing Jolly. He has the best hair of all the cast !! #BigLittleLies @nicolekidman @hbo
A post shared by Reese Witherspoon (@reesewitherspoon) on Apr 12, 2018 at 9:00am Pdt
Read original story ‘Big Little Lies’ Season 2: Everything We Know So Far At TheWrap...
- 4/21/2018
- by Reid Nakamura
- The Wrap
“Big Little Lies” has started production on Season 2, and that’s the truth. Stars Laura Dern, Zoe Kravitz and Shailene Woodley have all posted photos on Instagram in recent days, celebrating the HBO show’s return and giving a sneak peek at what’s to come.
Back are stars Reese Witherspoon (as Madeline Mackenzie) and Nicole Kidman (as Celeste Wright), as well as Woodley (as Jane Chapman), Kravitz (as Bonnie Carlson), and Dern (as Renata Klein). Also returning are Adam Scott (Ed), James Tupper (Nathan), Jeffrey Nordling (Gordon), and Iain Armitage (Ziggy), while Meryl Streep is on board this season as the mother of Alexander Skarsgård’s deceased character, Perry Wright.
Read More:‘Big Little Lies’ Season 2: Everything to Know About HBO’s Blockbuster Follow-Up
“Fish Tank” and “American Honey” director Andrea Arnold is directing all seven episodes of Season 2, while David E. Kelley is back to write all seven scripts.
Back are stars Reese Witherspoon (as Madeline Mackenzie) and Nicole Kidman (as Celeste Wright), as well as Woodley (as Jane Chapman), Kravitz (as Bonnie Carlson), and Dern (as Renata Klein). Also returning are Adam Scott (Ed), James Tupper (Nathan), Jeffrey Nordling (Gordon), and Iain Armitage (Ziggy), while Meryl Streep is on board this season as the mother of Alexander Skarsgård’s deceased character, Perry Wright.
Read More:‘Big Little Lies’ Season 2: Everything to Know About HBO’s Blockbuster Follow-Up
“Fish Tank” and “American Honey” director Andrea Arnold is directing all seven episodes of Season 2, while David E. Kelley is back to write all seven scripts.
- 3/20/2018
- by Michael Schneider
- Indiewire
Madeline. Celeste. Jane. Renata. Bonnie. They're all back for Big Little Lies season two, which is officially production. The cast, which includes Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley, Laura Dern and Zoë Kravitz, returned to work on the HBO series' second season and naturally took to social media to mark the occasion. Dern posted the above photo of her and Witherspoon on set as Renata and Madeline. Last week Woodley posted her return to dark hair for Jane Chapman and Kravitz also posted a picture signifying her return to Bonnie's braids. HBO said the new season will "explore the malignancy of lies, the durability of friendships, the fragility of marriage and, of course, the vicious...
- 3/20/2018
- E! Online
Adam Scott (Ghosted) is set to return for the second installment of HBO's Emmy-winning limited series Big Little Lies, reprising his role of Ed Mackenzie from Season 1. He’ll join previously announced returning cast Nicole Kidman as Celeste Wright, Reese Witherspoon as Ed’s wife Madeline Martha Mackenzie, Shailene Woodley as Jane Chapman, Laura Dern as Renata Klein and Zoë Kravitz as Bonnie Carlson. Previously announced Meryl Streep joins Season 2 as Mary Louise…...
- 2/28/2018
- Deadline TV
Big Little Lies stars Shailene Woodley, Laura Dern and Zoe Kravitz are officially confirmed to return for season two of the hit HBO drama series.
The trio have all signed deals to reprise their roles as Jane Chapman, Renata Klein and Bonnie Carlson, and will join the already confirmed season two castings of Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman in season two, and the newly added series regular Meryl Streep.
The series will also have a new director, Andrea Arnold, who will direct seven episodes of season two. Former season one director Jean-Marc Vallée, will return as executive producer.
Big Little Lies won Golden Globes for Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television (Nicole Kidman), Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television, Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series (Alexander Skarsgard), Best Performance by an...
The trio have all signed deals to reprise their roles as Jane Chapman, Renata Klein and Bonnie Carlson, and will join the already confirmed season two castings of Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman in season two, and the newly added series regular Meryl Streep.
The series will also have a new director, Andrea Arnold, who will direct seven episodes of season two. Former season one director Jean-Marc Vallée, will return as executive producer.
Big Little Lies won Golden Globes for Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television (Nicole Kidman), Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television, Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series (Alexander Skarsgard), Best Performance by an...
- 2/16/2018
- by Chris Salce
- Age of the Nerd
Shailene Woodley, Laura Dern and Zoë Kravitz have closed their deals to return for the second installment of HBO’s Emmy-winning limited series Big Little Lies, all three reprising their roles from Season 1. They’ll be reuniting with Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman, who were previously confirmed to return, along with new cast member Meryl Streep. Woodley plays Jane Chapman: While processing Perry's sudden death, Jane is trying to build a new life for herself and Ziggy…...
- 2/16/2018
- Deadline TV
Network: HBOEpisodes: Ongoing (hour)Seasons: OngoingTV show dates: February 19, 2017 — presentSeries status: Has not been cancelledPerformers include: Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley, Laura Dern, Zoë Kravitz, Alexander Skarsgård, Adam Scott, James Tupper, Jeffrey Nordling, Santiago Cabrera, P.J. Byrne, Virginia Kull, Kathryn Newton, Cameron Crovetti, Nicholas Crovetti, Chloe Coleman, Ivy George, and Iain Armitage.TV show description:Based on the Liane Moriarty novel, the Big Little Lies TV show unfolds in the serene seaside setting of Monterey, California, where nothing is just how it seems. How many lies surround these seemingly perfect families?Told from the points of view of mothers Madeline Martha Mackenzie (Reese Witherspoon), Celeste Wright (Nicole Kidman), and Jane Chapman (Shailene Woodley), this dark, comedy-drama portrays a rumor-driven...
- 1/27/2018
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
In a year in which one man's Twitter account became the world's barometer of international crisis, it can be difficult to find things upon which we can all agree. However, here's one truth that seems irrefutable across party lines: Laura Dern makes everything better. Whether it's her broad comedy in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, her refashioning of an iconic character in Twin Peaks: The Return, or her award-winning work on Big Little Lies, her year was as varied as it was memorable. And that's not even including the fact that she...
- 12/26/2017
- Rollingstone.com
Jane Campion is one of the most gifted visual directors working anywhere in the world. A former painter, Campion possesses a beautiful, virtually unrivaled sense of color, a consistently inventive use of the frame and poetic imagery that gives her work a charge and excitement.
Her new film, "Holy Smoke", presents overpowering evidence of her uncommon skills, although it also summons up memories of her first, and still finest feature, "Sweetie". Those comparisons unavoidably reference the troubling deficiencies of the current work.
Premiering in competition before playing in the New York Film festival to herald its October opening from Miramax Films, this remains a more emotionally accessible work than Campion's previous film, the Henry James literary adaptation "The Portrait of a Lady". But it also lacks the formal and stylistic ambition of that fascinating work. Given Miramax's marketing prowess and the star power of Kate Winslet, "Holy Smoke" should deliver some strong numbers, particularly in the upscale urban markets. But the movie clearly lacks the breakthrough commercial acceptance of Campion's third feature, "The Piano", so expectations should be appropriately gauged.
Ruth Barron (Winslet), the beautiful though disenchanted daughter of a middle-class Australian family who feels adrift and hopelessly lost, finds her apparent salvation in the philosophies of a guru during a soul-searching excursion to Delhi, India. Her family, horrified by these developments and convinced that she has become manipulated by a "cult," enlists the services of an American "exit counselor," PJ Waters (Harvey Keitel), to break her ideological association with the guru.
Her mother (Julie Hamilton), concocting a story that Ruth's father is seriously ill, lures her back to Australia. There, the proper story unfolds through the confrontation of these magnetic personalities during a series of startling changes and movements, continually bending and twisting their knotty, elusive personalities to fit the circumstances.
Waters' strategy is founded on stages. By isolating his subject, stripping Ruth of her possessions and comfort and denying her identifying characteristics, he tempers and forges a new, distinct personality. Waters confines Ruth in a forlorn shack in the vast landscapes of the outback, believing through his own expert application of persuasion and control he will construct an entirely different personality.
But the reversal here is that the shrewd and cunning Ruth employs her own sexual voracity in a way that even blindsides Waters. In the course of their sessions, Waters becomes unmistakably fixated by the enchanting Ruth. In effect, the two meet, exchange identities and then reverse their roles.
The film is clearly aligned to Campion's previous work, films centered on examining independence and freedom, typically involving a woman whose need for definition and personal expression is thwarted by social conformity and restrictive sexual role-playing.
"Holy Smoke", based on an original script Campion wrote with her sister, Anna Campion ("Loaded"), is suffused with her ecstatically beautiful imagery. Drawing on the brooding, stark landscapes, clay and rock formations, Campion creates a succession of spellbinding moments. A shot of Ruth, her white diaphanous sari flowing in the breeze, is one of the most beautiful images of recent cinema.
In these passages there is a freedom and poetry that is sometimes devastating. The placement of the individuals against the wide open spaces, the almost absurd juxtaposition of form and personality, creates a series of startling moments. Campion beautifully counterpoints the physical against the emotional as Ruth and Waters both strive to realize some deeper aspect of their own personality and their own need for change and greater self-knowledge.
If "Holy Smoke" were limited to the sexual and ideological power games of Ruth and Waters, it would possibly achieve the concentration and emotional intensity of "Sweetie", but the extreme and, at times, almost grotesquely stylized eccentricities of Ruth's large family breaks apart the central relationship and alters, to increasingly disastrous effect, the balance and perspective of the movie.
The film is particularly harmed by an utterly unnecessary subplot involving a second woman's developing sexual infatuation with Waters. A welcome presence in any movie, Pam Grier makes a late appearance as Keitel's aggrieved American girlfriend, but the move appears almost desperate by that point. At that point, "Holy Smoke" cleaves into two separate personalities: between the interior, intellectual war fought between Winslet and Keitel, and the fight over possession of the two people by their respective families. By their nature, these are parts that are destined to remain far apart.
So the movie is dramatically frustrating, a fact not even Campion's formal mastery compensates for. As a result, Campion has made a good, at times unpredictable, film but not one that, like "Sweetie", shakes up the formal and emotional possibilities of the medium.
HOLY SMOKE
Miramax Films
A Jane Chapman production
A Jane Campion film
Producer: Jane Chapman
Director-writer: Jane Campion
Writer: Anna Campion
Director of photography: Dion Beebe
Editor: Veronika Jenet
Production designer/costumes: Janet Patterson
Music: Angelo Badalamenti
Cast:
Ruth: Kate Winslet
PJ Waters: Harvey Keitel
Mum: Julie Hamilton
Yvonne: Sophie Lee
Robbie: Daniel Wylie
Carol: Pam Grier
Running time -- 116 minutes
No MPAA rating...
Her new film, "Holy Smoke", presents overpowering evidence of her uncommon skills, although it also summons up memories of her first, and still finest feature, "Sweetie". Those comparisons unavoidably reference the troubling deficiencies of the current work.
Premiering in competition before playing in the New York Film festival to herald its October opening from Miramax Films, this remains a more emotionally accessible work than Campion's previous film, the Henry James literary adaptation "The Portrait of a Lady". But it also lacks the formal and stylistic ambition of that fascinating work. Given Miramax's marketing prowess and the star power of Kate Winslet, "Holy Smoke" should deliver some strong numbers, particularly in the upscale urban markets. But the movie clearly lacks the breakthrough commercial acceptance of Campion's third feature, "The Piano", so expectations should be appropriately gauged.
Ruth Barron (Winslet), the beautiful though disenchanted daughter of a middle-class Australian family who feels adrift and hopelessly lost, finds her apparent salvation in the philosophies of a guru during a soul-searching excursion to Delhi, India. Her family, horrified by these developments and convinced that she has become manipulated by a "cult," enlists the services of an American "exit counselor," PJ Waters (Harvey Keitel), to break her ideological association with the guru.
Her mother (Julie Hamilton), concocting a story that Ruth's father is seriously ill, lures her back to Australia. There, the proper story unfolds through the confrontation of these magnetic personalities during a series of startling changes and movements, continually bending and twisting their knotty, elusive personalities to fit the circumstances.
Waters' strategy is founded on stages. By isolating his subject, stripping Ruth of her possessions and comfort and denying her identifying characteristics, he tempers and forges a new, distinct personality. Waters confines Ruth in a forlorn shack in the vast landscapes of the outback, believing through his own expert application of persuasion and control he will construct an entirely different personality.
But the reversal here is that the shrewd and cunning Ruth employs her own sexual voracity in a way that even blindsides Waters. In the course of their sessions, Waters becomes unmistakably fixated by the enchanting Ruth. In effect, the two meet, exchange identities and then reverse their roles.
The film is clearly aligned to Campion's previous work, films centered on examining independence and freedom, typically involving a woman whose need for definition and personal expression is thwarted by social conformity and restrictive sexual role-playing.
"Holy Smoke", based on an original script Campion wrote with her sister, Anna Campion ("Loaded"), is suffused with her ecstatically beautiful imagery. Drawing on the brooding, stark landscapes, clay and rock formations, Campion creates a succession of spellbinding moments. A shot of Ruth, her white diaphanous sari flowing in the breeze, is one of the most beautiful images of recent cinema.
In these passages there is a freedom and poetry that is sometimes devastating. The placement of the individuals against the wide open spaces, the almost absurd juxtaposition of form and personality, creates a series of startling moments. Campion beautifully counterpoints the physical against the emotional as Ruth and Waters both strive to realize some deeper aspect of their own personality and their own need for change and greater self-knowledge.
If "Holy Smoke" were limited to the sexual and ideological power games of Ruth and Waters, it would possibly achieve the concentration and emotional intensity of "Sweetie", but the extreme and, at times, almost grotesquely stylized eccentricities of Ruth's large family breaks apart the central relationship and alters, to increasingly disastrous effect, the balance and perspective of the movie.
The film is particularly harmed by an utterly unnecessary subplot involving a second woman's developing sexual infatuation with Waters. A welcome presence in any movie, Pam Grier makes a late appearance as Keitel's aggrieved American girlfriend, but the move appears almost desperate by that point. At that point, "Holy Smoke" cleaves into two separate personalities: between the interior, intellectual war fought between Winslet and Keitel, and the fight over possession of the two people by their respective families. By their nature, these are parts that are destined to remain far apart.
So the movie is dramatically frustrating, a fact not even Campion's formal mastery compensates for. As a result, Campion has made a good, at times unpredictable, film but not one that, like "Sweetie", shakes up the formal and emotional possibilities of the medium.
HOLY SMOKE
Miramax Films
A Jane Chapman production
A Jane Campion film
Producer: Jane Chapman
Director-writer: Jane Campion
Writer: Anna Campion
Director of photography: Dion Beebe
Editor: Veronika Jenet
Production designer/costumes: Janet Patterson
Music: Angelo Badalamenti
Cast:
Ruth: Kate Winslet
PJ Waters: Harvey Keitel
Mum: Julie Hamilton
Yvonne: Sophie Lee
Robbie: Daniel Wylie
Carol: Pam Grier
Running time -- 116 minutes
No MPAA rating...
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