Warning: This article contains spoilers for Big Little Lies.
The season two finale of Big Little Lies aired in July 2019, and viewers have been eagerly waiting for the series to return. The hit drama, which has been a fan-favorite since it premiered on HBO in 2017, is based on Liane Moriarty’s New York Times bestselling novel of the same name. Created for the screen and written by David E. Kelley (Nine Perfect Strangers), the show follows a group of upper-class moms living in Monterey, Calif., where you can expect things like murder and cheating scandals to ensue.
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The first season of Big Little Lies earned a whopping 16 Emmy Award nominations and received eight wins, including Outstanding Limited Series. Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Laura Dern, Shailene Woodley, and Zoë Kravitz starred as the infamous “Monterey Five,” alongside Alexander Skarsgård and Adam Scott, who played Perry Wright and Ed Mackenzie, respectively.
Following the glowing reception, HBO renewed Big Little Lies for a seven-episode sophomore season. The next installment introduced Oscar-winning actress Meryl Streep as Perry’s mother, Mary Louise Wright, and because the show was originally billed as a miniseries, Kelley based the script off a novella that Moriarty wrote.
After season two, fans were left wondering what would become of the Monterey Five. However, the network never officially ordered a third season, fueling years of speculation. The future of the series was later called into question when director and executive producer Jean-Marc Vallée unexpectedly died of a heart attack in 2021. Though, there have since been promising rumors of a return. Kidman, Witherspoon, and Kelley have all spoken out about the show’s status, including whether a third season is in the cards, when it could come back, and who from the cast would return. Here’s everything you need to know about Big Little Lies season three.
Is There a Season 3 of Big Little Lies?
Yes, Kidman and Witherspoon, who also serve as executive producers on the show, confirmed another installment is definitely happening. “We’re at work on it,” Kidman, who plays Celeste Wright, told Variety at the Expats premiere in January 2024. “And there’s a timeline and we’re doing it.”
Witherspoon, who plays Madeline Mackenzie, seemed to back Kidman’s claims at the 81st Golden Globes. “We’re working on it,” she told Variety. “Nic and I are working on it a lot.”
As previously mentioned, the loss of the show’s director created major doubts among the cast about whether the drama would ever return. “We’re obviously all devastated at the loss of Jean-Marc Vallée,” Kidman added. “That made us go, ‘Can we move forward?’ But Reese [Witherspoon] and I, and all of the other women have decided yes, we can.”
During a recent interview with Vanity Fair in June, Kidman admitted that perhaps she jumped the gun announcing the show’s return. As of now, there has been no official confirmation from HBO regarding a third season, but Kidman has insisted that it’s happening. “I got excited,” she said.
Big Little Lies Season 3 Potential Release Date
2025! (We’ll keep our fingers crossed.) Earlier this year, Kidman attended the American Film Institute’s 49th Life Achievement Award Gala and, during a red-carpet interview, gave an important update on when fans can expect to see Big Little Lies back on screen. “Reese and I were talking about it yesterday and we’re moving ahead, and you will be seeing it. Not soon, but soon enough,” she told Extra’s Terri Seymour, before adding, “Not this year, next year.”
Kidman fueled even more fan speculation during her Vanity Fair sit-down with Witherspoon when she teased fans with another promising update: “We’re moving fast and furious, and Liane [Moriarty] is delivering the book. We’re in good shape.”
Speaking to Extra on the 2024 Emmys red carpet, Witherspoon and Dern were also asked about the show’s return. “We’re working on it. It’s going to be so incredible; we just have to write all the scripts,” Witherspoon said.
Big Little Lies Season 3 Cast: Who Could Return?
What are the chances of seeing the Monterey Five reunite? It’s unclear. The hard part, according to Kelley, is getting the band back together. “There’s a lot of people talking about it,” he told ET. “But it’s a very, very busy schedule [to make work]. So if you could lasso all that talent, everybody would love to do it. It’s a great team. [But] there’s some logistical challenges between now and then.”
As Kelley alluded to, many of the original cast members have since moved on to different projects. However, no one has outright said they wouldn’t come back. In fact, quite the opposite. Dern told ET back in 2020, “I could never say no to Renata.”
Four years later, the Oscar-winning actress doubled down on her comment regarding revisiting the role. “I miss her, I will miss her, and I will jump at any opportunity to be in those terrifying shoes again—gorgeous, but terrifying,” Dern told ET.
According to Kidman, Kravitz would also be on board for season three. She previously told Marie Claire Australia, “Reese [Witherspoon] and I talk or text once a week. She’s just moved back to Nashville and we’re really close. We all just want to work together again. I texted Zoë [Kravitz] and Laura [Dern] and they’re in. [Writers] David [E. Kelley] and Liane have a really good idea for it. Watch this space!”
Kravitz confirmed as much during an interview with People: “I’m waiting to see, like everybody else, the third season that’s happening. Waiting by the phone, waiting for the script to be done.” The Blink Twice director added that she knows “nothing” about the forthcoming installment but is “excited to do it.”
Woodley, another O.G. cast member, told Collider that she was also interested in reprising her role if the show returns. “I know as much as everyone else knows, which is that apparently it’s happening,” Woodley said. “But that’s all I know. I don’t know any definitive details, apart from gossip and rumors that I’m hoping are true.”
In 2023, Woodley previously expressed her concerns to Harper’s Bazaar about the younger cast aging out of playing little kids: “I think what excites me about the possibility of a third season, more than what I could think of with Jane, is the fact that these children [on the show] are not children anymore. They’re teenagers now! So I’m looking around and I’m like, ‘Where’s our kids?!’ Their voices have dropped, they all have their teenage situation happening [waves hands over face to imply acne], and the angst is kicking in, and that, to me, is what is exciting about the possibility of a third season. What does life look like for those people who are not children anymore?”
Iain Armitage, the now 15-year-old who played Ziggy Chapman, Woodley’s fictional son, recently told Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos that he would “be honored to be back.” “I haven’t heard anything fully officially yet, but when such incredible intelligent people as our leading ladies start talking, I think it’s pretty hard not to listen,” he explained to the morning show hosts.
What Will Happen in Big Little Lies Season 3?
Not much is known about the plot of season three. In fact, your guess is as good as ours. Will the series pick up where season two left off? To recap, the finale ended on somewhat of a cliffhanger. Bonnie sends a text to Renata, Madeline, Jane, and Celeste, and all five show up outside of the police station. The women then enter as a united front to come clean about Perry’s murder, a lie that has gone on for far too long at this point.
So, what could happen next? Apparently, there was a change of plans during season two that could make for an interesting wrinkle going forward. “There was someone that was supposed to die,” Kravitz, who plays Bonnie Carlson, revealed to Vanity Fair in 2020. “It wasn’t me, but I don’t know what I’m allowed to say, so I don’t know. But someone did die. But I think the way we ended the season was obviously really intriguing, but also everyone got to come together and I think that felt important to everybody.”
How to Watch Big Little Lies Season 3
When Big Little Lies returns for season three, the episodes will likely drop weekly on HBO. If you don’t have cable, you’ll have to sign up for the network’s streaming platform, Max (formerly HBO Max). The app can be accessed with monthly subscriptions starting at $10 with ads or $15 without ads. If you’re playing catch up or need a refresher, seasons one and two are currently available to stream on Max. The series is also available for purchase on Prime Video, Hulu, and Apple TV.
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