HBO Sets Big Little Lies Season 3 With Francesca Sloane Writing Opener

HBO has moved forward with a third season of its acclaimed drama Big Little Lies, hiring Francesca Sloane to write the season’s opening episode and to serve as an executive producer under a new two-year overall deal with the network, entertainment industry reports said. The development marks the most concrete step yet toward reviving the series that last aired in 2019 and will see Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon returning as executive producers and, reportedly, as lead cast members.

Sloane, who co-created Mr. and Mrs. Smith and has writing and producing credits on Atlanta, Fargo and Seven Seconds, is expected to develop the season for HBO in partnership with series creator David E. Kelley and star-producers Kidman and Witherspoon. Her hiring comes as production on the second season of Mr. and Mrs. Smith at another streamer has been delayed indefinitely, an industry development that several reports say freed Sloane to join the HBO project.

The decision to restart Big Little Lies follows years of public hints from the show’s principals and executives that a continuation was possible. HBO’s content chief has said the network and cast were eager to see where the story could go...