Big Little Lies Author Shares Insights on Sequel Book and Season 3 Time Jump
Liane Moriarty Announces Sequel to Best-Selling Novel ‘Big Little Lies’
Author Liane Moriarty, known for her acclaimed book Big Little Lies, has confirmed the release of a sequel titled Big Little Truths. This follows the success of the original novel, which inspired an Emmy-winning two-season adaptation on HBO. Casey Bloys, CEO of HBO, hinted at the new source material in a November 2024 statement.
In an interview with USA Today, Moriarty shared her hesitation about writing a sequel shortly after the first book’s success. "Right from the beginning, because of the show, there was talk about writing a sequel, but I was never interested right away because you put your characters through so much and it just didn’t make sense to me to write something that followed on directly," she said. "A time jump always made sense to me."
The sequel shifts its focus to the next generation, featuring the children of characters portrayed by Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, Shailene Woodley, and Laura Dern, among others. Moriarty drew inspiration from her own children entering their teenage years.
The plot summary for Big Little Truths reveals a mysterious man lingering around a high school, posing "supposedly innocent questions." As the teenagers navigate the turbulent transition into adulthood, the narrative addresses serious themes such as drugs, sex, and alcohol. "Their principal’s office receives a severed finger in the mail," Moriarty explained. The children will act as the story’s new "Greek chorus," stepping into the role previously held by parents in the original novel.
Moriarty noted that continuing Madeline’s story was particularly seamless for her. She emphasized the significant presence of Renata, a character portrayed by Laura Dern, attributing her expanded role to Dern’s compelling portrayal in the TV adaptation. "It’s all Laura Dern’s fault because she was so amazing as Renata, it was impossible for me to not give her a bigger role also in this book. You couldn’t put Renata in a corner," Moriarty stated.
While the creative team behind the HBO series did not influence the writing of the sequel, Moriarty intends to take a "hands-off" approach for Season 3. "I always said I only ever wanted to be an interested bystander," she remarked.
Reese Witherspoon, who plays Madeline Mackenzie and serves as an executive producer, recently hinted at the progress of Season 3 on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. With the sequel set a decade after the events of the original series, the mothers of the Monterey community are expected to reunite nearly ten years after Season 2’s premiere in 2019. "We might be working on Season 3," she said. "Yeah, I mean, they’re writing it. It’s exciting too, just to get the gang back together and have everybody start talking about it. It’s really fun."
