‘Big Little Lies’ Season 3 Is Inching Closer to Reality

Big Little Lies may indeed get a third season at HBO.

Sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that stars and exec producers Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman are in the nascent stages of developing an idea for a potential third season of their Emmy-winning anthology-turned-ongoing drama series.

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Sources familiar with the series say Witherspoon and Kidman have an idea to center the season on that they both are excited about and are working in their capacity as producers to put together a formal pitch before taking it to HBO. Those same sources say HBO has yet to formally hear the plans but have been briefed on the larger concept. No deals are in place and a pitch has yet to happen though all parties are excited given the franchise’s penchant for awards.

Season 1 of the series based on Liane Moriarty’s best-seller was created and written by prolific producer David E. Kelley and aired in 2017. It went on to win eight Emmys, including best limited series, before the planned limited series was renewed and moved to compete in the drama category with its second season airing in 2019. It’s unclear if Kelley, who also has a busy dance card, will return for a possible third season.

Since then, HBO and Max chief Casey Bloys has said a third season of Big Little Lies would be an uphill battle given the busy schedules for stars including Witherspoon (who continues to star in Apple’s The Morning Show) and Kidman (who has multiple projects in the works). Following the passing of Emmy-winning director Jean-Marc Vallée, a return to the franchise seemed unlikely. That changed, however, late last year when Kidman said at a conference that “we will be bringing you a third one.” Witherspoon backed Kidman’s sentiments in an interview Sunday. “We are working on it. Nic and I have been working on it a lot,” she told THR sibling Variety on the Golden Globes red carpet Sunday.

HBO declined comment.

Kidman next has Amazon’s Lulu Wang series Expats due Jan. 26, a second season of Hulu’s Nine Perfect Strangers alongside exec producer Kelley as well as multiple other projects that will reunite the duo.

Should a third season of Big Little Lies get the green light from HBO, it would bring back one of the cabler’s most prestigious and star-studded shows following a year in which the Warner Bros. Discovery-backed network said farewell to awards darlings Succession and Barry, with the conclusion of Curb Your Enthusiasm set for this year.

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