After a six-year wait, Big Little Lies is finally taking steps toward its third season. HBO has tapped Francesca Sloane — co-creator, executive producer, and showrunner of Prime Video’s Mr. & Mrs. Smith — to write the first episode of Season 3 and join as an executive producer alongside series creator David E. Kelley, Reese Witherspoon, and Nicole Kidman.
Sloane’s hire comes as part of her new two-year overall deal with HBO, where she’ll also develop other projects. The move comes just as Mr. & Mrs. Smith — the series she co-created with Donald Glover — has been placed on indefinite hold at Amazon, following cast issues that stalled its second season.
A Long Road Back
When Big Little Lies premiered in 2017, it was intended as a limited series. But the Monterey-set drama — adapted from Liane Moriarty’s bestselling novel — became a critical and ratings hit, sweeping up 8 Emmy Awards including trophies for Kidman, Laura Dern, and Alexander Skarsgård. Its success led HBO to greenlight a second season in 2019 with much of the cast returning, plus the addition of Meryl Streep.
Since then, the future of the series has been uncertain. The sudden passing of Season 1 director and executive producer Jean-Marc Vallée in 2021 was described by producer Bruna Papandrea as “a devastating blow” that made everyone involved pause. Still, stars like Kidman, Witherspoon, Zoë Kravitz, Laura Dern, and Shailene Woodley have all expressed their interest in revisiting their characters’ lives.
What to Expect
Part of the holdup has been tied to author Liane Moriarty. HBO exec Casey Bloys previously noted they were waiting for her follow-up novel before diving into a third season. That sequel, due in 2026, is said to feature a time jump with the central women now raising teenagers.
With Sloane on board and Moriarty’s book completed, Season 3 looks closer than ever. It also marks a major career move for Sloane, who co-created Mr. & Mrs. Smith with Donald Glover and guided its first season to 16 Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series. She has also written for Atlanta, Fargo, and Seven Seconds.
The Legacy So Far
Big Little Lies remains one of HBO’s most decorated dramas of the past decade, combining a sharp whodunit with layered explorations of motherhood, marriage, and secrets. The first season chronicled the ripple effects of a homicide investigation in Monterey, CA, while Season 2 delved into the fallout.
Now, six years later, the women of Monterey look set to return — older, wiser, and carrying even more secrets.
HBO has not yet announced a premiere date.