HBO’s The White Lotus has been a hit with viewers ever since it premiered in July 2021. Over the course of two seasons, the anthology series has taken its cast to exotic locations.
While the first season was set in Maui in Hawaii, the second moved to Sicily in Italy. And now, Variety reports that The White Lotus season 3 will be set in Thailand.
Counted among one of the best ongoing television shows, The White Lotus is about a group of extremely wealthy but dysfunctional guests at a fictional resort named White Lotus.
With the series officially wrapping up production on season 3 in Thailand, here are all the details.
Unforgettable experiences are in the making at #TheWhiteLotus. We are eager to welcome new guests to our resort in Thailand. pic.twitter.com/BAFM1GLQln
— Max (@StreamOnMax) February 13, 2024
What to know about ‘The White Lotus’ season 3
Exploring ‘death and Eastern religion and spirituality’
Variety was the first to reveal that the show is heading to Thailand, which was later confirmed by Deadline.
Though HBO declined to comment, Variety cited creator Mike White’s statement at the “Unpacking S2 E7” clip at the end of Season 2 in which he hinted that the third season may take place in Asia and focus on “death and Eastern religion and spirituality.”
“The first season kind of highlighted money, and then the second season is sex. I think the third season would be maybe a satirical and funny look at death and Eastern religion and spirituality. It feels like it could be a rich tapestry to do another round at White Lotus,” White said in the clip.
Deadline reports that the show’s executive producer, David Bernad, told the publication in February 2023 that the show was indeed moving to Asia.
“We’ve tried to work in Asia a lot and hopefully season three will be our chance to make something happen there,” he said.
What is the filming location of ‘The White Lotus’ season 3?
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White was already in Thailand in January 2023 in what appeared to be one of the four properties of Four Seasons in the country.
Citing sources, Variety now reported that White is spending time in Thailand scouting for locations. The report also suggests that the show might be filmed at any of the Four Seasons properties — Four Seasons Bangkok, Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai, Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui, and Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle.
“Thailand’s Four Seasons resorts are spread across the city, country, jungle and beach, giving White plenty of settings to play with, if he so chooses,” the report says.
Both the first and second seasons were filmed at Four Seasons resorts in Hawaii and Sicily.
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‘The White Lotus’ season 3 cast
Being an anthology series, the main cast is different in both seasons. However, Jennifer Coolidge, who plays Tanya McQuoid, has been the mainstay across the two seasons of the show. However, the plot twist at the end of the second season means that Coolidge is unlikely to return.
Jon Gries, who played her husband, Greg Hunt, is the only other actor from the first season to have appeared in the second.
Season 1 standout Natasha Rothwell will be returning for the third instalment. The series is also welcoming new faces to its loaded cast including Leslie Bibb, Carrie Coon, Francesca Corney, Nicholas Duvernay, Arnas Fedaravičius, Christian Friedel, Scott Glenn, Walton Goggins, Dom Hetrakul, Sarah Catherine Hook, Jason Isaacs along with Julian Kostov, Michelle Monaghan, Sam Nivola, Morgana O’Reilly, Lek Patravadi, Shalini Peiris, Parker Posey, Natasha Rothwell, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Tayme Thapthimthong and Aimee Lou Wood.
Considering the third season is set in Thailand, it wouldn’t be fair to not include a big-shot Thai celebrity. And who better than Lalisa Manobal, also famously known as Lisa from BLACKPINK, to join The White Lotus season 3 cast? On February 13, HBO announced the globally popular K-pop idol’s first acting foray in an international production.
When will ‘The White Lotus’ Season 3 be released?
The series was eyeing to premiere in 2024. However, it was delayed due to the Writers Guild and SAG-AFTRA strikes. The third season of The White Lotus will likely arrive in 2025. HBO released a brief first look at the upcoming season in a video of upcoming series teasers, marked for 2025.
What awards has ‘The White Lotus’ won?
Coolidge won an Emmy award for best supporting actress for her performance in the first season. She won a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series and a Screen Actors Guild (SAG) award for Female Actor in a Drama Series for The White Lotus season 2.
The first season of the show itself won 10 Emmy awards, including Coolidge’s win. It also won the Golden Globe for Best Television Limited Series, Anthology Series or Motion Picture Made for Television for the second season as well as the Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series at SAG.
(Main image: Still from The White Lotus season 3/ HBO Max; Featured image: IMDb)
This story first appeared in Lifestyle Asia Bangkok
