A teaser has arrived for “Big Little Lies,” HBO’s hotly anticipated, star-studded limited series. Based on Liane Moriarty’s bestselling novel of the same name, the darkly comedic murder mystery centers on three mothers (Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, and Shailene Woodley) of kindergartners in the same class who become embroiled in a homicide investigation, exploring with humor and compassion issues of infidelity, divorce, domestic violence, and school bullying.
The fast-paced teaser features very little dialogue. The footage kicks off with Witherspoon’s character, Madeline, looking out a window with her daughter, who asks, “When you look at the ocean, what’s out there?” The little girl wonders if there are “monsters.” “Who knows what lies out there beneath the surface,” Madeline answers. During this exchange, we see brief snippets of all of the drama that lies beneath the surface of their idyllic beachside community, including lots of sex, a gun, and a party with a guest dressed like Elvis.
In addition to starring in “Big Little Lies,” Witherspoon and Kidman serve as executive producers on the project.
Laura Dern, Zoë Kravitz (“Mad Max: Fury Road”), Alexander Skarsgård (“Tarzan”), Adam Scott (“Parks and Recreation”), and James Tupper (“Revenge”) co-star.
“Big Little Lies” reunites Witherspoon and Dern with their “Wild” director Jean-Marc Vallée, who helmed every episode of the series. Both Witherspoon and Dern received Oscar noms for their work in “Wild.” “Big Little Lies” was adapted for the small screen by David E. Kelley.
A premiere date for “Big Little Lies” hasn’t been announced yet, but the limited series will air on HBO sometime in 2017.