Adam Scott is returning to Monterey.
The actor has closed a new deal with HBO to reprise his role as Ed Mackenzie in season two of Big Little Lies.
Scott joins returning stars Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley, Laura Dern and Zoe Kravitz, as well as new season two regular Meryl Streep.
The sophomore season of the Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning series will explore the malignancy of lies, the durability of friendships, the fragility of marriage and, of course, the vicious ferocity of sound parenting. Relationships will fray, loyalties will erode and the potential for emotional and bodily injury shall loom. Scott’s Ed will be forced to confront major challenges in his marriage to Madeline (Witherspoon).
Streep will play Mary Louise Wright, the mother to Perry (Alexander Skarsgard). Casting is also underway for Bonnie’s (Kravitz) father, sources say, among other new roles for season two. Skarsgard is also expected to return in some capacity, despite Perry’s fate in the first season.
Nearly the entire Big Little Lies creative team is poised to return for season two. The biggest behind-the-scenes difference will be the director. Jean-Marc Vallee, who helmed every season-one episode, will return only as an executive producer. In his place, Andrea Arnold — who won an Oscar for writing and directing her short film Wasp — will direct all seven episodes. Writer-showrunner David E. Kelley, who was attached to Big Little Lies when it was originally a film set to star Kidman and Witherspoon, will again pen all seven episodes, partially based on a story by Liane Moriarty. Kelley executive produces alongside Kidman and her Blossom Films topper Per Saari; Witherspoon through her Hello Sunshine banner; Bruna Papandrea; Vallee; Nathan Ross; Gregg Fienberg; and Arnold.
Given that season one of Big Little Lies was designed as a closed-ended limited run, the cast’s contracts did not have options to do more episodes, and HBO is having to make new deals with the stars. Sources say the castmembers also scored sizable raises upon their return.
