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The women of Monterey, Calif., and all of their dark secrets, are heading back to the small screen. Season 3 of HBO\u2019s hit drama Big Little Lies is officially in the works, more than five years after the series wrapped up its sophomore season in 2019.<\/p>\n
The HBO series, which premiered in 2017 and is based on the 2014 Liane Moriarty novel of the same name, stars Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Laura Dern, Shailene Woodley and Zo\u00eb Kravitz as mothers who are forced to protect one another after an untimely death. Originally set to be a limited series, fan (and cast) excitement over the show led to a second season \u2014 and while a third has been long-discussed, there was no concrete news that it would happen \u2026 until now.<\/p>\n
In an Instagram video captured at an undisclosed fan event in November 2023, Kidman teased that the women could return for a third season<\/a> \u2014 but things only became real on Sept. 11, 2025, when Deadline<\/a> reported that writer Francesca Sloane had come on board to write the first episode of the third season, currently in development at HBO. Sloane will executive produce the series alongside creator David. E. Kelley.<\/p>\n The news comes after the 2021 death of Jean-Marc Vall\u00e9e, who directed the entire first season of the show and was an executive producer in Season 2. Kravitz previously said in a 2022 interview with GQ<\/a> that his \u201cheartbreaking\u201d death halted any talks of continuing the show.<\/p>\n With development underway, more news will surely come out about what the Monterey crew is getting up to. (Which, if we know anything about the show, is nothing good.) Here\u2019s what to know.<\/p>\n Witherspoon, who plays ringleader mom Madeline, and Kidman, who portrays domestic abuse survivor Celeste, will both reprise their roles on Big Little Lies. Woodley, who plays Monterey newcomer Jane, took to Instagram to share a photo<\/a> of herself alongside Dern and Kravitz with the words \u201cwe are so back,\u201d hinting that they also would be participating \u2014 however, nothing is official just yet.<\/p>\n In an interview with Entertainment Weekly<\/a> in February 2024, Dern expressed hope for a third season. \u201cI can tell you that all of us who are involved in it would never imagine a better time,\u201d Dern said. \u201cWe love each other so much and would have the time of our life being back together, and we love our characters so much. I truly know what you know. But I know that it is something that they are working diligently at dreaming up, and I sure hope it comes to fruition.\u201d<\/p>\n Other fan favorites who we do not know will return yet include Meryl Streep, who played Celeste\u2019s mother-in-law in Season 2 of the series, as well as Severance actor Adam Scott, who plays Madeline\u2019s husband, Ed.<\/p>\n Season 1 of Big Little Lies followed Moriarty\u2019s book and expanded upon the story for its second season, which was written by Kelley. (Moriarty received a \u201cstory by\u201d credit on the episodes.) Now, the author is penning a new novel for the show to use as adaptation material.<\/p>\n In October 2024, Witherspoon told E! News<\/a> on the red carpet of Hello Sunshine\u2019s Shine Away conference that they are waiting for Moriarty to release a new story about the women. \u201cShe\u2019s going to be turning in something very soon,\u201d Witherspoon said at the time. \u201cWe\u2019re back to the original author and we\u2019re going to go back to the original characters.\u201d<\/p>\n Casey Bloys, HBO\u2019s chairman, told Deadline<\/a> in November 2024 that Moriarty, who also penned the book Apples Never Fall, is working on that book\u2019s sequel, which will become the basis for the new season. \u201cWe\u2019re all waiting for the book, which I believe is coming soon, but I do not have a copy in my hands,\u201d he said at the time.<\/p>\n In a June 2025 conversation with People<\/a>, Kelley noted that the interest in the new season is a \u201ccredit\u201d to the author. \u201cAnd she\u2019s written another book that season 3 will be based on,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s a pretty good collection of talent.\u201d He also confirmed that no one was under contract to do the third season at the time.<\/p>\n The book is expected to drop in 2026, per Deadline<\/a>.<\/p>\n Season 2 of Big Little Lies picked up after the fateful night of the costume party, in which Bonnie (Kravitz) pushed Celeste\u2019s abusive husband, Perry (Alexander Skarsgard), down the stairs to his death. The women scrambled to protect one another as Perry\u2019s mother (Streep) suspected foul play. In the end, Bonnie chose to turn herself in for the crime, with the other women by her side as she entered the police station.<\/p>\n While we don\u2019t know what the third season will be about, Witherspoon teased what might be in store<\/a> for the moms during her Sept. 11 appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s been about 10 years, maybe nine years,\u201d she said. \u201cAll those little kids [in the show] were in second grade, they\u2019re all teenagers now. Being a mom of a teenager, there\u2019s a lot of big little lies.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\nWho is returning for \u2018Big Little Lies\u2019<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>Season 3?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Is Season 3 of \u2018Big Little Lies\u2019<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>based on a book?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
What will Season 3 of \u2018Big Little Lies\u2019<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>be about?<\/strong><\/h2>\n