Nicole Kidman Reunites With David E. Kelley for HBO Limited Series The Undoing

Big Little Lies collaborators Nicole Kidman and David E. Kelley are reuniting once again for a new HBO limited series titled The Undoing. HBO gave out a straight-to-series order for the show, which is based on Jean Hanff Korelitz’s book You Should Have Known, per THR.

The forthcoming HBO limited series, labeled as a psychological thriller, revolves around the perfect and successful Grace Sachs (Kidman). She’s a very well-regarded therapist about to publish her first book, You Should Have Known, which is basically a call to action for women to follow their intuition. She has a loving husband who works as a pediatric oncologist at a major New York hospital and a perfect son who attends a prestigious private school in the city. Her life turns upside down after a catastrophic fissure disrupts her life just weeks before her book hits shelves everywhere: Her husband goes missing, a violent death occurs and a chain of horrific revelations are made. Grace, terrified by her failure to heed the very advice she gave in her book, must steer through this public disaster, and lead herself and her family to salvation. Just give both Kidman and Kelley all the awards already, because this sounds dynamic, interesting, elaborate and compelling, and we faithfully believe Kidman will deliver another Emmy, Golden Globe and SAG Award-deserving performance, much like she did in Big Little Lies.

Kelley will write The Undoing’s script, acting as showrunner and executive producing alongside Kidman’s Blossom Films banner. Big Little Lies producer Bruna Papandrea will also join via her Made Up Stories production company. Currently, no director is attached but if we’re lucky, maybe Jean-Marc Vallée will be available, since he is not returning for Big Little Lies season two.

HBO programming president Casey Bloys said in a statement, “We’re thrilled to continue our creative relationships with both Nicole and David and can’t wait to bring this show to life.” Kelley went on to say, “I loved this book. A character-driven psychological thriller, I’m excited about the adaptation and thrilled to be able to do it with Nicole and HBO.” Kidman also issued a statement: “David has created another propulsive series with a fascinating, complicated female role at its center. I’m excited and honored to continue collaborating with HBO and David E. Kelly.”

Kidman’s Blossom Films currently works alongside Reese Witherspoon’s Pacific Standard for Big Little Lies season two, which sees most of the major cast from season one returning, plus Meryl Streep. The announcement of The Undoing comes just after Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington’s Little Fires Everywhere, based on Celeste Ng’s novel, received a straight-to-series order at Hulu. Both Kidman and Witherspoon have been huge advocates for women getting into producing and creating their own content in the film industry.

Kidman is an Academy Award-winning actress who can be seen in the forthcoming The Goldfinch with Ansel Elgort, DC’s Aquaman with Jason Momoa, Joel Edgerton’s Oscar hopeful Boy Erased with Lucas Hedges and Destroyer, in an almost-unrecognizable performance.