A third season of Mike White’s smash HBO hit The White Lotus has been in the works since the second season wrapped in 2022. Producers have been mum on most details about season 3, but everything we’ve heard so far is setting our expectations sky-high.
Production on the third season was delayed due to actor and writer strikes, but now they’re back on track for a 2024 release date. As with previous seasons of the original series, The White Lotus season 3 will feature a new ensemble cast (with at least one familiar face, a la Jennifer Coolidge in season 2) in a brand new luxurious location. Season one took us to Hawaii, season two transported us to Sicily, and season three will see the characters head to Thailand.
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, White called season three “a supersized White Lotus,” promising “it’s going to be longer, bigger, crazier.”
Natasha Rothwell will reprise her role of Belinda Lindsey from season one. As one of the few people who has read White’s newest script, Rothwell told Variety that fans should “buckle up, because it’s going to get real!”
Rothwell, who played a sweet spa manager whose kindness is taken advantage of by needy resort guest Tanya (Coolidge) in the first season, obviously can’t say much about the scripts she’s read for the next installment, but she has been letting some tea spill while doing press for her current project, Wonka, co-starring Timothée Chalamet. While on the red carpet for the Los Angeles premiere of the film, Rothwell told People that she’d recently finished reading the scripts and said “White Lotus is going to give you a run for your money.”
The actress stopped short of sharing any details about the plot or how large a part Belinda will play in the action, but she’s been vocal about her excitement for the upcoming project. In an interview with Variety, she said she “gasped out loud a minimum of five times” while reading the season 3 scripts.
“The scripts are a testament to Mike’s skill and ability to tell the most smart and entertaining stories,” she said. “I mean, everything that he does is like a lesson to me as an actor and a performer. And as a writer myself, he takes folks on a journey.”
She went on to praise the writer for being “so collaborative,” noting that he valued and incorporated the feedback she gave him on Belinda’s character without a hint of ego. “I’m just so lucky to work with a director like him who understands the value of having me in the role and what I can bring,” she said.
We don’t know exactly what the plot for the next installment of the drama will be, but we can be certain it will continue to explore privilege in a dark, satirical way. Before he started working on a season three script, Variety reports White told HBO, “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.”
We’ll likely find out more about The White Lotus, season 3 as more cast members are announced, and we’ll be sure to keep you posted. In the meantime, seasons one and two are currently available to stream on Max.
(featured image: HBO Max)
