A new crop of guests is checking in for Season 4 of “The White Lotus,” the critically acclaimed social satire by Mike White. But the series, which airs on HBO and in past seasons has chronicled the exploits of various guests and staff members over the course of weeklong stints in Hawaii, Sicily and Thailand, will take a slightly different approach this season.
Even without an air date, everything from the glamorous location to the casting — including members of “Survivor” and the abrupt departure of Helena Bonham Carter — has created intrigue.
Here’s everything we know so far.
What fabulous locale are we jetting off to this time?
Season 4 will take place around the French Riviera, at not one but two White Lotus-branded resorts.
Château de la Messardière in St. Tropez, a 19th-century palace originally built as a wedding gift from a wealthy cognac merchant to his daughter and the French cavalry officer she was marrying, according to its website, will serve as the White Lotus du Cap. According to the property’s website, it is “perched above Saint-Tropez, at the heart of a 13-hectare park planted with umbrella pines and cypress trees,” and offers “grandeur with quiet grace.”
Approximately 60 miles away, in Cannes, the Hotel Martinez, a five-star, Art Deco property, will become the White Lotus Cannes. Since it opened in 1929, the hotel has become one of the most well-known luxury outposts along the iconic Croisette, the coastal promenade that runs alongside Cannes.
Filming will also take place in Monaco and Paris, with the primary focus on the French Riviera.
The south of France has long been associated with glitz, glamour and celebrity, particularly around the Cannes Film Festival. But there are also centuries of history underlying that reputation, said Kimberley Blanchot, a French public relations professional whose firm, August 28 Studio, represents luxury properties across France. And the area has long drawn travelers looking for luxury.
“The French and the Americans have always had this slightly theatrical relationship; mutual fascination dressed up as mutual eye-rolling,” she said. “But American guests are genuinely beloved: They’re curious and excited about French culture, and they truly engage with the place. On the Riviera, in particular, where the whole point is performing leisure, Americans don’t stick out. They’re part of the show — which is to say, I can’t think of a more fitting setting for White Lotus.”
What will the guests be getting up to in Season 4?
The season’s basic summary, or log line, states that “the fourth season will follow a new group of White Lotus hotel guests and employees over the span of a week, taking place during the Cannes Film Festival.” According to a report from Variety, this season will subvert the premise set up by the first three seasons by focusing on two separate groups of movie crews who arrive on the French Riviera to represent competing films at Cannes.
David Bernad, an executive producer on the show, said last month at the Cannes International Series Festival that Season 4 would focus on “the life of an artist — the loneliness and the pain.”
“It really examines the things we value as people and what is attractive to us and how fame can be corrosive and dictate your choices in life,” he continued, according to Deadline. “Some of the characters are existentially reflecting on those choices, some are reflecting on the choices and sacrifices they made as artists, and some are just starting to enter into this world of fame. Mike does a brilliant job of capturing how relationships can be corroded.”
Will this season be as star-studded as previous ones?
As with every season, the cast has a mix of Hollywood A-listers and lesser-known actors. Laura Dern, Rosie Perez, Kumail Nanjiani and Steve Coogan are all in the lineup, as are AJ Michalka (of the pop duo Aly and AJ), the “Vikings” star Alexander Ludwig and the model and influencer Marissa Long. White, who has appeared on “Survivor,” also announced during the reality show’s 50th season finale in May that two of his fellow contestants, Kamilla Karthigesu and Charlie Davis, would appear on the new “White Lotus” season.
I heard there was drama with Helena Bonham Carter. What happened there?
The British actress was initially announced as part of the project, set to play what Variety described as “a washed-out star who is chasing a comeback,” but she left quickly. The character White created for her “did not align once on set,” an HBO spokesperson told Deadline. Laura Dern stepped in to the role.
Will any past characters be checking back in to the White Lotus?
Though Jennifer Coolidge’s beloved character, Tanya McQuoid, was a fan favorite in Seasons 1 and 2, she died at the end of the second season, so most likely won’t be making a return. Other recurring characters like Tanya’s husband, Greg, played by Jon Gries, and Belinda, played by Natasha Rothwell, haven’t been confirmed for the season, either.
When will the new season premiere?
HBO has not announced a release date, but filming began last month and will run through October, so the new season most likely won’t hit screens until spring 2027 at the earliest.
The post Everything We Know About ‘The White Lotus’ Season 4 appeared first on New York Times.
