Big Little Lies, the HBO mini-series that was originally planned as a seven-episode arch, is officially coming back for a second season — with a number of changes. It's already been announced that the show will have a female director (Andrea Arnold has been hired to replace Jean-Marc Vallée), and it's now been reported that many of the stars will also be getting a pay raise.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman will both be receiving $1 million per episode while Zoe Kravitz and Shailene Woodley are said to have also received sizable raises.
Part of the reason for the bump could be Witherspoon's recent role in an TV show produced by Apple. It's been reported that the actress received upward of $1.25 million per episode in Apple's untitled drama, which could've influenced her deal with HBO.
The show also received mass critical acclaim, including Golden Globe and Emmy awards, which led to the second season, though more episodes weren't originally in anyone's contracts. Since HBO had to create new deals for the cast, there was prime opportunity for salary negotiation.
Witherspoon and Kidman were reportedly paid between $250,000 and $250,000 for season one. None of the reported salaries include their executive producer fees.
