Moviefone Editorial

Tag: big-little-lies

  • Nicole Kidman Returning for ‘Nine Perfect Strangers’ Season 2

    Nicole Kidman stars in Hulu's 'Nine Perfect Strangers.'
    Nicole Kidman stars in Hulu’s ‘Nine Perfect Strangers.’ Photo: Vince Valitutti/Hulu.

    Though it would seem to have wrapped up its story –– especially since it is based on a novel –– with its first season, Hulu’s ‘Nine Perfect Strangers’ is preparing a second.

    It would seem that the streaming service is ready to go the ‘White Lotus’ route and turn the concept into an anthology, with star Nicole Kidman the sole name (so far) from Season 1 set to return.

    What was the story of ‘Nine Perfect Strangers’ first season?

    Luke Evans, Melvin Gregg, Michael Shannon, Manny Jacinto, and Bobby Cannavale star in Hulu's 'Nine Perfect Strangers.'
    (L to R) Luke Evans, Melvin Gregg, Michael Shannon, Manny Jacinto, and Bobby Cannavale star in Hulu’s ‘Nine Perfect Strangers.’ Photo: Vince Valitutti/Hulu.

    Debuting in September 2021 as Hulu’s most-watched Hulu original ever — drama, comedy, limited series or unscripted –– the show saw nine stressed city dwellers try to get on a path to a better way of living with a 10-day star at a boutique California wellness resort run by director Masha (Kidman), a woman on a mission to reinvigorate their tired minds and bodies. However, these nine “perfect” strangers have no idea what is about to hit them…

    The cast for that first season co-starred Melissa McCarthy, Michael Shannon, Luke Evans, Bobby Cannavale, Regina Hall, Samara Weaving, Melvin Gregg, Asher Keddie, Grace Van Patten, Tiffany Boone and Manny Jacinto. It was developed (based on ‘Big Little Lies’ author Liane Moriarty’s tome), by David E. Kelley.

    Melissa McCarthy stars in Hulu's 'Nine Perfect Strangers.
    Melissa McCarthy stars in Hulu’s ‘Nine Perfect Strangers. Photo: Vince Valitutti/Hulu.

    Related Article: Nicole Kidman Reteaming With ‘Big Little Lies’ Team for Hulu Drama ‘Nine Perfect Strangers’

    What do we know about ‘Nine Perfect Strangers’ Season 2 so far?

    Nicole Kidman stars in Hulu's 'Nine Perfect Strangers.'
    Nicole Kidman stars in Hulu’s ‘Nine Perfect Strangers.’ Photo: Vince Valitutti/Hulu.

    Kelley will be back to lead the writing staff for the new season, with Kidman once more producing as well as starring.

    According to Deadline, the new episodes will follow the same general concept of strangers seeking wellness in the Swiss Alps this time around.

    And the cast is already starting to come together, with Oscar nominee Liv Ullmann (‘Miss Julie‘), Murray Bartlett (‘The White Lotus’), Dolly de Leon (‘Triangle of Sadness’), Maisie Richardson-Sellers (‘The Kissing Booth 3’) and Turkish actor Aras Aydin all in the midst of making deals to appear alongside Kidman.

    It remains to be seen whether the idea can work a second time, since audiences, even those who have not read the book, will know what to expect. Still, viewers embraced the second run of HBO’s ‘Big Little Lies’ adaptation (which also starred Kidman) despite that show’s first season being planned as a limited series.

    It’s an increasing phenomenon for companies on the hunt for successful titles that can attract audiences to convert what are originally announced as one-shots into continuing series. HBO in particular has drawn dividends with ‘The White Lotus’ which went from one season made in the midst of the pandemic to an ongoing anthology series that carries over one or two actors each time. That show, created by Mike White, has earned plenty of awards acclaim and seen big viewership.

    Moriarty, meanwhile, has become a go-to author for companies looking for source material. Her book ‘Apples Never Fall’ is in development and several others have been optioned.

    Nicole Kidman stars in Hulu's 'Nine Perfect Strangers.'
    Nicole Kidman stars in Hulu’s ‘Nine Perfect Strangers.’ Photo: Vince Valitutti/Hulu.

    Other Nicole Kidman Movies: 

    Buy Nicole Kidman Movies On Amazon

  • HBO Dismisses ‘Big Little Lies’ Director Controversy As ‘Misinformation’

    HBO Dismisses ‘Big Little Lies’ Director Controversy As ‘Misinformation’

    HBO

    Controversy, what controversy?

    Today, HBO’s president of programming Casey Bloys addressed reporting that Season 2 of  “Big Little Lies” was “taken away from” director Andrea Arnold.

    “There’s a lot of misinformation around that subject,” he said  at the Television Critics Association summer press tour on Wednesday.

    “Let me clarify. There wouldn’t be a second season without Andrea. We’re indebted to her.” But, he added, “As anybody who works in television knows, a director typically does not have final creative control. That creative control was taken from a director is a false premise.”

    IndieWire reported that Arnold was given the impression she had carte blanche for Season 2, then was devastated to have the entire season taken out of her hands and re-edited by Season 1 director and series executive producer Jean-Marc Vallée.

    Bloys says Arnold was never promised final cut. He added, “I would be hard pressed to point to any show that airs the director’s cut of any episodes.”

    As for the fact that as many as a dozen editors worked on some episodes this season, Boys explained, “[Jean-Marc] is an editor and he has a team of editors that he works with he is very particular about who he works with and how he works with them.”

    He added, “Jean-Marc was not given carte blanche [in Season 1]. He and [David E. Kelley] and the producers had an aligned vision on that they wanted to do.”

    Speaking of a potential third season, Bloys didn’t expect one, saying: “To me, there’s no obvious place to go, no obvious story. I would certainly be open to it because I love working with all of them.”

    None of the stars of the show, some of whom also produce, have so far commented on the controversy.

    Although Laura Dern did show her support for Arnold by posting a photo of herself in a t-shirt that read “Andrea Arnold” to Instagram when shooting on Season 2 wrapped.

    [Via Variety, Deadline]

  • ‘Big Little Lies’ Insiders Claim Season 2 Was Taken Away from Director Andrea Arnold

    ‘Big Little Lies’ Insiders Claim Season 2 Was Taken Away from Director Andrea Arnold

    HBO

    If you wondered why Season 2 of HBO’s award-winning series “Big Little Lies” felt so choppy, you weren’t alone.

    IndieWire reports that after Andrea Arnold (whose films include “American Honey” and “Fish Tank“), was hired to direct the season, she was given free rein and no style guidelines.

    And then executive producer Jean-Marc Vallée, who had directed the first season, took over and radically edited what she had shot, then ordered 17 days of closely monitored reshoots.

    According to a number of sources close to the production, there was a dramatic shift in late 2018 as the show was yanked away from Arnold, and creative control was handed over to executive producer and Season 1 director Jean-Marc Vallée. The goal was to unify the visual style of Season 1 and 2. In other words, after all the episodes had been shot, take Arnold’s work and make it look and feel like the familiar style Vallée brought to the hit first season, which won eight of the 16 Emmys it was nominated for in 2017, including Outstanding Limited Series.

    Vallée, who was busy shooting “Sharp Objects,” apparently thought Arnold’s style was close enough to his that it wasn’t necessary to give her any notes about the “visual rules” of the show, which is a common practice for TV series that uses different filmmaking teams.

    As Vallée, told IndieWire last year, “We have similar ways of shooting, when you look at it. She shot handheld, available light. She aims for performances, like I [did] in Season 1. She is who she is, but the spirit of the other is there.”

    According to IndieWire, “the creative team… believed that Vallée and his Season 1 team could easily shape [Arnold’s work] into the show’s distinctive style in post-production.”

    Vallée and Arnold reportedly never spoke during production, so she had no idea he was going to come in and take over.

    Arnold chose not to speak to IndieWire, but is reportedly “heartbroken” about  having shot and edited her own version of the show and “then have it taken from her, without explanation or warning.”

    HBO issued the following statement:

    There wouldn’t be a Season 2 of ‘Big Little Lies’ without Andrea Arnold. We at HBO and the producers are extremely proud of her work. As with any television project, the executive producers work collaboratively on the series and we think the final product speaks for itself.

    Fans on social media are now asking for HBO to “release the Arnold cut.”

    [Via IndieWire]

  • Don’t Worry, ‘Big Little Lies’ Fans: Meryl Streep Says Deleted Ice Cream Scene Will Be on Season 2 DVD

    Don’t Worry, ‘Big Little Lies’ Fans: Meryl Streep Says Deleted Ice Cream Scene Will Be on Season 2 DVD

    HBO

    Last summer, “Big Little Lies” fans were treated to a sneak peek at a deliciously dramatic showdown between Reese Witherspoon‘s Madeline Mackenzie and Meryl Streep‘s Mary Louise Wright, when set photos surfaced featuring one Oscar-winning actress hurling an ice cream cone at another. But those who tuned into the show’s most recent episode — which included a tense meeting between the two women outside an ice cream shop — were left wondering why that moment didn’t make it onto the airwaves.

    We may never know the reasoning behind the decision to delete that particular button on the scene, but according to Streep, it will indeed see the light of day. The legendary actress actually revealed the news to Entertainment Tonight back in May, when she was asked about the viral moment.

    “[Reese] just told me it’s not in the show!” Streep told ET, sharing in fans’ disappointment.

    But, never fear: “It’s [going to be] in the DVD extras,” the actress said.

    Witherspoon herself had also previously told ET that shooting that scene was “a Top 5 moment in my career, for sure,” and bragged about her aim on Twitter.

    Responding to a comment about the photo, the actress gleefully said of Streep, “I got her.”

    No offense to the rest of season two  of “Big Little Lies,” but we’re going to need it to hurry up and end already, so we can watch the bonus content on the DVDs.

    [via: Entertainment Tonight]

  • What’s New on Digital, DVD/Blu-ray, TV, & Netflix This Week: June 3-9

    What’s New on Digital, DVD/Blu-ray, TV, & Netflix This Week: June 3-9

    Universal

    At a loss for what to watch this week? From new DVDs and Blu-rays, to what’s streaming on Netflix, we’ve got you covered.

    NEW VIDEO ON DIGITAL, DEMAND, AND STREAMING

    ‘Us’ (June 4)

    Jordan Peele’s follow-up to the Oscar-nominated “Get Out” is as terrifying and thrilling as his first film — and as searing in its social commentary. Lupita Nyong’o and Winston Duke star as a married couple who take their kids to her family beach home. Haunted by a traumatic childhood experience, she begins to worry something bad its going to happen — and her worst fears come true. Available on Digital HD June 4.

    ‘Wonder Park’ (June 4)

    This heartwarming animated tale centers on a girl named June, who used to be a fearless thrill-seeker but who has seemingly grown out of her creative playtime pursuits. Then, she stumbles on an abandoned amusement park and uses her imagination (and the help of talking animals) to return the park to its former glory. Available on Digital HD June 4.

    ‘The Kid’ (June 4)

    Vincent D’Onofrio makes his directorial debut with this Western adventure about a kid named Rio Cutler(Jake Schur) who teams up with Sheriff Pat Garrett (Ethan Hawke) and infamous outlaw Billy the Kid (Dane DeHaan) in a mission to rescue his sister from their villainous uncle (Chris Pratt). Available on Digital HD, Blu-ray, and DVD on June 4.

    ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Season 3 (June 5)

    Hulu’s Emmy-winning dystopian novel is back with June aka Offred (Elisabeth Moss) ready to ignite a revolution. Season 2 ended with June nearly escaping Gilead with her baby. Instead, she gave the infant girl to Emily (Alexis Bledel) to take with her to Canada, and stayed behind to save her older daughter Hannah — and take down the patriarchy.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcTvQx1Wot0&feature=youtu.be

    NEW ON NETFLIX

    ‘Black Mirror’ Season 5 (June 5)

    The sci-fi anthology series returns with three new episodes after a long absence due to making the “choose your own adventure”-style movie “Bandersnatch.” The cast includes Miley Cyrus, Anthony Mackie, Andrew Scott, Topher Grace, and more stars. As always, the episodes explore twisted, high-tech near-future where humanity’s greatest innovations and darkest instincts collide.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bVik34nWws&feature=youtu.be

    ‘Armistead Maupin’s Tales of the City’ (June 7)

    The revival/sequel follows up on the 1993 miniseries based on Maupin’s books. Mary Ann (Laura Linney) returns home to San Francisco 20 years after leaving her daughter Shawna (Ellen Page) and ex-husband Brian (Paul Gross) to pursue her career. She’s soon drawn back into the orbit of Anna Madrigal (Olympia Dukakis) and the residents of 28 Barbary Lane.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R63GxIGAaZw&feature=youtu.be

    ‘Designated Survivor’ Season 3 (June 7)

    The political drama Netflix saved after ABC cancelled it deals with all new issues after two seasons following Tom Kirkman (Kiefer Sutherland), a low-level Cabinet member who suddenly is catapulted to the position of President of the United States. Now, President Kirkman faces a new political reality: campaigning.

    ‘I Am Mother’ (June 7)

    Netflix scooped up this sci-fi thriller after it debuted at Sundance. In a post-apocalyptic world, a robot (voiced by Rose Byrne) raises a human child called Daughter. But their world is upended by the arrival of a stranger (Hilary Swank) from the outside.

    For more, see what else is new on Netflix in June 2019.

    NEW ON DVD AND BLU-RAY

    ‘The Man Who Killed Don Quixote’ (June 4)

    Terry Gilliam’s ode to Don Quixote was long, long, long in the making — the director began working on in 1989. The project was considered cursed and even fueled the 2002 documentary, “Lost in La Mancha.” Gilliam finally got it off the ground, with Adam Driver starring as a cynical advertising executive drawn into the fantastical world in the mind of a cobbler (Jonathan Pryce).

    The movie arrives on Blu-ray and DVD on June 4 (and is already available on Digital HD). 

    ‘Tyler Perry’s A Madea Family Funeral’ (June 4)

    No, Madea herself is not the person being memorialized. But she is being retired by Tyler Perry after this film. A family reunion turns somber and leads the whole family to travel to backwoods Georgia, where sordid secrets threaten to spill out. Of course, Madea takes charge of organizing the funeral because, as she notes, “I’ve been burying a lot of men. A lot of ’em.”

    The movie arrives on Blu-ray and DVD on June 4 (and is already available on Digital HD). 

    ‘Gloria Bell’ (June 4)

    Julianne Moore stars as a free-spirited divorcee who joyfully spends her nights at dance clubs around Los Angeles. She soon finds herself thrust into an unexpected new romance, filled with the joys of budding love and the complications of dating.

    The movie arrives on Blu-ray and DVD on June 4 (and is already available on Digital HD). Bonus features including a making-of featurette.

    A Film Trilogy by Ingmar Berman – ‘Through a Glass Darkly,’ ‘Winter Light,’ and ‘The Silence’ (June 4): The legendary director’s three films get a new 2K restoration from Criterion. The three films, linked thematically, find Bergman moving away from the expressionism of his earlier work to explore belief and alienation in the modern age.

    TV WORTH WATCHING

    ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ Season 16 Premiere, Fox (June 3, 9 p.m.)

    The dance competition series returns with Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy joined by new judges Laurieann Gibson (an Emmy nominee and Lady Gaga’s longtime choreographer) and “SYTYCD” alum Dominic “D-Trix” Sandoval.

    ‘The 73rd Annual Tony Awards,’ CBS (June 9, 8 p.m.)

    James Corden hosts Broadway’s biggest night once again. “Hadestown” and “Tootsie” vie for Best Musical, while Bryan Cranston and Adam Driver face off in Best Actor in a Play. See the full list of nominees here.

    ‘Big Little Lies’ Season 2 Premiere, Fox (June 9, 9 p.m.)

    The new season of the Emmy-winning show finds the so-called Monterey Five — Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley, Laura Dern, and Zoe Kravitz — haunted by the lies they continue to tell, about what really happened to Alexander Skarsgard‘s Perry Wright, the abusive husband of Kidman’s Celeste. Complicating everything is Perry’s formidable mother (Meryl Streep), who is in town asking questions about his death.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCWevZV945M&feature=youtu.be

  • ‘Clifford, the Big Red Dog’ Movie Adds ‘Big Little Lies’ Actress, Jack Whitehall

    HBO

    Beloved children’s book series “Clifford, the Big Red Dog” is getting the big screen treatment, and the film has just added two key cast members.

    The Hollywood Reporter has the scoop that young actress Darby Camp (who plays Reese Witherspoon’s daughter on hit HBO series “Big Little Lies”) and British comedian Jack Whitehall (“The Nutcracker and the Four Realms,” Disney’s upcoming “Jungle Cruise”) have joined the canine-centric flick as its two human leads. Camp will play Emily Elizabeth, a young girl who adopts the titular pooch; Whitehall will play Emily’s uncle.

    Here’s the film’s synopsis, according to THR:

    The movie will see Emily (Camp) struggling to fit in at home and at school, discover a small red puppy who is destined to become her best friend. When Clifford magically undergoes one heck of a growth spurt, becomes a gigantic dog and attracts the attention of a genetics company, Emily and her Uncle Casey (Whitehall) have to fight the forces of greed as they go on the run across New York City. Along the way, Clifford affects the lives of everyone around him and teaches Emily and her uncle the true meaning of acceptance and unconditional love.

    “Clifford” was scripted by writing teams Jay Scherick and David Ronn, and Annie Mumolo (“Bridesmaids”) and Stan Chervin. It’s based on the Scholastic book series by Norman Bridwell, and was previously made into a PBS TV series, featuring the voice of the late John Ritter as Clifford.

    Walt Becker is directing the adaptation. Production is expected to begin this summer in New York.

    [via: The Hollywood Reporter]

  • New ‘Big Little Lies’ Season 2 Trailer Finds the Monterey Five Haunted by Guilt

    New ‘Big Little Lies’ Season 2 Trailer Finds the Monterey Five Haunted by Guilt

    HBO

    The truth shall not set you free in the first full trailer for HBO’s “Big Little Lies” Season 2.

    The new season finds the so-called Monterey Five — Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley, Laura Dern, and Zoe Kravitz — haunted by the lies they continue to tell, about what really happened to Alexander Skarsgard‘s Perry Wright, the abusive husband of Kidman’s Celeste.

    All five are struggling with guilt, most particularly Kravitz’s Bonnie, who pushed Perry down the stairs. And Celeste also has to deal with Perry’s formidable mother (Meryl Streep), who is in town asking questions about his death.

    “You left some things out, didn’t you?” she asks of the story that the five women told.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCWevZV945M&feature=youtu.be

    “Big Little Lies” Season 2 premieres June 9 on HBO.

  • ‘Big Little Lies’ Season 2 Trailer: The Monterey Five Face New Suspicions

    ‘Big Little Lies’ Season 2 Trailer: The Monterey Five Face New Suspicions

    HBO

    Secrets and lies continue to wreak havoc on “Big Little Lies” Season 2.

    HBO released the trailer for the second season of the drama, which finds the “Monterey Five” — Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley, Laura Dern, and Zoe Kravitz — dogged by continued suspicions over their actions on trivia night, which ended with the death of Alexander Skarsgard‘s Perry Wright, the abusive husband of Kidman’s Celeste.

    Now his formidable mother (Meryl Streep) is in town, asking questions.

    “I want to know what happened that night,” she tells Witherspoon’s Madeline Martha Mackenzie. “I’m very tempted to ask you, but I don’t think I would get the truth, would I?”

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VV8u766E7Q&feature=youtu.be

    The women also have to deal with their new notoriety in town, as they’ve all but been branded with scarlet letters. And Kravitz’s Bonnie Carlson struggles with her feelings of guilt for pushing Perry down the stairs to his death. Will she crack under the pressure and ‘fess up?

    “Big Little Lies” Season 2 premieres June 9 on HBO.

  • 15 Essential Laura Dern Performances

    15 Essential Laura Dern Performances

  • HBO Sets Premiere Dates for ‘Big Little Lies,’ ‘Veep’ and ‘Leaving Neverland’

    HBO Sets Premiere Dates for ‘Big Little Lies,’ ‘Veep’ and ‘Leaving Neverland’

    HBO

    Mark those calendars (and set those DVRs): HBO announced today when we can expect to see the return of “Big Little Lies,” “Veep,” as well as two new series and the documentary “Leaving Neverland.”

    March 3-4: “Leaving Neverland,” the four-hour documentary about two men who say Michael Jackson abused them when they were boys. It premiered at Sundance.

    March 31: The seventh and final season of “Veep” premieres.

    May TBD: “Chernobyl,”  the five-part miniseries about the 1986 nuclear meltdown in the Soviet Union and the ensuing aftermath. Jared Harris, Stellan Skarsgård and Emily Watson star.

    June TBD: Season 2 of the Emmy-winning show is set for sometime in June, but no firm date yet. Meryl Streep joins the series as Alexander Skarsgård’s mother.

    June TBD:  The Spanish-language comedy series “Los Espookys” is set in a strange and dreamy version of present-day Mexico City and follows a group of friends who turn love for horror into a peculiar business. It stars Bernardo Velasco, Cassandra Ciangherotti, and Fred Armisen.

    [Via Variety]