No sooner has the Season 2 finale of “White Lotus” aired than speculation began about whether or not there would be a Season 3. True, who could blame them? As viewers try to guess who dies, they also gasp, speculate, analyse fashion, and daydream about Sicily.
To put it simply, we have good news. HBO decided to bring the show back for a third season back in November of 2022, so it must be doing something right. ‘The White Lotus’ premiered on HBO Max in July of 2021 and went on to win several Emmys, including Outstanding Limited Series.
So, where does this series go from here? What do we know about Season 3? Keep reading to find out.
Who Would Be In The Cast?
It’s unclear at this time. Tanya may have figured out the elaborate plan Greg, Quentin, and the “high end gays” had hatched, but she was still the same Tanya we’d come to know and love over the course of two seasons of The White Lotus, so not even her still-vibrant $500 million fortune could help her escape from Quentin’s yacht.
That means you won’t be seeing Jennifer Coolidge in Season 3. There is still the matter of Greg (Jon Gries), and we may see him again in the future (or perhaps hear a line of background information explaining what’s happened to him in the time between seasons), as White mentioned in the above post-finale interview.
It’s also possible that White continues his own pattern and tags along with someone new for Season 3. A character from Season 1 like Dillon (Lukas Gage) or Shane (Jake Lacy) or even Portia (Haley Lu Richardson), Albie (Adam DiMarco), Cameron (Theo James), Harper (Aubrey Plaza), or Lucia (Simona Tabasco)? It’s still up in the air.
In the spirit of idle speculation, though, let’s consider who else it might be cool to see in a future season of White Lotus.
Jack Black is one candidate to consider. Mike White has written for him twice before, in the modern classic The School of Rock and the underrated comedy Orange County, but it has been nearly two decades since their last collaboration (White also notably appeared in both of those films in small roles, as Ned Schneebly and a teacher, respectively).
It would be awesome if they got back together on White Lotus on HBO. Black’s career also began on HBO, first with the Tenacious D miniseries and then with a guest starring role on Mr. Show. The stars have aligned!
It seems predestined that Laura Dern will appear in an upcoming episode of White Lotus. She has previously starred in two other HBO shows, Big Little Lies (which, of course, similarly satirizes the wealthy) and Enlightened (which was written and directed by, you guessed it, Mike White), and she had a memorable voice cameo in Season 2 (as Dom’s (Michael Imperioli) estranged wife, Abby). Make it so, all right?
Also Read: Listen To The New SZA’s ‘SOS’ New Album
Where Will The Third Season Be Filmed?
The “White Lotus” format is one thing that will likely never change. Season one always begins with discovering a body at a White Lotus luxury resort somewhere in the world.
We spent the first season in Hawaii and the second in Sicily. Designer Mike White hinted at a global shift for Season 3.
On the red carpet in October of 2022, White told Deadline, “We just turned in our last episode to the network, so it’s hard to think about the next race.” However, I think it would be exciting to visit a new continent if we did. Yes, we traveled all over Europe. Perhaps Asia… would be entertaining.
After Daphne mentioned the Maldives in the Season 2 finale, viewers began discussing online whether or not the next season would be set there.
Where will “The White Lotus” go from here?
Should We Expect A Third Season Of The White Lotus?
In a word, yes! In November, HBO confirmed that The White Lotus would return for a third trip. The official announcement of the renewal was accompanied by a statement from Francesca Orsi, HBO’s executive vice president of programming and head of drama series and films:
“Reflecting on ‘The White Lotus’’ humble, run-and-gun origin as a contained pandemic production, it’s impossible not to be awestruck by how Mike orchestrated one of the buzziest and most critically acclaimed shows. And yet, he’s only continued to reach new heights in season 2, which is the ultimate testament to Mike’s raw, unparalleled vision. His courage to explore the uncharted waters of the human psyche, paired with his signature irreverent humor and buoyant directing style, have us all dreaming of more vacation days at the resort we’ve come to adore. We couldn’t be more thrilled to get the chance to collaborate on a third season together.”
HBO
Hence, it can be confirmed that Season 3 of The White Lotus will indeed happen. And Mike White will be back in charge of both script and camera. And you can be sure that we will be keeping an eye out.
What Would Be the Plot Of White Lotus Season 3
After the Season 2 finale of The White Lotus aired on HBO Max, the show’s creator, Mike White, said in an interview that one of the major themes of Season 3 will be death.
“Money was a focus in the first season, and then sex took over in the second,” he explained. “Possibly in the third season, they’ll take a humorous, satirical look at death and eastern spirituality. One more round at White Lotus could add to the rich tapestry of experiences there.”
White also subtly hinted in the same post-finale interview that we might hear more about the aftermath of Greg’s scheme.
I think Portia is scared enough to leave it alone as far as what happens to Greg and the conspiracy of Tanya’s death,” he said. “Though tragically, so many men perished on the boat, it seems inevitable that someone will eventually pin the deaths on Greg. We may, however, have to hold fire until the end to learn the outcome.”
At this point, there is only one thing we know for sure: the story will shift to yet another tropical getaway. When the renewal was confirmed, HBO tweeted, “I can’t wait to welcome you to the next White Lotus property.”
From here on out, how about we try some imagination? We simply did not have time to go into the minute details of the upcoming plot. On the other hand, we’ve already seen a White Lotus story set in the tropics (at the Hawaii resort in Season 1) and in Europe (at the Sicily resort in Season 2).
So, what might happen next? Perhaps we’ll take a ski trip to Colorado or the Swiss Alps. The White Lotus’s storyline could take a surprising turn if it explores the wild west of Orlando, Florida’s theme parks. It’s possible that we’ll visit a ski resort in the middle of nowhere in upstate New York.
Also Read: Surface Season 2 Renewed By The Apple TV+: Prepare Yourself For Some Incredible Thriller Series
Final Thoughts
Are there any other people here experiencing jet lag? Another instalment of Mike White’s anthology series is planned after the show’s twisty second season (and shocking answers to the question of who dies). Even though the current season is only three episodes in, HBO has already announced that The White Lotus “will return for a third instalment following a new group of guests at another White Lotus property.” The third season of Vanity Fair has already begun to pitch potential locations.
