This article contains The Undoing spoilers.
Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant’s latest psychological thriller series, The Undoing, has gripped the world with its weekly episode releases (with the likes of Travis Scott even desperate to know its ending). Following the series gripping season finale, where we finally found out the culprit behind Elena’s murder—we can’t help but continue to wonder what’s next for Grace and Jonathan Fraser.
Originally intended to be a six-episode run, fans are already desperate for news of a second season to be announced. And while The Undoing was based on a single book, You Should Have Known by Jaen Hanff Korelitz, that hasn’t stopped HBO before. Another Kidman series, Big Little Lies, was based off the single 2014 book of the same name from Australian author Liane Moriarty and had a three-season run thanks to the network, alongside creator, writer and executive producer David E. Kelley (who was also behind The Undoing).
Below, everything we know about a potential second instalment of HBO’s The Undoing.
Has The Undoing Been Confirmed For A Second Season?
In news fans of the limited-series might not be happy to hear, the show was originally designed to be just one season with a pre-planned six episodes.
However, considering the show’s success, with Deadline reporting increasingly higher ratings for each episode and record-breaking viewership, it wouldn’t be so far-fetched to consider the network renewing it for a second season.
No news has been confirmed or denied at this point.
What Have The Creators And Cast Said About A Second Season?
Director Susanne Bier explained why she believes the show should be contained to just one season.
“This is a tight story, which is why I think six hours is perfect. There’s something about six that has a natural arc,” she told EW.
Kidman added, “It’s not like a drama series where you’re not quite sure how they’re going to evolve and you have a next season. That’s why I say it’s like cinema, because you have a beginning, middle, and end. The thing about a limited series is it’s so difficult because you’re writing a much longer form of cinema that you have to keep people engaged in, and in some ways that’s so much harder. That, as an actor, is delicious.”
However, Bier hasn’t completely ruled out the possibility of extending the murder mystery. Speaking to Oprah Mag, the director says she often thinks about what will come next for The Undoing‘s characters. “Of course you wonder what comes after this is over. We did joke about it on set,” she said.
When asked whether those futures would be explored in a second season, Bier added, “I won’t rule it out. But it’s not in the concrete works.”
Hugh Grant Thinks A Second Season Is “Highly Unlikely”.
Following his Golden Globe nomination for his role as Jonathan Fraser in the HBO series, Grant spoke to Deadline about the possibility of The Undoing returning for a second season.
“I don’t see how that could be done, I honestly don’t,” he told the outlet. “If I’m in prison, I’m guilty. It would have to be a spinoff series about my time in prison.”
What Would The Plot Of The Undoing’s Second Season Be?
Considering the series covered most of what Korelitz’s book did, it’s hard to know exactly where the series would take us if it were renewed for a second season.
Seeing as the first season covers Elena’s murder investigation and the Fraser family’s complicated relationship with her, a second series (much like Big Little Lies) might begin to explore what happens after the original crime.
In her interview with Oprah Mag, Bier explained why using BLL as an example for The Undoing‘s future doesn’t quite hold up. “I feel that The Undoing is very different. It has a different temperature. It has a different engine. I think David always intended for it to be very different, as did Nicole,” she said.
While we aren’t certain on The Undoing’s future, we have plenty of Kidman’s work to look forward to. The actress is currently filming Nine Perfect Strangers, another Liane Moriarty adaptation, which is due for release in 2021. Kidman has also signed on to produce an Amazon adaptation of A Good Marriage by Kimberly McCreight.
