With eight Emmys and four Golden Globes in its kitty, HBO’s hit drama ‘Big Little Lies’ is returning for a second season this summer. The drama series tells the story of three emotionally troubled women (played by Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, and Shailene Woodley) in Monterey, California, who find themselves caught up in a murder investigation.

The first season was based on the best-selling book of the same name by Liane Moriarty. While the show was originally supposed to be a limited series with no plans for a second season, HBO renewed the series and Moriarty wrote a novella as a template for the script.

 

Release date

The second season of Big Little Lies will premiere on June 9, 2019, exclusively to HBO.

Plot

HBO describes the upcoming season as, "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.”

The second season will look into the aftermath of Perry’s death and how the lies from the first season follow the families and their friendships.

Cast

Reese Witherspoon as Madeline Martha Mackenzie

 

Witherspoon has several accolades under her belt including an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, a BAFTA Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, two Golden Globe Awards and two Critics' Choice Awards. She received international fame for the role of Elle Woods in 'Legally Blonde'. Her next film 'Sweet Home Alabama' became her biggest live-action commercial success. She has received two Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie and Outstanding Limited Series, winning the latter as a producer, all for 'Big Little Lies'.

Nicole Kidman as Celeste Wright

 

Kidman won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress for her role of Wright in 'Big Little Lies'. She also won the Emmy for Outstanding Limited Series for co-producing the show. She has received two consecutive nominations for the Academy Award for Best Actress for playing a courtesan in the musical 'Moulin Rouge!' and for essaying the role of acclaimed writer Virginia Woolf in 'The Hours'.

Shailene Woodley as Jane Chapman

 

Woodley rose to prominence for her role of Amy Juergens on 'The Secret Life of the American Teenager' - a role for which she received five Teen Choice Awards nominations. She also received critical acclaim for her film debut in 'The Descendants', for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture. Her role in 'The Spectacular Now' won her the Sundance Film Festival Special Jury Prize for Dramatic Acting. For her role of Chapman on 'Big Little Lies', she was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award.

Meryl Streep as Mary Louise Wright 

 

Streep requires no introduction. The Academy Award-winning actress will be essaying the role of Perry's mother.

The actress is often described as the best actress of her generation and is known for her versatility and accent adaptation. She has a record nomination of 21 Academy Awards (winning three), 31 Golden Globe Awards (winning eight). She has also won three Primetime Emmy Awards and has been nominated for 15 British Academy Film Awards.

Creators of the show

All seven episodes were written by David E Kelly and directed by Andrea Arnold. She won an Academy Award for her short film 'Wasp' in 2005. She has since worked on feature films and television such as 'Red Road', 'Fish Tank', and 'American Honey' - all of which have won the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival. She has also directed four episodes of the Emmy Award-winning series 'Transparent'.

Trailers

Where to watch

The second season will release exclusively on HBO on June 9, 2019.

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