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For the last two years, we have vacationing vicariously through the wealthy and weird guests at the White Lotus resort and we can't help asking more of it! Say hello to The White Lotus Season 3 as the luxury resort chain is all set to welcome its new crop of troubled guests and harrowed staff. First Hawaii, then Italy, and now, the money, mystery, and madness are all set to take over the amazing locales of Thailand.
Created, written, and directed by Mike White, The White Lotus follows the guests and employees of the titular resort chain that promotes relaxation and rejuvenation in an idyllic locale. Featuring stunning vistas, twisted characters, and perfect casting, the last two seasons of the black-comedy anthology series were an instant hit, earning a whopping number of awards in two consecutive years, including 10 Primetime Emmy Awards across various categories. So, it wasn’t surprising that the third season got greenlighted even before the second season ended with a dramatic climax in December 2022.
While the upcoming season’s filming has wrapped up, the plot and character details are still under wraps. What we do know is that this season will continue with the show’s overarching theme of the psychosocial dysfunctions of a diverse group of people and how it affects everyone. But who will be in the power play next season? Will there be more murders? Will the vacation days be longer this time?
These are all valid and burning questions everyone is wondering about. So, how about grabbing a Mai Tai or a Negroni, in honor of the last two seasons and the dear departed characters, and reading about the upcoming third season of the hit series? While we don’t have all the details for the upcoming third season, here's everything we know so far about The White Lotus Season 3.
Does 'The White Lotus' Season 3 Have a Release Date?
Image via HBO
Per the latest announcements, The White Lotus Season 3 is all set to premiere on Sunday, February 16, 2025, exclusively on HBO and simultaneously streaming on Max.
For viewers in the UK, the show is available to stream on Sky Go and NOW.
Is There A Trailer For 'The White Lotus' Season 3?
After months’ wait, the official trailer for The White Lotus Season 3 is finally here, which neatly summarizes the plot and what you can expect from the new season. Released on December 16, 2024, the clip opens with a scenic frame of coastal Thailand where the audience is quickly welcomed to the resort. As the guests arrive, we get a first look at our players who would all get tangled into a deadly game. We also see the familiar face of Belinda (Natasha Rothwell), who is in Thailand for an exchange program and, as always, she feels very positive about her trip.
The happy faces are soon countered with a stressed couple who seem to be struggling to stay together, a trio of girlfriends on what seems like a soul-searching trip, and a monk’s wise words “Everyone runs from pain towards pleasure. But they get there only to find more pain.” The next half of the trailer feels trance-like, dreamy, and dark, when things begin to go wrong with the guests, followed by a heist and a death, which could possibly be a murder.
As the trailer clearly indicates, season 3, with its epic scale, visual treatment, and atmosphere, could make The White Lotus Season 3 its best season ever.
What To Expect From 'The White Lotus' Season 3 Plot?
Image via HBO
Declared as one of the best 10 television programs of 2021 and 2022 by the American Film Institute, The White Lotus has garnered a reputation for its smart and darkly comedic narrative of powerful themes revolving around sexuality, morality, wealth, gender, and power dynamics between social classes. Being an anthology, the series brings a new story, in a new setting, with an entirely new group of people every time (with a couple of returning cast members). But each season is consistent in its construction, where the bright and cheery setting contrasts the dark complexities of the characters, unfolding the story layer by layer, with deep, unexpected twists.
The first season focused on wealth, the second on sex, and the third season will explore themes of death and spirituality, as White had hinted back in 2022. Confirming the concept, lead actor Carrie Coon explains that The White Lotus Season 3 will be “an exploration of death in the middle of a Buddhist way of life.”
From what is revealed about the upcoming season so far, we can expect a story about a multi-generational group including a patriarch, a female corporate executive, an actress, a couple of mothers including a country club wife, a misfit, and a yogi.
So, even if the theme and plot of The White Lotus Season 3 is unique from its previous ones, it will retain its key motifs of an exotic destination, creepy hotel staff, mysterious guests, and one big dramatic vacation.
Who's In the Cast of The White Lotus Season 3?
The ensemble cast of The White Lotus is one of the best features of the series, of course, after its locales, art, and music. And the third season only gets bigger and better as the creators put together an amazing cast, boasting some of the best talents in film and television.
The ensemble cast of The White Lotus is one of the best features of the series, of course after its locales, art, and music. And the third season only gets bigger and better as the creators put together an amazing cast, boasting some of the best talents in film and television.
Parker Posey (Beau Is Afraid) and Jason Isaacs (Harry Potter) portray the couple Victoria and Timothy and Ratliff, who are on a family vacation with their children, played by Patrick Schwarzenegger(Gen V) as Saxton, Sarah Catherine Hook (The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It) as Piper, and Sam Nivola (Maestro) as Lochlan.
Leslie Bibb (Iron Man), Carrie Coon (Gone Girl), and Michelle Monaghan (Gone Baby Gone) play a trio of long-term friends, Kate, Laurie, and Jacyln, respectively, who are on a girls’ trip in Thailand.
Walton Goggins (Justified) and Aimee Lou Wood (Sex Education) will portray Rick and his younger girlfriend, Chelsea, respectively.
The cast also includes Lalisa Manobal (Blackpink) as Mook, the resort’s health mentor, veteran Thai actor Lek Patravadi (In Family We Trust) as Siritala, as one of the resort owners, Tayme Thapthimthong (Thai Cave Rescue) as Gaitok, a security guard.
Additionally, Dom Hetrakul (Bangkok Dangerous), Christian Friedel (The Zone of Interest), Morgana O’Reilly (Housebound), Shalini Peiris (The Ark), Nicholas Duvernay (Purple Hearts), Charlotte Le Bon (The Hundred-Foot Journey), Arnas Fedaravičius (The Last Kingdom), and Scott Glenn (Daredevil) also star in various recurring roles.
Additionally, Julian Kostov (Shadow and Bone), who is replacing Miloš Biković (Serf) is also expected to have the recurring role of Valentin, a flirtatious Russian yogi and the White Lotus’s Life Enhancement Mentor, and “There’s gonna be a lot of surprises,” as the actor says.
Returning from her popular and successful role in Season 1, Natasha Rothwell (Wonka) will re-star as Belinda Lindsey, the spa manager at The White Lotus Hawaii.
Who Are the Creators of 'The White Lotus'?
The White Lotus is the brainchild of Mike White. He is a film and television writer, actor, producer, and director, who is best known for previously writing, directing, and producing movies like Year of the Dog and Brad’s Status. He also wrote for films like Nacho Libre, School of Rock, Pitch Perfect 3, and Despicable Me 3. For television, he has created a show like Pasadena and Cracking Up, and also Enlightened, which he wrote, directed, and produced as well. For more on his filmography, check out our list of Mike White's best movies and TV shows. White also serves as one of the executive producers of the series along with Nick Hall, David Bernad, and Mark Kamine. John M. Valerio, Heather Persons, and Todd Brown serve as producers.
If the impressive camera work and art direction of The White Lotus have managed to blow your mind for the last two seasons, it’s because of the brilliance of cinematographers Ben Kutchins (Ozark) and Xavier Grobet (Them), and art directors Charles Varga (The Eyes of Tammy Faye), Gianpaolo Rifino (Hugo), and Silvia Colafranceschi (The Man from U.N.C.L.E.). So, if the promotional art and hotel interiors of the third season are also as inspiring as the previous one, you know who to thank. BAFTA winning musician Cristobal Tapia de Veer (Utopia) and Kim Neundorf (Hunters) composed the background score and music for both seasons of The White Lotus, so it’s likely the same duo would return for the new season as well.
Where Is The White Lotus' Season 3 Filming?
Image via HBO
Per the latest updates, The White Lotus Season 3 began filming in February 2024 across various locations in Thailand, including Koh Samui, Phuket, and Bangkok, so you can expect to see several stunning coastal locations. Patrick Schwarzenegger announced the completion of principal photography in August 2024 by sharing behind-the-scenes images on social media.
Talking about the filming experience, cast member Jason Isaacs describes it as “a five-star, gilded Groundhog Day," saying,
It was my first time filming in Thailand and being away for six and a half months somewhere doing a job without coming home at all, and being in it all that time. It was intense. It was a lot of things.
Actor Sam Nivola shared an Instagram post of him and his castmates. Check it out below:
How Many Episodes Could There Be In 'The White Lotus' Season 3?
Image via HBO
As Mike White promised, the upcoming season is going to be "A supersized White Lotus. It’s going to be longer, bigger, and 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 … I’m super excited about the content of the season." And staying true to that promise, The White Lotus Season 3 is also set to run longer than the last two, with eight episodes of 55–77 minutes each. Following the season premiere on February 16, 2025, each new episode of The White Lotus Season 3 will release every week through April, with the season finale releasing on Sunday, April 6, 2025.
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Release Date July 11, 2021
Rating
Seasons 2
Creator
English (US) ·