“Big Little Lies” author Liane Moriarty revealed details about her long-awaited sequel novel, which will serve as the basis for Season 3 of the hit HBO show.
In an interview with USA Today, Moriarity announced that the new novel, “Big Little Truths,” will be published by Penguin Random House on Aug. 25. The book continues the story of a group of women — Madeline, Celeste, Jane, Renata and Bonnie — who bonded as they became embroiled in a homicide investigation. In the new book, the action jumps forward a decade.
“If someone wasn’t invited to a child’s birthday party, feelings were hurt,” a synopsis of the new book teases. “But ten years have passed, and the kids are now in high school, with all of the drama that accompanies teendom (goodbye playdates, hello drugs, sex, and alcohol).”
Season 3 of the hit HBO series was officially announced last fall, with “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” co-creator Francesca Sloan set to write the first episode and executive produce. David E. Kelley, Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon will also executive produce, with Kidman and Witherspoon leading the cast. Laura Dern, Shailene Woodley and Zoë Kravitz are also expected to reprise their roles.
The inciting incident for the new story comes after the principal of the high school receives a severed human finger in the mail, sending the parents into an uproar. But the women, formerly known as the Monterey 5, have their own problems.
The synopsis continues: Celeste’s mother-in-law, Mary Louise, is behaving oddly — is it old-age forgetfulness and forthrightness, or something more sinister? Madeline is facing perhaps the biggest challenge of her life, Jane is at a dangerous fork in her marriage, Bonnie has realized there’s only so much solace in yoga. And Renata? Renata is living her best life — revenge is sweet.
When a strange man begins lurking around the school asking supposedly innocent questions, this tightly connected group of women must finally face the full repercussions of the big little truths they have and haven’t shared with their kids. Because the stakes are now much higher than not being invited to an ice-skating show — and the ice has never been thinner for any of them.
When “Big Little Lies” debuted on HBO in 2017, the project was intended to be a limited series. The show found great critical success in its first season, winning Emmys for best limited series, best actress in a limited series (Kidman), best supporting actress in a limited series (Dern), best supporting actor in a limited series (Alexander Skarsgård) and more.
Season 2, which aired in 2019, was based on Moriarty’s unpublished novella and explored the aftermath of the murder. Screen legend Meryl Streep joined the already star-studded cast, playing Perry’s mother, Mary Louise, and earning an Emmy nomination.
Moriarty isn’t particularly hands-on with the show, and in the interview, she said the series team didn’t have any input on the plot of the new book. But they did inspire some of her writing. “It’s all Laura Dern’s fault because she was so amazing as Renata,” Moriarty said. “It was impossible for me to not give her a bigger role also in this book. You couldn’t put Renata in a corner.”
