The White Lotus season 3 has officially started filming, as revealed by the show's official Instagram page, which shared a photo of a clapperboard against a rather tropical background. This time around, the hit HBO show will be set in Thailand, with several new names joining returning cast member Natasha Rothwell (who starred as spa manager Belinda in the first season). Although cameras have started rolling, we still have a while to wait until new episodes drop – but that doesn't mean we can't get excited about what's to come.
We've got everything you need to know about The White Lotus season 3, from a release window for the next installment of the hit comedy-drama to all the latest casting updates, and quotes from series creator Mike White about what to expect from the next batch of episodes.
The White Lotus season 3 release window
Although filming has started, the White Lotus season 3 doesn't have an official release date yet. However, HBO boss Casey Bloys says we can likely expect the new installment in 2025, with our guess being that it will be early on in that year given that cameras are now rolling. It was originally scheduled for 2024, but, like many shows and movies, has been hit with delays due to the writers' and actors' strikes.
The White Lotus season 3 trailer
The season 2 trailer was released almost a month before the first episode aired, with season 1 following a similar schedule, so we'll have a while to wait before we can expect a season 3 trailer – sometime in 2025.
The White Lotus season 3 location: Where will it be set?
The location of The White Lotus season 3 was revealed in 2023 – and the show is heading to Thailand. As for whereabouts in the country, HBO revealed that filming was set to take place in and around the islands of Koh Samui and Phuket, as well as the capital city Bangkok.
Series creator Mike White previously dropped some hints about an Asian setting and what that would entail for the show. "The first season kind of highlighted money, and then the second season is sex," he said in HBO’s Inside the Episode featurette for the season 2 finale. "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."
The White Lotus season 3 cast
Kicking off the season 3 casting news, Natasha Rothwell, who played spa manager Belinda in season 1, will be back for the show's third installment. We last saw her at the Hawaiian branch of the resort chain, where she struck up a friendship with Jennifer Coolidge's wealthy socialite Tanya. However, the season ended with their relationship going sour after Tanya walked back on her promise to invest in Belinda's wellness business.
On January 8, 2024, a whole bunch of new cast members were announced, including Leslie Bibb, Dom Hetrakul, Jason Isaacs, Michelle Monaghan, Parker Posey, and Tayme Thapthimthong. A couple of days later, HBO and Max confirmed that The Gilded Age star Carrie Coon, who'll soon appear in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, was also set to feature. For now, though, their characters remain under wraps. Later that week, another slew of actors was announced: Miloš Biković (who was then later dropped due to controversy surrounding accusations he support Russia's invasion of Ukraine), Christian Friedel, Morgana O’Reilly, Lek Patravadi, and Shalini Peiris.
Then on January 17, 2024, five new names were added to the cast. Justified's Walton Goggins, First Kill's Sarah Catherine Hook, Maestro's Sam Nivola, Gen V's Patrick Schwarzenegger, and Sex Education's Aimee Lou Wood have all joined season 3.
The show then added even more names in early February, with BLACKPINK K-pop star Lisa (who also goes by Lalisa Manobal) being the most notable addition, joining the cast in her acting debut. Other names announced included Julian Kostov, Morgana O’Reilly, Scott Glenn, and Francesca Corney.
No news on who everyone is playing yet, but in November 2023, Deadline reported that casting was underway for 13 roles, with nine of these being series regulars. Ranging in ages between 18 and 80, season 3's characters will reportedly include "a patriarch, a corporate executive, an actress, a couple of mothers, a misfit, and a yogi."
The White Lotus season 3 plot
So, we know that we'll be heading to a luxury resort somewhere in Thailand for The White Lotus season 3, and it will look at death and Eastern spirituality through a satirical lens. Plus, Belinda the spa manager looks to have had a job transfer across the Pacific.
Of course, there'll no doubt be another dead body – or dead bodies, plural, if we follow the trajectory of season 2. "It’s going to be a supersized White Lotus," Mike White told EW. "It’s going to be longer, bigger, crazier. I don’t know what people will think, but I am super excited, so at least for my own barometer, that’s a good thing."
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