It’s been more than a year since Season 2 of “The White Lotus” concluded on HBO with a certain hot mess of an heiress falling to her death from the side of a yacht while trying to escape a cabal of jet-setting gay men. -set. .
Fans of Mike White’s anthology series, which combines biting social satire with an old-fashioned murder mystery set in luxury hotels around the world, were excited when HBO announced that a third installment was on the way.
But for now they have had to wait patiently for more updates on the series. Due to the impasse between the studios and the Writers Guild of America, and later the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Radio and Television Artists, which led to a double strike, many Hollywood productions were delayed.
For viewers eager for more murder and lifestyle porn, following updates (and wild speculation) about the show, which will compete for 12 awards at the Primetime Emmy Awards on Jan. 15, has become a pastime in its own right. rite.
Here’s everything we know about season 3 to date.
The cast
The biggest “White Lotus” news in months came on Friday: HBO announced that Parker Posey, Jason Isaacs, Leslie Bibb, Dom Hetrakul, Tayme Thapthimthong and Michelle Monaghan would be joining the cast for season 3. They will star alongside Natasha Rothwell. , who will reprise her role as Belinda, the embattled spa manager who was last seen dreaming of opening her own wellness center in the first season set on Maui. Like many of the actresses White has worked with on “The White Lotus,” including Jennifer Coolidge and Aubrey Plaza, Posey is best known for her comedic roles in films such as “Dazed and Confused,” Party Girl” and “Waiting for Guffman.” ”. We expect a lot of Posey-centric memes.
As much as fans may wish otherwise, it seems highly unlikely that Coolidge will reprise her role as Tanya McQuoid, unless season 3 turns out to be a prequel or a ghost story.
The adjustment
After seasons set in Maui and Sicily, season 3 will move to Thailand, with production taking place in and around Koh Samui, Phuket, and Bangkok. HBO is teaming up with the Tourism Authority of Thailand to help produce and promote the series, which, despite all the killing and mayhem, also serves as a brilliant travel brochure for high-end destinations around the world. “‘The White Lotus’ project will certainly strengthen the kingdom’s status as a preferred filming destination and a beacon of experience-based tourism, inspiring even more visitors,” said Thapanee Kiatphaibool, governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand. Seasons 1 and 2 of “The White Lotus” were filmed on location at Four Seasons Resorts in Italy and Hawaii. In case you were wondering, there is a Four Seasons Resort in Koh Samui, where guests can stay in private villas overlooking the Gulf of Siam. Although HBO has not confirmed that the series will film at the hotel, it turns out that it will not be available for reservations from the end of January to the end of March.
As Johnny Knoxville accidentally revealed in an interview with Vulture, season 3 was originally supposed to film in Japan. But the project was moved to Thailand thanks to generous tax incentives provided by the government, according to a Deadline report.
release date
Production will begin in February 2024, according to HBO. No premiere date has been announced for season 3. Originally expected to air in 2024, HBO CEO Casey Bloys said in November that it would most likely be delayed until 2025.
the plot
Very little is known about the plot of season 3, other than that it will follow the guests and staff of a luxury hotel and, presumably, involve a dead body or two. Each season’s focus has changed to reflect the location: season 1 examined race, class, and American imperialism; The second season was about sex, money, and transactional relationships. Apparently, season 3 may literally be about death.
In a featurette that accompanied the season two finale, White said that season three will be “kind of a satirical, funny look at death in Eastern religion and spirituality; looks like it could be a rich tapestry to do another round at White Lotus.”
