HBO Pays Up

By Spencer Coile 

In addition to its already anticipated second season, the impacts of Big Little Lies are reaching far and wide – in this case, from the pocketbooks of its network. HBO executive Casey Bloys explains that in light of the Times Up Movement, as well as insistence from series star Reese Witherspoon, the network went through a process to ensure equal pay for each of its stars… from every single series. Bloys explains:

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Mother Meryl in Big Little Lies 2

by Chris Feil.

The family that watches together stays together. Or maybe not in Monterey.

Tidbits of the second season of Big Little Lies are steadily arriving now that filming is underway. Now we have what we've really been craving: a glimpse of Meryl as Perry's mother. This docile family moment doesn't look like the fireworks we'd been promised by her arrival, but maybe this is just a decoy of sorts dropped by Nicole Kidman on her Instagram (a gift that keeps on giving). But what is the family watching? Are they rewatching season one like the rest of us surely will? Observing good parenting and indoctrinately these kids to The Hours as soon as possible? Reading our Months of Meryl as a bedtime story? Hmmm....

Meryl in Monterey

Chris here. HBO sees your Big Little Lies season two skepticism and raises you a legend. There's no sense in holding out the news: Meryl Streep has joined Big Little Lies! A 21st Oscar nomination and major casting coup in the span of two days?! How's your week going?

The Andrea Arnold-directed season will feature Meryl donning her birth name as Mary Louise Wright, the mother of Alexander Skarsgård departed abusive husband Perry. Mary Louise comes to Monterey looking for answers after Perry's demise, so expect some fireworks between her and Nicole Kidman. Call it a The Hours reunion...

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A First Look at HBO's "Deuce"

Chris here. David Simon is something of an HBO perennial, delivering the likes of The Wire, Treme, and the Oscar Isaac-led mini Show Me A Hero to much acclaim. He's back (along with his frequent collaborator George Pelecanos) this fall for another round of prestige grit with crime series The Deuce, an NYC-set look at the rise of the porn industry and its violent underbelly.

Now before you go calling this HBO's next Vinyl, consider that it also gives us twin James Franco and Maggie Gyllenhaal in several wigs. There is a lot to take in for a seemingly familiar series: a logo that looks like it belongs in an Atlantic City lounge, campy period detail, dialogue that feels intentionally cheesy. I'm not sure if the tone is supposed to be slightly off-kilter, but there are enough bizarre elements to make The Deuce more intriguing than another severe Goodfellas retread. While the first look below features a lot of the expected plots points for such material, it also hints that we could be getting some peak form Gyllenhaal among its glossy production value. The Deuce debuts September 10.

Julia Roberts Returns to HBO

Chris here. Add another high profile limited series to the mix - Julia Roberts has signed on to lead an adaptation of Maria Semple's novel Today Will Be Different for HBO. While this would be Roberts's first season-length run on television, she did scoop up an Emmy nomination for HBO's The Normal Heart.

Today should be a more lighthearted pairing for Roberts and the cable giant: the series (which Roberts will also executive produce) will follow a single day in the life of Eleanor Flood as she attempts to be her best self despite what lies ahead. Messy hilarity and existential crisis follow.

Semple will be writing the script from her novel but I'm already curious at who might direct the adaptation. With prestige director-chasing production company Annapurna at the reigns, we can expect a significant directing talent to come on board as well. Semple and Annapurna also have Where'd You Go, Bernadette? (a delightful read, if you haven't picked it up yet) from Richard Linklater and Cate Blanchett in the pipeline, so clearly they're already creating intriguing projects sight unseen.

Will we have another Big Little Lies-level hit on our hands?