Fans will have to wait until 2019 to return to Monterey, but the cast of Big Little Lies doesn’t have to wait that long. They start filming the new season next week, Reese Witherspoon revealed during an appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers last night, according to Bazaar. “Y’all we’re starting next Friday on Big Little Lies 2, I can’t believe it,” Witherspoon said. “Not only do we have every cast member coming back, but also Meryl Streep is joining us.” HBO previously announced that Steep would be joining the cast as Mary Louise Wright, the mother of Perry White, played by Alexander Skarsgard in Season 2. Witherspoon also shared her reaction when she found out she would be working with the acting legend. “Well, she sent an email to Nicole and I, and it said, ‘Okay, I read the part and I love it and I’m going to do it.’ And I, like, dropped the phone,” she said. “And then I called Nicole [Kidman] and was like, ‘Is this real life? Like is this really happening?'” Witherspoon said she also hugged herself gently for a moment before calling the show’s writer, David E. Kelley, and jokingly telling him, “you better write me good scenes with Meryl Streep.”

Oscar®-winners Steven Spielberg, Meryl Streep, and Tom Hanks team up for the first time in this thrilling film based on a true story. Determined to uphold the nation’s civil liberties, Katharine Graham (Streep), publisher of The Washinton Post, and hard-nosed editor Ben Bradlee (Hanks) join forces to expose a decades-long cover-up. But the two must risk their careers and their freedom to bring truth to light in this powerful film with a celebrated cast. Add THE POST to your digital collection on Movies Anywhere™ beginning April 3 and enjoy the ultimate home viewing experience on 4K Ultra HD™, Blu-ray™ and DVD on April 17.

Special Features:
Take in these fascinating documentaries about this riveting, important film and the incredible real-life story it’s based on, featuring director Steven Spielberg, stars Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks, reporters and others. Included are insightful interviews, documents from the Pentagon Papers era, and exclusive behind-the-scenes footage.

Layout: Katharine Graham, Ben Bradlee & The Washington Post: Get to know the brave real-life characters at the heart of this story, Kay Graham and Ben Bradlee, who risked everything to tell the truth.

Editorial: The Cast and Characters of The Post: Learn how, once Steven Spielberg, Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks agreed to make this important film, other world-class actors also signed on!

The Style Section: Re-Creating an Era: Visit the 1970s and the Washington Post newsroom in this engaging exploration of how the style of The Pentagon Papers era was created.

Stop the Presses: Filming The Post: You’re invited onto the set with Steven Spielberg, his collaborators and his cast as they meticulously craft each cinematic moment.

Arts and Entertainment: Music for The Post: Steven Spielberg and composer John Williams celebrate their 44-year partnership in this moving tribute to collaboration and friendship.

The Oscars have been handed out and it’s a wrap for the 2018 awards season. As expected, Best Actress went to the marvelous Frances McDormand and “Shape of Water” won Best Picture. There wasn’t much about Meryl at this year’s ceremony, except for a funny bit by Jodie Foster and Jennifer Lawrence, who presented the Best Actress segment. Pictures from the arrivals and the show have been added to the photo gallery with more to come. Edit: Lots of additional pictures have been added with many thanks to Ali, Claudia and Maria, your help has been very appreciated. Also, the Best Actress segment has been added to the video archive.

During tonight’s Oscar broadcast (check the following update for more on the ceremony), Disney released a first teaser for “Mary Poppins Returns” during the commercial breaks. While it doesn’t feature Meryl and only gives a glimpse of Mary Poppins herself (I know, that’s why they call them teasers :-) the trailer gives a good idea of what to expect from Rob Marshall’s film, which is hitting theaters this Christmas. You can watch it below or in the video archive.

Earlier this week, Meryl Streep has attended the nominees luncheon for the 90th Annual Academy Awards. Pictures have been added to the photo gallery. There are also some fantastic new scans from the French Premiere magazine, the British Sight & Sound and Little White Lies magazines and from the German Stern magazine. Many thanks to Alvaro for his contributions. Enjoy reading.

Big Little Lies author Liane Moriarty has revealed how Oscar-winner Meryl Streep joined the cast of the hit drama’s second series. Sydney-based Moriarty said she wrote the role – of Nicole Kidman’s mother-in-law, Mary Louise Wright – with Streep in mind, and Kidman played a huge role in securing the Hollywood icon. “I was about half way through (writing) and I was talking to the producers and I said, I’ve got this role of Perry’s mother and … not quite believing my own audacity, I’d like Meryl to play this character,” Moriarty said. “And the producers were laughing at me because they were saying ‘you’ve become so Hollywood’ … as in, picking up the phone and saying, ‘get me Meryl.’” “They were teasing me … but then they were saying, it’s not beyond the realm of possibilities because Nicole and Meryl are friends,” Moriarty said. The Australian author — who penned the book Big Little Lies on which the HBO series was based — named the character “Mary Louise” after Streep and said Kidman was instrumental to Streep joining the cast. “Nicole sent me an email saying, ‘ask and you shall receive,’” Moriarty said. Moriarty said Streep’s character was a “significant role”. Mary Louise (Streep) is the mother of Perry (Alexander Skarsgard), who was married to Celeste (Kidman), and was murdered at the end of season one. “She deeply loved her son … as much as any mother can love her son,” Moriarty said, adding Streep’s character was “deeply grieving” . “She had a slightly fraught relationship with her daughter-in-law, so it’s a very complicated, difficult time. “When I was writing it, I was calling her ‘Meryl’. But then I thought Meryl didn’t suit the character. “So I looked up to see what Meryl’s middle name was and then I saw that, actually, her real name is Mary Louise. And Mary Louise fits the character perfectly.” HBO previously announced that “most” of the cast from season one would return for the seven-episode second season, including Kidman and Reese Witherspoon as executive producers. Production on the second season is due to begin in March and the series will air in 2019.

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.

Lots of new magazines scans from around the world have been added to the photo gallery. There’s a great new cover story from New Zealand, tons of reviews and articles from the British press coverage on “The Post” and lengthy articles from Film Comment and the Spanish Fotogramas and Imagenes. Many thanks as always to the great Alvaro for all the contributions. Enjoy reading.

I am honored beyond measure by this nomination for a film I love, a film that stands in defense of press freedom, and inclusion of women’s voices in the movement of history- Proud of the film, and all her filmmakers. Thank you from a full heart. (Meryl Streep)

The nominations for the 90th Annual Academy Awards have been announced this morning, and “The Post” has scored less than expected with 2 nominations, but those in the major categories of Best Picture and Best Actress! Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks were overlooked for nods as Director and Actor, as were multiple possibilities for costumes or score. But hey, it’s been 15 years since Meryl Streep has headlined a film nominated for Best Picture, which was 2002’s “The Hours”. Meryl Streep shares the Best Actress category with Sally Hawkins for “The Shape of Water”, Saoirse Ronan for “Lady Bird”, Margot Robbie for “I, Tonya” and recent frontrunner Frances McDormand for “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”. “The Shape of Water” has received the most nominations of the year with 13. A ful list of nominees can be read here. The 90th Annual Academy Awards will be handed out on March 04, 2018.

Even more pictures from this week’s promotional tour for “The Post” in the United Kingdom, France and Italy have been added to the photo gallery. In France, Meryl and Tom were guests on the talkshow “C à vous”, from which screencaptures and the full video have been uploaded. In the United Kingdom, there have been appearances on both The Andrew Marr Show and Lorraine. And in Italy, a premiere was held after the press conference on Monday. To launch all last added pictures, click one of the previews above. Many thanks to Mouza for her contributions.