‘Big Little Lies’ back for season 2 with Kidman, Witherspoon

File-This Nov. 27, 2017, file photo shows Reese Witherspoon, left, and Nicole Kidman arriving at the 27th annual Independent Film Project’s Gotham Awards at Cipriani Wall Street in New York. HBO inked Witherspoon and Kidman to new deals for “Big Little Lies”. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — HBO says the dark drama “Big Little Lies” is coming back for a second season.

The channel said Friday that Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon will again star and serve as executive producers of the Emmy-winning series.

The new episodes are based in part on a story by Liane Moriarty, author of the novel “Big Little Lies.”

The drama’s first-season writer, David E. Kelly, is returning to write the seven new episodes. Andrea Arnold, whose credits include “Transparent,” will direct.

HBO said the series will explore friendships, the fragility of marriage and include the potential for “emotional and bodily injury.”

The first season of “Big Little Lies” included domestic abuse and a violent death.

An air date for season two was not announced. KI