Sound the alarms: After an *extremely* long wait and much anticipation, HBO has confirmed Big Little Lies' second season is officially going ahead. Here's what we know so far about season two of the HBO hit. This post will continue to be updated, so check back for the latest news and sneak peeks.
The Official Trailer Has Arrived
There’s no going back now. Finally, an official trailer has landed for the second season of Big Little Lies, and it’s every bit as dark as you’d hoped. Oh, and there’s some intense action from newest cast member Meryl Streep which, it goes without saying, is the cherry on top of the excitement. The moment that she sharply tells Reese Witherspoon (Madeline) that she’s sure she won’t “get the truth” proves that this already brilliant show is only going to get better.
Hear Shailene Woodley tell the Monterey Five how they “have scarlet letters on [their] backs," and experience the chills with the trailer below:
Plus, that all-important air date–season 2 will premiere on June 9.
In May, HBO released another trailer and Meryl, predictably, steals it as her character questions her son's death (a line of inquiry that could spell trouble for, you know, literally everyone else on the show). Behold:
New Photos!
This winter, we've gotten a handful of previews for what to expect from the much-anticipated second season of the show. We've got photos!
And during the Golden Globes, we got a trailer as well!
Counting. Down. The. Days. Which brings me to...
Release Date
The second season is set to have seven episodes, and will premiere in June of 2019. Fans were hoping for earlier, but when HBO programming chief Casey Bloys was asked if the second season might air in 2018, he gave a definitive no. "No. They start shooting in the spring. It's not going to air in 2018."
Cast
All of the season one cast is expected to return. However, there *is* going to be a bit of a changeup: The show is getting a new director, Andrea Arnold, replacing season one director Jean-Marc Vallée. Vallée will remain an executive producer.
Reese Witherspoon commented on the exciting news: “I’m thrilled to be bringing back this talented team of artists. It gives us the opportunity to delve deeper into the lives of these intriguing and intricate Monterey families and bring more of their stories back to the audience who embraced and championed them," she said. "I’m beyond excited to be working with talented and acclaimed director Andrea Arnold, who will be at the helm. Andrea’s unique storytelling style will be a welcome addition to the film-making team.”
The most notable addition to the cast is, of course, Meryl Streep. The Oscar-winner and all-around goddess will play Perry's mom—who understandably has a lot of questions about her son's death.
Filming
Auditions for new characters reportedly took place in December and production kicked off in March 2018—in Monterey, naturally.
On April 5, Nicole Kidman posted on Instagram that filming had officially begun and included a picture of herself and Meryl Streep on set.
Plot
Not much is known about the plot of Big Little Lies' second season. The first season was based on a book, but since the book has no sequel, fans were left wondering where the story would go next. BLL author Liane Moriarty reportedly wrote the story for the show's second season, so, whatever is in store, we can count on the same dark and mysterious tone.
HBO's official log line for season two is: "The subversive, darkly comedic drama Big Little Lies will explore the malignancy of lies, the durability of friendships, the fragility of marriage and, of course, the vicious ferocity of sound parenting. Relationships will fray, loyalties will erode…the potential for emotional and bodily injury shall loom."
As for the possibility of a third season, Bloys says it all depends on the very busy cast's schedules.
"Everybody involved is so busy that it's hard to imagine aligning everybody's schedule again," he said. "The fact that we were able to get season two together is a small miracle. Could we do it again? Who knows?! It's a great group. They love working together and they're really fun to work with. But everybody is really busy. So let's see."
Big Little Lies season 2 will premiere on June 9.
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