Will there be a Big Little Lies season 3? Latest news and speculation

The series is, of course, based on Moriarty's best-selling novel of the same name, and chatting exclusively to RadioTimes.com, Moriarty not only confirmed that she's working on a sequel novel, but also that "there's a pretty good chance [season 3] will happen".

Moriarty also told us that there will be a time jump in her new book, so the women at the centre of the tale are all parenting teenagers – that would certainly cover the time elapsed for the TV series, should it get greenlit.

More recently, Reese Witherspoon has confirmed that "Nicole [Kidman] and I are waiting" on Moriarty's sequel novel, which signals that the ball could well and truly be moving when it comes to a potential third season of the hit HBO series.

Read on to find out everything we know about a potential Big Little Lies season 3 below.

Has Big Little Lies been renewed for season 3?

As of now, HBO has not officially renewed Big Little Lies for season 3.

However, it doesn't mean that all the pieces of the puzzle aren't working tirelessly to come together.

More recently, Nicole Kidman's comments pre-emptively revealed that season 3 "is in good shape", with the star later admitting: "I got excited."

This came after Kidman told Variety in January 2024 that she and Big Little Lies co-star Reese Witherspoon were "texting every day" about season 3. She then revealed in June 2024 (via Vanity Fair): "We’re moving fast and furious. Liane [Moriarty] is delivering the book. We’re in good shape."

Witherspoon recently spoke to E! News and confirmed that "Nicole and I have been waiting", but said that they are "waiting for Lianne Moriarty".

"She's going to be turning in something very soon. We're back to the original author and we're going to go back to the original characters."

While author Moriarty doesn't have the definitive answers as to the future of the TV series, she did tell RadioTimes.com exclusively: "I think Nicole [Kidman] is sort of manifesting it. I don’t think there’s any... all of them are, really. Because they obviously all love working together, so I think they all want it to happen.

"But from my point of view, all I can say is I’m writing the book. I feel that they all want it, so it seems like there’s a pretty good chance it will happen."

She continued: "The viewers want it, the cast all love working together so much, and I’m writing a book – I feel like we’ve got everything in place to make it happen.

"But I would not... again, it would be David E Kelley [writer] who would be taking my book and working his magic.”

When would a Big Little Lies season 3 release?

As a potential third season of Big Little Lies has not actually been confirmed, there's no word on when a new instalment could be landing on our screens.

Production for season 2 started in March 2018 for a June 2019 premiere, so really, it would be a case of aligning the schedules of showrunner David E Kelley, author Liane Moriarty and the star-studded main cast.

Kelley previously told TVLine back in 2021: "I’m not sure logistically how it could be done, because everyone is so busy. It [certainly] couldn’t be done right away."

HBO and Max content chairman and CEO Casey Bloys said in an interview with Variety this past January: "Where you have all these stars, you’ve got to get their schedules in line, we have to get it written.

"So, there’s a lot that needs to be done. It’s very early stages right now. The entire cast is doing shows and movies, and everybody’s very busy.

"But it’s a very special group. They love working together. And when they land on an idea, I believe they will make it happen. We’re excited when they’re ready, and we will take those steps when they’re ready."

With such stars in the cast, if Big Little Lies season 3 were to get greenlit, it could be some time before they return to our screens.

Who could be in the cast for a potential Big Little Lies season 3?

Seeing as they've been the most vocal of the cast to champion a third season of Big Little Lies, we'd be certain that both Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon would be reprising their leading roles as Celeste and Madeline.

The series is very much an ensemble piece, and so we'd also expect the return of Shailene Woodley as Jane, Zoe Kravitz as Bonnie and Laura Dern as Renata, at a minimum.

These five comprise the heart of the show, and it’s difficult to see how 14 episodes’ worth of intricately-linked plot and character co-development could be left to die on the vine.

Nicole Kidman has said that a third season would absolutely have to include the whole cast. "I think we would love to do a season 3, because there are certainly ideas," she said. "But we would not do it without all of the same people involved... even the kids."

Reese Witherspoon has also said: "I never say never. You don’t know. And [season 2] was a surprise."

Meryl Streep could return, but her arc seemed pretty open and shut by the end of season 2. Should the third season be confirmed, we could potentially see Streep appear in flashbacks, as well as her on-screen son Alexander Skarsgård.

Moriarty has already confirmed that her sequel novel will include a time jump where the children will now be teenagers, so it's very well likely that the younger members of the cast could be reprising their roles, should the series follow this approach.

As for who she would want to return for a potential third season? Moriarty admits: "That would be my hope [to have the main cast return], but I have no idea if that would be the case. Everybody seems to say they want to. As a viewer of any show that I love, I always want everybody back."

Moriarty also confirmed that in her new novel, she'll "be putting in new characters", so if the return of the TV series were to kick off, there could be some brand new faces to get acquainted with.

The main cast members of Big Little Lies that we'd expect to see in a potential season 3 are as follows:

• Reese Witherspoon as Madeline Mackenzie
• Nicole Kidman as Celeste Wright
• Shailene Woodley as Jane Chapman
• Zoë Kravitz as Bonnie Carlson
• Laura Dern as Renata Klein
• Adam Scott as Ed Mackenzie
• James Tupper as Nathan Carlson
• Jeffrey Nordling as Gordon Klein
• Kathryn Newton as Abigail Carlson
• Iain Armitage as Ziggy Chapman

What could a potential Big Little Lies season 3 be about?

It’s worth remembering that the original run of seven episodes (aka season 1) was meant to comprise an entire, self-contained miniseries. In fact, there were more than a few raised eyebrows from fans, critics and even the novel’s author at the possibility of a second season.

But then the skilful introduction of Meryl Streep, as a mother obsessed with getting to the bottom of her son’s murder, extended the scope of the original series. If season 1 explained how and why Perry Wright (Alexander Skarsgård) died, season 2 explored what happened after the fatal blow, all executed perfectly by way of Moriarty writing up a treatment for the second season.

But let's not forget that season 2 ended on a real, bona fide cliffhanger as the Monterey Five walked into the police station. Would they confess?

We've been left in limbo ever since, but Moriarty has confirmed that she's working on a sequel novel to her original book – and she's happy for the TV series to adapt it how they see fit.

Chatting exclusively to RadioTimes.com, Moriarty said: "I think they would interpret [the new novel] in their own way, and I’m very happy with that.

"For me, I’m stealing a line from a novelist and I can’t remember his name, but I read in an interview that he would never want to see his novels as just a mid-point along the way to an eventual adaptation.

"And so, for me, really, the novel still is my endpoint. But of course, I’m still really thrilled that this amazing adaptation is likely."

We do know that the sequel novel will have a "significant time jump", according to Moriarty, so it's likely that if season 3 were to go ahead, it would also.

Moriarty explained: "Because I wrote Big Little Lies when my children were little and the children in the story are just starting kindergarten and now, of course, my children are all teenagers, so they’re providing a wealth of teen material.

"So, I’m writing a sequel with all the children as teenagers, so now the women are the parents of teens.”

Moriarty also said that her new novel is "not honing in on anyone in particular", saying: "It’s still early stages, so I can’t really tell you anything much, except that they’re parenting teens. I’ve got them [all the main women], they’re all there for sure.”

Big Little Lies is available to stream on NOW.

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