It’s amazing how a crate full of Emmys can hasten the development process. Case in point: A second season of Big Little Lies is poised to become a reality (much) sooner than later.

Sources confirm to TVLine exclusively that HBO is eyeing a Spring 2018 production start for the female-driven phenom, which snagged eight Emmy statues in September, including for Outstanding Limited Series and Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series for Nicole Kidman. As recently as two weeks ago, Big Little Lies EP/writer David E. Kelley strongly intimated to TVLine that a second season was nearing the scheduling stage.

“We’re kicking around ideas and trying to lasso the talent [and] get the band back together,” he shared. “It’s just a lot of logistical things. But I’m optimistic because everyone wants to do it. We feel we still have storytelling to do. No decision has been made yet, but we’re hopeful. Where we left it, I felt like it did open the opportunity for a lot more storytelling.”

An HBO rep declined to confirm anything about a potential second season.

Even before Big Little Lies triumphed at the Emmys, HBO asked Liane Moriarty — whose novel the miniseries was based on — to “take a crack at” coming with with a story for a potential second season. Kidman and fellow leading lady/EP Reese Witherspoon both expressed interest in keeping the franchise going, and director Jean-Marc Vallée — who initially balked at doing a sequel — now wants in. “It’d be great to reunite the team and to do it,” Vallée said backstage at the Emmys. “Are we going to be able to do it, altogether? I wish. We’ll see.” [UPDATE: Vallée will not be directing the show’s second season.]

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