‘The White Lotus’ Season 3: Everything We Know—So Far

Who else has jet lag? After a twist-filled second season of The White Lotus (and shocking answers to the question of who dies,) yet another edition of Mike White’s anthology series is on the itinerary. Just three episodes into the latest season, HBO confirmed that The White Lotus “will return for a third installment following a new group of guests at another White Lotus property.” Vanity Fair has already made its pitches for season three settings, but what do we actually know about the upcoming chapter? What will the credits sound like? And will the guests venture beyond the resort to eat?

A first official glimpse at The White Lotus season three arrived in August 2024 as part of a larger sizzle reel for HBO and Max. “New luxuries await you in Thailand,” a post featuring footage from the season reads, while a voice can be heard saying, “What happens in Thailand stays in Thailand.” The clip also shows returning star Natasha Rothwell, who previously appeared in season 1, as well as some of her new castmates, including Parker Posey, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Jason Isaacs, Sarah Catherine Hook, and Sam Nivola.

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Ahead, a preview of everything that’s out in the universe about The White Lotus season three, including a major update about who is jetting in next.

Who is in The White Lotus season three?

Blackpink member Lisa is the latest high-profile addition to the cast. As reported by Variety, she will be credited under her full name, Lalisa Manobal, in an undisclosed role. Her foray into acting follows that of fellow group member Jennie Kim, who appeared on HBO’s The Idol last year.

Walton Goggins, the Emmy-nominated star of shows like Justified and The Righteous Gemstones, has also joined season three of The White Lotus. His casting was announced alongside the addition of four other stars: Patrick Schwarzenegger (The Staircase), Sam Nivola (Maestro), Sarah Catherine Hook (The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It), and Aimee Lou Wood (Sex Education). While walking the red carpet at the Gotham TV Awards in June 2024, Goggins confirmed that he was on a break from shooting the upcoming season. “We’re filming it in Thailand. It’s very, very hot,” he told Vanity Fair. “Everybody’s having the time of their life. It’s everything we hoped it would be.”

Previously announced cast includes Carrie Coon, best known for her roles on HBO’s The Gilded Age and The Leftovers, is returning to the network for season 3 of The White Lotus, the actor confirmed via X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday. HBO confirmed in early January that Leslie Bibb, Dom Hetrakul, Jason Isaacs, Michelle Monaghan, Tayme Thapthimthong, and Parker Posey will be checking into the White Lotus for season three. They join previously announced returning original cast member Natasha Rothwell, who earned an Emmy nomination for her portrayal of Belinda, the soothing, often sidelined spa manager of the resort’s Hawaii outpost.

Rothwell’s return for the wellness-centered third season suggests that Jennifer Coolidge’s Tanya may have made good on her promise to fund Belinda’s dream spa by leaving her money in the will. But—for now—the actor is keeping mum on her character’s storyline. At the Wonka premiere, Rothwell told Vanity Fair that the show made her “gasp out loud a minimum of five times, and this was just me reading the scripts.”

According to Deadline, casting for the new season got underway on Nov. 9, the same day a deal was reached between SAG-AFTRA and the studios. The outlet reports that thirteen roles are looking to be filled, with nine of them being series regulars. Parts range in age between 18 and 80s, featuring a patriarch, corporate executive, actress, a couple of mothers, a misfit, and a yogi.

One person who seemingly won’t be involved, despite online rumors, is White’s friend and School of Rock collaborator Jack Black, who denied his casting to Vanity Fair: “I’ll deny because that’s easy to tell the truth,” he said. “I have to throw ice water on that sweet, sweet theory.”

The show’s second season introduced viewers to a murderers’ row of new characters, played by Aubrey Plaza, Theo James, Meghann Fahy, Michael Imperioli, Will Sharpe, Beatrice Grannò, Haley Lu Richardson, Adam DiMarco, and many, many concerning men. But Coolidge, returning from the Emmy-winning first season, had another standout showing—the question of whether she could she reprise the role of Tanya again, however, was answered in the season 2 finale.

A familiar face who may pack her bags for season three, however, is Connie Britton, who played the high-powered Nicole in season one, said she was originally supposed to return for the second season. “He wanted me to be in the second season, and there was an idea that I loved for the character,” she told Deadline. “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 spin-off on every character in that show.” And wouldn’t you know it? Her character fits squarely in the “corporate executive” category…

Where will White Lotus season three film?

White hinted that the show would head east for season three, telling Vanity Fair, “We are going to scout in Asia and look at countries there.” Now Variety is reporting that after scouting locations, he’s settled on Thailand.

If he chooses to film at another Four Seasons—seasons one and two were both filmed at resorts owned by the luxury hotel chain—he’ll have several properties to choose from. The website for the Chiang Mai location describes it as “a haven of well-being in northern Thailand” that’s “nestled among emerald rice fields,” while the Four Seasons Golden Triangle is an “adventure of a lifetime” where guests stay in luxury tents. A spokeswoman for HBO declined to comment.

What will White Lotus season three be about?

In the post-finale interview White dropped a bit of a hint about this, calling the third season “a satirical and funny look at death and Eastern religion and spirituality.”

White further expanded on this idea in his interview with interview with Vanity Fair. “My instinct is that maybe it has something to do with spirituality,” he said. “Eastern versus Western religion or Western people in an Eastern culture. Maybe after sex it would be nice to have something that’s a little more celestial or something that’s a little more out of the carnal, I guess. But I don’t know. I have to beg off to be honest because I don’t really know.”

Speaking of scrapped ideas…White told Entertainment Weekly that he originally centered season two around politics and power, rather than sex and relationships. “The kind of mythology of Sicily, at least from the point of view of Americans, is the archetypal sexual politics and role play that you associate with, like, opera and the mafia and Italian romance,” he explained. “I felt like it should be more focused on men and women and relationships and adultery and have an operatic feel to it, so I pivoted.” Still, the writer-director maintains he could still do his initial idea “down the road maybe, if they give us a third season.”

One thing that’s officially been settled—fans are in store for “a supersized White Lotus” whatever that means. “It’s going to be longer, bigger, crazier,” White told EW. “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…I’m super excited about the content of the season.”

When does The White Lotus season three come out?

No arrival dates have dropped just yet, but the layover won’t last much longer. Production on season three of The White Lotus began in and around Koh Samui, Phuket, and Bangkok in February, HBO confirmed. However, there have been some delays along the way. While the next installment was originally set for 2024, it will now likely bow in 2025, Casey Bloys, chairman and CEO of HBO and Max Content, revealed during an HBO press event in New York on November 2, in the aftermath of the writers’ and actors’ strikes.

White previously told Katie Couric that he needed time after the second season to creatively recharge. “I need to reboot a little bit,” White told Couric on her podcast. “I don’t have a lot of gas in the tank. So I need to figure out how to unplug and refresh or something.” May we suggest…a vacation?

Additional reporting by Natalie Jarvey.