Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman are setting their sights a little…smaller.
The Oscar winning actors are heading to television with a limited series adaptation of Liane Moriarty's bestselling novel “Big Little Lies,” according to The Hollywood Reporter; Witherspoon and Kidman optioned the rights to the book back in August through their production companies Pacific Standard and Blossom Films, respectively. David E. Kelley, who most recently served as showrunner of the short-lived Robin Williams-Sarah Michelle Gellar sitcom “The Crazy Ones,” will write and executive-produce the series, which will reportedly be shopped to both premium networks (HBO, Showtime, etc.) and streaming services (Netflix, Amazon, Hulu).
“Big Little Lies” tells the story of three mothers of kindergartners who become embroiled in a murder mystery after an elementary school fundraiser turns sour. There's no word yet on which characters Kidman and Witherspoon will take on; this will be the first major TV series role for both.
Moriarty's previous works include the novels “Three Wishes,” “What Alice Forgot” and “The Hypnotist's Love Story,” as well as a number of children's books.
The most notable instance of movie stars turning to television in recent years came with Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson's critically-acclaimed turns in HBO's “True Detective,” which garnered Emmy nominations for both men. Other examples include Halle Berry in CBS's “Extant” and Vince Vaughn, Rachel McAdams and Colin Farrell in “True Detective's” second cycle.
Does “Big Little Lies” sound like something you'd like to watch? Let us know in the comments.