Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon have finally addressed the controversy surrounding Andrea Arnold’s creative control on Big Little Lies season 2. HBO’s televised adaptation of Liane Moriarty’s novel of the same name rose to monumental success after premiering on the streaming service. Though originally intended to solely be a limited series, Big Little Lies season 2 was ordered by HBO and was set to tackle the outcome of the first season’s climactic finale. In addition to the series’ already stacked crew of famous faces, Meryl Streep joined the cast as Mary Louise Wright, the mother of Celeste’s (Kidman) abusive husband, Perry (Alexander Skarsgård). The directing torch was also passed to American Honey director Arnold, but something seemed off to fans about the series’ style mixed with Arnold’s direction as more episodes became available on the platform.
As it turned out, news broke earlier this month that claimed Arnold’s footage was reworked in post-production by the series’ showrunner, David E. Kelley, and season 1’s director, Jean-Marc Vallée. Arnold was originally granted free rein by HBO to shoot the production in her own style, similar to her critically acclaimed films Fish Tank and American Honey, but the footage was re-worked without her knowledge to fit the tone and style of the show’s first season. Though HBO was quick to shut down the report, many fans were curious when the actors themselves would address the situation, and it appears that time is now.
In an interview with EW, Kidman and Witherspoon, who play Celeste and Madeline on the series respectively, opened up about the controversial report and working with Arnold. Witherspoon explained, “In our minds, there is no controversy,” adding in that, “There was a lot of misinformation and no credited sources on any of the information.” She went on to explain that the series itself was, “an incredibly collaborative process […] and the idea that anyone was mistreated and not communicated with is completely not true.” Kidman chimed in that, “The most important thing for us it that the audience showed up for the show in season 2,” concluding that, “For the viewers to have shown up with such a voracious appetite was really lovely.”
Despite the news surrounding Arnold’s creative control, Big Little Lies continued to have a wildly successful run on the streaming platform. Season 2’s intense courtroom finale broke the show’s own record by garnering 3.1 million viewers the night it aired, leaving many wondering if a third season could possibly be on the horizon. Though Big Little Lies season 3 may not be set in stone, it’s not entirely out of the question.
The most important thing to take away from the news surrounding Arnold’s creative control on Big Little Lies is the importance of communication on a production. If a director is granted free rein of a project, then that’s what they should be given. Otherwise, it’s a false promise that can leave a bad taste in a creator’s mouth for the company they’re working for. Even with Kidman and Witherspoon’s positive outlook on the production overall, they can’t speak to Arnold’s personal feelings. Regardless, this is a situation that HBO can learn from moving forward. Considering Big Little Lies is a show that celebrates the power of female characters and creators, this scenario is the perfect learning opportunity for HBO and Hollywood in general.
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Source: EW
