After a game-changing Season 2 finale, The White Lotus Season 3 is expected to continue more stories centered around the hospitality industry.
Created by Mike White, HBO's The White Lotus revolves around the guests and the employees of the titular resort chain. Season 1 is set in Hawaii while Season 2's events happened in Sicily.
The White Lotus Season 1 premiered on July 11, 2021. Despite being initially planned as a six-part limited series, as per Indiewire, then, it was renewed for a second season, which led to a premiere on HBO, via TV Line, on October 30, 2022.
When Will The White Lotus Season 3 Release?
In November 2022, The White Lotus, via TV Line, was renewed for Season 3.
The White Lotus creator Mike White celebrated the renewal by sharing an official statement, noting that he felt "so lucky" to receive an opportunity to tell more stories about the fictional resort chain:
"There’s no place I’d rather work than HBO, and there’s no people I’d rather partner with than Casey Bloys, Francesca Orsi, Nora Skinner and their incredible team. I feel so lucky to get this opportunity again and am excited to reunite with my amazingly talented collaborators on 'The White Lotus.'"
HBO drama head Francesca Orsi offered high praise for the series while also expressing excitement for Season 3:
"Reflecting on 'The White Lotus'' humble, run-and-gun origin as a contained pandemic production, it's impossible not to be awestruck by how Mike orchestrated one of the buzziest and most critically acclaimed shows.
And yet, he's only continued to reach new heights in season two, which is the ultimate testament to Mike's raw, unparalleled vision. His courage to explore the uncharted waters of the human psyche, paired with his signature irreverent humor and buoyant directing style, have us all dreaming of more vacation days at the resort we've come to adore."
Alongside the announcement, HBO also unveiled a short teaser for Season 3. Watch it below:
At this point, it is unknown when The White Lotus Season 3 will premiere, considering that production has yet to begin due to the ongoing writers' strike by the Writer's Guild of America (WGA).
The White Lotus Season 1 premiered on HBO in July 2021. Season 2 then aired on the network in October 2022.
Speaking with Rolling Stone in December 2022, Season 2 cast member Theo James revealed that the cast spent around six months filming in Sicily.
If filming begins in late 2023 and wraps in early-to-mid 2024, fans can expect The White Lotus Season 3 to release on HBO by early 2025.
Who’s the Cast of The White Lotus Season 3?
As per TV Line's report about Season 3, The White Lotus' next installment is confirmed to feature a new cast at a new White Lotus location.
In April 2023, Natasha Rothwell announced on Twitter that she will return as Belinda Lindsey, the Hawaiian resort's spa manager. This came after Variety's report about her comeback in Season 3.
While Rothwell has been the only cast member who is set to return (so far), there are other actors who could make a comeback.
Emmy nominee Emmy Britton told Deadline in July 2022 that The White Lotus creator Mike White wanted her character to be involved in Season 2, but it didn't happen.
Instead, Britton teased that Nicole Mossbacher could appear in Season 3:
“He wanted me to be in the second season, and there was an idea that I loved for the character. Our intention is to do it in the third season. A piece of casting didn’t work in the second season and we’re hoping to do that in the third season. I would love to see a spinoff on every character in that show.”
In March 2023, Jennifer Aniston told Entertainment Online about her willingness to be part of The White Lotus Season 3, though it is unknown if creator Mike White will move forward with the idea:
"Do you hear it, Mike White? We did The Good Girl together. I am obsessed with ['The White Lotus']."
Another candidate for a potential Season 3 return is Jon Gries' Greg Hunt, Tanya's husband. Given that his wife died in the Season 2 finale, his comeback would be fitting.
In fact, series creator Mike White already teased Greg's return in Season 3 in one of the show's featurettes:
"I think as far as like, what happens to Greg and the conspiracy of Tanya’s death, it’s possible that I think Portia (Tanya's assistant played by Haley Lu Richardson) is scared enough to just leave it alone. But the fact that all of those guys die on the boat, it feels like there’s gotta be somebody who’s gonna track it back down to Greg."
Is Tanya in Season 3 of The White Lotus?
Tanya was the only character who appeared in both seasons of The White Lotus.
However, The White Lotus Season 2 finale killed off Jennifer Coolidge's Tanya McQuoid, thus dampening her chances to return in Season 3.
It's possible that Tanya could still return via flashbacks, but a comeback in the present day is unlikely.
Despite that, Coolidge told Variety in June 2023, that she wants Tanya to indirectly get her revenge against her husband, Greg Hunt:
“My hope for Jon is that he’s not finished with Greg. I hope there’s some comeuppance for evil Greg. I think he should, I don’t know, end up in a meat-grinding machine.”
Where is The White Lotus Season 3 Going to Take Place?
In October 2022, The White Lotus creator Mike White teased, via Deadline, that Season 3 could take place somewhere in Asia:
"I think it’d be fun to maybe go to a whole different continent. You know, we did Europe, and maybe Asia, something crazy like that, that would be fun.”
Fast forward to February 2023 during the Berlinale Series Market, via Robb Report, The White Lotus executive producer David Bernad may have confirmed that Asia is the next destination of the hit HBO series:
“We’ve tried to work in Asia a lot and hopefully Season 3 will be our chance to make something happen there.”
Eventually, in March 2023, Variety confirmed that The White Lotus Season 3 will take place in Thailand.
What's The Story of The White Lotus Season 3?
The White Lotus Season 3 is expected to address the ramifications of Season 2's game-changing finale, specifically Tanya's death.
It's possible that Season 3 will ultimately reveal who Tanya's killer is while also teasing what's next for her assistant, Portia.
In an exclusive clip from HBO, The White Lotus creator Mike White indicated that Season 3 will likely explore themes of "death, Eastern religion, and spirituality:"
“The first season kind of highlighted money, and then, the second season is sex. And I think the third season, it would be maybe a kind of satirical and funny look at death and Eastern religion and spirituality. And it feels like it could be a rich tapestry to do another round at White Lotus.”
The first two seasons of The White Lotus are streaming on Max.
