Spoilers ahead in this unexpected news from today: Meryl Streep is joining Big Little Lies‘ forthcoming second season as a series regular, TVLine has learned. The three-time Oscar winner will play Mary Louise Wright, the mother of Alexander Skarsgard’s deceased character Perry. “Concerned for the well-being of her grandchildren following her son’s death, Mary Louise arrives in Monterey searching for answers,” per HBO. Translation: Expect some explosive scenes between Streep and recent Emmy winner Nicole Kidman. In teasing Streep’s Big Little Lies storyline, HBO puts to rest speculation that Skarsgard’s Perry might’ve somehow survived that fatal fall in the Season 1 finale. Still, As TVLine reported earlier this week, Skarsgard is expected to reprise his Emmy-winning role, most likely via flashbacks. Big Little Lies Season 2 will consist of seven episodes, all of which will once again be penned by David E. Kelley (based on a story by Liane Moriarty, whose novel served as the source material for Season 1). Meanwhile, Jean-Marc Vallée is passing the directing baton to Andrea Arnold, although Vallée will stay on as an exec producer. Production on Season 2 is scheduled to get underway in March ahead of a 2019 launch. Thanks to everybody for the heads-up.

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