TV fans have descended into hysteria following confirmation that one of the ‘best’ series from recent times will be returning.
American drama Big Little Lies premiered in 2017 to an overwhelmingly positive reception.
With an A-list cast comprising Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, Laura Dern, and Zoë Kravitz, it caught everyone’s attention pretty much immediately, even going on to bag Meryl Streep for a cameo in season 2.
And now, much to the joy of its enthralled viewers, the psychological dark comedy is coming back.
You needn’t just take our word for it, either, because we actually have some details to spill.
As per Deadline, Francesca Sloane is joining the team to pen the first episode. Best known for co-creating the series Mr. & Mrs. Smith with Donald Glover, the screenwriter will also executive-produce the third season.
Joining her on the producing squad behind the camera will be David E. Kelley, as well as lead actresses Kidman and Witherspoon, who will reprise their respective roles of Celeste Wright and Madeline Mackenzie.
The news comes after Sloane signed a two-year overall deal at HBO, meaning Big Little Lies fanatics needn’t worry about her jumping ship mid-season, while Mr. & Mrs. Smith on Amazon Prime Video has been halted indefinitely.
It also marks the first official announcement of a third season, despite rampant speculation since season 2 ended in 2019 and cast members such as Kidman teasing that another could be in the works, even if Kravitz said there was no chance of a revival after director Jean-Marc Vallée’s death.
In fact, the Australian movie star made quite the slip-up in November 2023, giving everyone hope by telling them, ‘we will be bringing you a third one’ during a Q&A—so at least we can cut the secrecy now.
What’s more, it’s safe to say the internet has reacted anything but calmly to the update.
‘WE ARE SO BACK’, declared Instagram user @rtridgeliaa_, while @j.oseers said: ‘we are sooooooooooo back’.
‘Finally!! 😍’, commented @paulticular, with @colinaborden hailing Sloane as a ‘perfect showrunner choice’.
However, some viewers are dubious, already worrying that a third instalment might ‘not be needed’ after the second outing felt somewhat ‘forced’.
‘A piece of me wants another season and a piece of me is like it’s been so long do we really need it?’, wrote an undecided @blooming_roses28.
It’s early days, of course, so any further details are being kept under wraps.
As for what we already know, the plot of Big Little Lies is based on the 2014 novel of the same name by Liane Moriarty.
It follows Kidman, Witherspoon, and Shailene Woodley’s characters, the three prominent ‘mothers of Monterey’ in California. The upper-class trio, whose children go to a prestigious elementary school, become embroiled in a homicide investigation when a single mother moves to their picturesque beach town.
Woven into the scripts are plotlines of not only loyalty and friendship but also infidelity, domestic abuse, and other forms of deception, with the powerful performances of the cast widely praised.
Season 1 mostly followed the book exactly, while season 2 explored the aftermath of the mystery.
It’s now been confirmed that a second novel is set to be released in 2026, with the written sequel to include a time jump of several years.
Big Little Lies, which has also starred Alexander Skarsgård, Adam Scott, and James Tupper, triumphed in various awards ceremonies, with season 1 achieving 16 Primetime Emmy Award nominations and eight wins, including for outstanding limited series.
The show was further recognised with directing gongs for Vallée and acting Golden Globes for Kidman, Skarsgård, and Dern.
Currently, it has an 89% score on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.
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