Welcome back, Monterey Five.
Madeline (Reese Witherspoon), Celeste (Nicole Kidman), Jane (Shailene Woodley), Renata (Laura Dern) and Bonnie (Zoe Kravitz) return for more Big Little Lies, and, as the official teaser for season two shows, their California lives are now tied together, bound tight by one killer secret.
HBO released the first look and premiere date for the second season of the Emmy-winning drama Sunday. The seven-episode season premieres June 9.
“We all have scarlet letters on our back,” Jane tells the group about what they’ve done. “It’s gonna get us. It’s gonna get us all — the lie,” Bonnie adds.
The second season picks up where the first left off and, according to the HBO description, will focus on how the tragic events of the finale fundraiser impact the main characters’ seemingly picture-perfect lives. The season description reads: On the surface, in the tranquil seaside town of Monterey, Calif., everything seems the same. The mothers continue to dote, the husbands support, the children remain adorable and the houses are just as beautiful. But the night of the school fundraiser changed all that, leaving the community reeling as the “Monterey Five” bond together to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives.
Created by David E. Kelley, the first season was an adaptation of the best-selling novel of the same name by Liane Moriarty and covered all the source material. Despite being initially billed as a limited series, Kelley and HBO decided to bring the show back for a second season, with all the Emmy and Golden Globe-winning talent on board, after it became a critical and watercooler favorite.
In a major casting scoop, Meryl Streep adds to the already impressive ensemble cast. She plays the role of Mary Louise Wright, who is described as a woman concerned for the well-being of her grandchildren following her son Perry’s (Alexander Skarsgard) death and who arrives in Monterey searching for answers. At one point in the season two trailer, she confronts Witherspoon’s Madeline.
The new season 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 — and the potential for emotional and bodily injury shall loom, HBO warns.
The cast for season two includes Adam Scott, James Tupper, Jeffrey Nordling and Douglas Smith, along with Robin Weigert, Crystal Fox, Sarah Sokolovic, P.J. Byrne, Merrin Dungey and Mo McRae.
Big Little Lies is executive produced by Kidman, Witherspoon, Kelley and Jean-Marc Vallee, along with Bruna Papandrea, Gregg Fienberg, Nathan Ross, Andrea Arnold and Moriarty. The show is a Hello Sunshine/Blossom Films/David E. Kelley Productions production for HBO.
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