‘Big Little Lies’ Premiere On HBO: The Cast And Everything Else You Need To Know

HBO will premiere what might become pop culture’s next “big” obsession on Sunday, February 19. Big Little Lies is comprised of a star-studded cast, helmed by a successful director, and adapted by television writer extraordinaire David E. Kelley. If you are wondering whether or not to check it out, this feature will hopefully help you decide. Below you will find information about the premise of Big Little Lies, its cast, and everything else you need to know.

The cast of Big Little Lies

To say the cast of Big Little Lies is loaded with star power would be an understatement. Actresses Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, and Shailene Woodley star as the three mothers at the center of its story.

Big Little Lies marks the first time Best Actress Oscar winners Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman have shared the screen in their storied careers. Their first-time collaboration marks a huge point of excitement, and anticipation for the miniseries.

The supporting cast also boasts big names, including Zoe Kravitz (Mad Max: Fury Road), Alexander Skarsgard (True Blood), and Adam Scott (Parks and Recreation). Kravitz plays the new wife of Witherspoon’s character’s ex-husband, while Skarsgard and Scott respectively play the husbands of Kidman and Witherspoon’s characters.

What is Big Little Lies about?

According to HBO’s official Medium page, the premise of Big Little Lies is as follows.

“In the affluent beachfront community of Monterey, Cal., a suspicious death at a coastal elementary school fundraiser draws attention to the frictions among some of the mothers. Madeline (Reese Witherspoon) and Celeste (Nicole Kidman), longtime friends and confidantes, welcome newcomer Jane (Shailene Woodley) and her son, Ziggy (Iain Armitage), into their inner circle, much to the chagrin of another mother, Renata (Laura Dern). An incident with the children at school causes battle lines to be drawn.”

A little trivia about Big Little Lies

Big Little Lies is directed by Jean-Marc Vallee. It marks the second career collaboration between Reese Witherspoon, and Vallee. Vallee directed Witherspoon in the 2014 film Wild. Witherspoon was nominated for an Oscar for her performance, as was her co-star Laura Dern. Big Little Lies reunites Witherspoon with Dern, who plays another one of the moms on the miniseries. Dern played Witherspoon’s mother in the acclaimed film.

Witherspoon and her Big Little Liars co-star Shailene Woodley share having had Dern as a screen mother in different projects. Laura Dern portrayed the mother of Woodley’s character in the wrenching 2014 romantic drama The Fault in Our Stars. Dern is not the only previous co-star Woodley reunites with on the cast of Big Little Lies. Zoe Kravitz co-starred with Woodley in the dystopian Divergent franchise.

2014 turned out to be a big one for the cast and crew of Big Little Lies. Laura Dern, Reese Witherspoon, and Shailene Woodley all starred in successfully received films that year, and both Woodley and Witherspoon shared the screen with Dern in each of them. 2014 was also the year the novel Big Little Lies was released. In 2014, both of the actors that starred in Jean-Marc Vallee’s Dallas Buyers Club won an Oscar for their performances in the film.

Who is writing Big Little Lies?

David E. Kelley adapted Big Little Lies from the 2014 novel of the same name by Liane Moriarty. Kelley is coming off the success of his Amazon series Goliath, which recently won Billy Bob Thornton a Golden Globe for his performance on the series. The legal drama has since received the green-light for a second season.

What are critics saying about Big Little Lies?

Given its cast and the creative team behind it, Big Little Lies is expected to be a “big” competitor in next year’s awards race. Given that Vallee has directed Reese Witherspoon and Laura Dern, among others, to Oscar nominations, those expectations make sense.

Critics have greeted the miniseries with overwhelmingly positive reviews. With 49 critic reviews counted so far, Rotten Tomatoes has certified Big Little Lies with its illustrious “fresh” rating. Out of those 49 reviews, 42 voted “fresh,” while only 7 turned in a “rotten” verdict.

When does Big Little Liars premiere?

Find out if the cast delivers when Big Little Lies premieres on HBO on Sunday, February 19, at 9 p.m. EST.

[Featured Image by Hilary Bronwyn Gayle/HBO]