For more on The White Lotus, sign up for The White Lotus Club, our subscriber-exclusive newsletter obsessing, dissecting, and debating everything about season two.
The new season of The White Lotus is coming into view. Not only do we finally have a release date for the show, but the characters at play are coming into view, too. Between trailers, cast interviews, and a little bit of unverified speculation, we can confidently say that we are (pretty) sure about a few things in this famously mysterious show. Creator Mike White’s “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,” programming executive Francesca Orsi stated. “I feel so lucky to get this opportunity again and am excited to reunite with my amazingly talented collaborators on The White Lotus,” White said. Below, find everything we know about our next vacay, including the newest info about the blonde contingent, the official release date, and the teaser trailer.
Can we see a trailer?
No more scrounging for details in sizzle reels. HBO is finally welcoming us to the White Lotus Thailand, with a teaser trailer for the series. Natasha Rothwell’s Belinda is in Thailand on a White Lotus exchange, working alongside a crew of employees that includes Lisa of Blackpink. “I’m starting to feel like something good’s gonna come out of this,” says Belinda, like someone who hasn’t worked at one of these resorts before. Also seeking rest and rejuvenation in Thailand are Carrie Coon, Leslie Bibb, and Michelle Monaghan, on a girls’ trip; couple Walton Goggins and Aimee Lou Wood; and Parker Posey, Jason Isaacs, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Sarah Catherine Hook, and Sam Nivola, who we’d bet are not a happy family. Posey’s character has a Southern accent and Goggins is a dick. “What the fuck is this place?!” asks Monaghan, as we see a gun and a dead body in the trailer. Yeah, we’re back.
Where are we going?
The White Lotus is booking its ticket for Thailand as we speak, officially! White previously stated that he was interested in exploring “death in Eastern religion and spirituality,” making a vacay at one of the Four Seasons in Thailand the perfect backdrop. HBO has confirmed that the third season will film in and around Koh Samui, Phuket, and Bangkok. The governor of the tourism authority of Thailand gave a statement on the production, saying the country is “honored” to be the filming location for the upcoming season. “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.” Gunning for that White Lote bump, I see!
Who are these people?
We know the basics of three groups from the trailer, including the Isaacs and Posey-fronted fam and the Goggins and Lou Wood couple. But the new characters we know the most about are the girls’ trip girlies, played by Carrie Coon, Leslie Bibb, and Michelle Monaghan. Their story centers on a girls’ trip paid for by Monaghan’s character, a TV writer, per Coon’s Town & Country profile. “Carrie is kind of a stealth bomber,” White said, teasing the arc of the three women’s friend ship. “You’re not exactly sure what the dynamic of these women is and where her character is going, but trust me, by the end it gets juicy. All of Carrie’s dramatic and comedic skills are put to use. If she seems to be in the shadow of her famous friend, she definitely steps out of it.” He added that he cast her because “I wondered if Carrie Coon would want to be a basic bitch.”
Natasha Rothwell, who played the Tanya-victimized Belinda in the first season of the show, returns for season three. Rothwell, who earned an Emmy nomination for her role, confirmed the news on Twitter. And look, this isn’t typically a show with “happy endings,” but just know that if Mike White screws over Belinda a second time, we will be coming to his house and ******* his **** up.
Blackpink’s Lisa (credited as Lalisa Manobal), Scott Glenn, and Julian Kostov also star. Two actors were replaced over the course of the production: Francesca Corney was replaced by Charlotte Le Bon for an unconfirmed reason (though Deadline heard rumors that it was because the character needed to be older), and Miloš Biković was replaced by Julian Kostov after Biković voiced support for Vladimir Putin, per The Hollywood Reporter. Dom Hetrakul, Tayme Thapthimthong, Christian Friedel, Morgana O’Reilly, Lek Patravadi, and Shalini Peiris round out the cast.
Don’t forget the cameos from White’s former Survivor castmates. This year, the featured contestants are Carl “Godfather” Boudreaux and Natalie “Nice Jacket” Cole, Evan Ross Katz, host of the official White Lotus podcast, confirmed on Instagram. Previous featured players include Alec Merlino in season one and Angelina Keeley and Kara Kay in season two. We need to know what jacket Natalie will wear, and we need to know ASAP.
When are we leaving?
White Lotus season three officially premieres on HBO and Max on February 16 at 9 p.m. with episodes airing weekly.
Where’s the next destination?
While we’re sure White already has ideas for future luxury-resort destinations, Vulture has some better ones:
- White Lotus Cruise Lines
- White Lotus Ski Lodge
- White Lotus: Forks, Washington
- White Lotus: Bethany Beach
- White Lotus: Universal Studios
- White Lotus: Jersey Shore
- White Lotus: Myrtle Ave. Burger King
- White Lotus: Scranton
- White Lotus: Vancouver (for the tax credits)
- White Lotus: Dubai (Real Housewives crossover)
- White Lotus: Luxury Train
- White Lotus: Great Wolf Lodge