Alas, Jennifer Coolidge’s wonderfully deranged Tanya McQuoid may not be returning after she – spoiler alert – fell to her death in the Ionian Sea, but fans of The White Lotus will be soothed by the fact that Mike White’s juicy satire will indeed be back for a third instalment. And now, after months of speculation, its new setting has finally been revealed.
On 27 March 2023, Variety reported that, following its two seasons centred on resorts in Maui in Hawaii, and Taormina on the east coast of Sicily, the action will be moving to Thailand. Although HBO has declined to comment, multiple sources close to the production have confirmed the news to the publication, adding that White has been spending time in the country scoping out sites.
As the first two instalments of the hit show were filmed at two Four Seasons hotels – The Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, and San Domenico Palace, Taormina, A Four Seasons Hotel – it’s possible that the third season will also take place at one of the luxury group’s other properties. It has four in Thailand: a sleek, riverside retreat in Bangkok; a hotel set amongst the rice fields of Chiang Mai; palatial tented camps in the forests of northern Thailand; and a spectacular resort on the island of Koh Samui. Given the beachy backdrops of The White Lotus’s previous seasons – not to mention the fact that both have been set on islands – the latter option seems the most likely, though White might, of course, choose to switch things up this time around.
Even before the second season had premiered, the show-runner had hinted at the possibility of an Asia-set third instalment and later added that it could focus on themes that the series has yet to delve into. “The first season kind of highlighted money, and then the second season is sex,” he said, in a behind-the-scenes video released after the finale. “I think the third season would be maybe a satirical and funny look at death and Eastern religion and spirituality.”
On Friday January 5 2024, Variety reported that part of the new cast had been announced. While we already know that Natasha Rothwell will be appearing again in the role of Belinda, now we finally know the name of other actors joining the cast. New additions include Jason Isaacs (of Harry Potter fame), Michelle Monaghan, Parker Posey, Leslie Bibb, Dom Hetrakul and Tayme Thapthimthong.
In 2023, Jennifer Coolidge took home a host of accolades through awards season, so we're not surprised that Mike White managed to secure such high-profile names for the third season. However, the more pressing question on our lips concerns the fate of Greg: will Gries be back and, if so, will we see him living it up in Thailand or will he pay for the part he played in Tanya’s demise? Here’s hoping for the latter.
This article originally featured on British Vogue, and has been updated since.