Creator Mike White says this season will be 'longer, bigger, crazier' -- and he's brought along some more castaways for the ride!
Production of The White Lotus' third season is very much underway -- and Walton Goggins is giving fans a rare glimpse behind the scenes.
As anticipation mounts for the long-awaited new season of the wanderlust-inducing HBO series, Goggins has pulled back the curtain on the cast's daily life as they work on the new episodes, set in Thailand. On Instagram, the actor posted more than one dozen photos of himself, creator Mike White, and his co-stars -- including Leslie Bibb, Michelle Monaghan, Parker Posey, and Carrie Coon -- spending time in the water and sitting around a table together.
"White Lotus day off…this experience is many things… but paramount among them is… it’s a banger of a good time! Joy joy," he captioned one of the posts. "Thank you @lifebywhitefor capturing these moments. 📸."
"The best ever EVER!!!" Monaghan commented in agreement.
Franchise newcomer Bibb is also excited to check in to The White Lotus.
"I don't know what I've done, but I feel so grateful," Bibb gushed to ET in an interview while promoting her AppleTV+ series, Palm Royale. "To get to play these women who are so complicated and strange and funny and scared and complex, I just hope that I do them justice."
She joked, "I just want to shoot it so nobody can change their mind!"
The Emmy-winning social satire kicked off filming in Thailand in mid-February, sharing a stunning shot from their tropical set.
"Unforgettable experiences are in the making at #TheWhiteLotus. We are eager to welcome new guests to our resort in Thailand," the show's Instagram account captioned the picturesque shot, which also includes a clapboard showing off the logo for the fictional resorts, as well as the names of White and cinematographer Ben Kutchins.
Like the first two seasons, the new installment will take place at another one of the luxury hotel's exotic locations, where a new group of guests and employees will find their lives clashing in unexpected ways.
In anticipation, ET is exploring everything we know so far about the cast, location and plot -- including White's latest hints and what many of the sprawling ensemble have previously said about returning.
The Cast
In early February, it was announced that BLACKPINK's Lisa would be joining the cast. ET confirmed that the 26-year-old singer, who also goes by Lalisa Manobal, will officially make her acting debut in the hit HBO anthology series in an undisclosed role. Variety was the first to report the casting news.
Then, ET confirmed that Survivor stars Natalie Cole and Carl Boudreux had also been cast in undisclosed roles for the upcoming season. Both starred alongside White on season 37 of Survivor: David vs. Goliath. Evan Ross Katz was first to report the news.
This isn't the first time White has cast some of his fellow David vs. Goliath stars. Alec Merlino was featured in The White Lotus season 1 and and Angelina Keeley and Kara Kay appeared in season 2.
The upcoming third season also includes Patrick Schwarzenegger, Walter Goggins, Sarah Catherine Hook, Sam Nivola and Aimee Lou Wood. HBO had previously announced that Bibb, Dom Hetrakul, Jason Isaacs, Monaghan, Posey and Tayme Thapthimthong were all set to join the series, alongside previously announced returning cast member Natasha Rothwell, who reprises her role as spa manager Belinda Lindsey from the inaugural Hawaii-set season.
"I can't say anything. I literally can't," Rothwell told ET in December. "I will say I've read all of the scripts and people are in for a treat. It's bigger than ever. Buckle up."
Many fans previously wondered whether Jennifer Coolidge would return as Tanya McQuiod, the grief-stricken guest who found solace in Greg Hunt (Jon Gries) in season 1 before the two's romance started to fall apart in season 2. The 62-year-old actress won her first Primetime Emmy for season 1 and was nominated again for reprisal.
In an interview with Deadline, White said that he couldn't imagine doing another installment without her. "Jennifer is my friend and everybody loved her in the first season, and I was like, 'I can’t go to Italy without Jennifer.' And maybe that’s still the case. Like, maybe you can’t go to Japan without Jennifer, either."
And Coolidge seemed to be open for more. "Yes, yes. Of course," she told ET when asked about returning, before adding, "I mean, I don't know what Mike has in mind. But yes, I would love [to come back]."
However, based on the season 2 finale, Coolidge's involvement with the series has come to an end.
While Rothwell is the only returning star tapped for this season, there are still plenty of other White Lotus alums who would jump at the chance to check in again. White previously told Deadline, "There are so many fun actors we’ve worked with so far, so it’s just kind of like who’s available."
Prior to the announcement of her role reprisal, Rothwell previously gushed, "I will follow Mike White to the ends of the earth." Her upcoming material could be a way to tie up loose ends involving Tanya's storyline, which may need some closure following the events of season 2.
Of the season 1 ensemble, several have told ET that they are willing to come back for another stay at the White Lotus.
"I would do anything with Mike White. Like, White Lotus season 3 [or] something totally different. You know, help him move boxes into a new house. Like, whatever he wants. I absolutely adore him and think he’s a genius. So, if he’s got something going and I get a call, I will be there," Jake Lacy said, confirming that he's "100 percent" in if White wants him to reprise his role as demanding guest Shane Patton.
Alexandra Daddario, who played Shane's wife Rachel, is also down to come back. "If he had a great idea, then of course," she said. "I would do anything... Just being a small part of the series is amazing."
As for other season 1 stars, Connie Britton, who played mother and businesswoman Nicole Mossbacher, said, "With any luck, maybe I’ll be in another season."
After the finale, Britton's onscreen daughter, Sydney Sweeney, said there had been conversations with the show about the possibility of returning, with the Euphoria star revealing that she's open to whatever direction the creator decides to take things in the future. "I’m just so excited for Mike," she said. "Mike’s writing is just so much fun and so incredible."
As for the season 2 cast, there are just as many who want to come back -- especially now that audiences know who made it out of Sicily alive.
When asked if she could be back as the uptight Harper Spiller, Aubrey Plaza said, "I hope so. It depends on if I'm, like, a fan favorite. I think, you know, it just depends on who people want [to see again]." F. Murray Abraham, who plays aging patriarch Bert Di Grasso, said he wants to return for season 3 as well as seasons 4 through 6 -- if there are that many. "But I'm really happy to have been in this one," he shared.
One guest fans know is alive and well is Daphne Babcock (Meghann Fahy), who found herself vacationing with Harper and their two husbands at the Sicilian property before discovering a mysterious body in the water. "Oh my God, of course," Fahy said of returning. "I mean, I would pass out water on the third season. It's such an amazing set to be on. Like, just to witness everybody working. The cast is so amazing and watching Mike work is so cool. I mean, I would totally be there, of course."
Sadly, one other person who cannot return is Murray Bartlett as season 1's hotel manager Armand. That is, unless "we, like, go back in time or something," he offered. And that seems like an unlikely turn for the series.
The Location
The White Lotus season 3 will be set in Thailand, with filming taking place in and around Koh Samui, Phuket and Bangkok. HBO announced in January 2024 that it was working directly with the Tourism Authority of Thailand to support the filming and production of the show.
"We are honored to have Amazing Thailand featured as the filming location for the highly anticipated upcoming season of The White Lotus," said Thapanee Kiatphaibool, Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand. "The kingdom’s exotic natural beauty, rich historical sites and diverse landscapes are the perfect settings to share our fascinating culture, fantastic cuisine, top-notch wellness and luxury offerings, and most importantly our people and Thai hospitality. Thailand has long been considered one of the world’s favorite filming locations. The White Lotus project will certainly strengthen the kingdom’s status as a preferred filming destination and a beacon of experience-based tourism, inspiring even more visitors to Amazing Thailand."
The destination lines up perfectly with White's plans for the newest installment. "The first season we 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 in Eastern religion and spirituality," he said in a making-of-season 2 video. "It feels like it could be a rich tapestry to do another round at White Lotus."
Not only that but the Four Seasons, which has served as the filming location in the first two seasons, has multiple luxury hotels in the country. (In season 1, the Four Seasons Maui served as the White Lotus property while Four Seasons San Domenico Palace was stand-in for the property in season 2.)
The Plot
While White is keeping mum about the storyline for now, he did tell EW, "It's going to be a supersized White Lotus. It's going to be longer, bigger, 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."
The White Lotus seasons 1 and 2 are now streaming on Max.
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