The White Lotus Season 3: Everything We Know So Far

The White Lotus Season 2 came to a close on December 11, 2022 after offering another dazzling, deliciously dark installment of Mike White's award-winning drama. Season 1 racked up 10 Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series and Oustanding Supporting Actress for Jennifer Coolidge. The second season, which took the action from Maui to Sicily, set the internet abuzz with each unexpected twist and turn, and garnered 23 nominations for the 2023 Emmy Awards (which have been pushed to January 15, 2024). 

The series was renewed for Season 3 before the second installment even finished airing. With Maui and Sicily now in the rearview mirror, the next setting is bound to be another glamorous one. The loss of a major character and the promise of a new cast, setting, and mystery have viewers already looking ahead to the series's next luxurious location and unsettling social dynamics. Here's everything we know so far about The White Lotus Season 3. 

What is The White Lotus Season 3 about? 

Plot details for the next season are not known yet, though White has expressed interest in taking things to a new continent this time around. "I think it’d be fun to maybe go to a whole different continent. You know, we did Europe, and maybe Asia, something crazy like that, that would be fun," he told Deadline in October. 

After the Season 2 finale, White shared potential plans for Season 3's themes and location. "The first season kind of highlighted money, and then the second season is sex," White said. "I think the third season would be maybe a satirical and funny look at death and Eastern religion and spirituality. It feels like it could be a rich tapestry to do another round at White Lotus."

"We are going to scout in Asia and look at countries there," he also told Vanity Fair. "My instinct is that maybe it has something to do with spirituality. Eastern versus Western religion or Western people in an Eastern culture. Maybe after sex it would be nice to have something that's a little more celestial or something that's a little more out of the carnal, I guess. But I don't know. I have to beg off to be honest because I don't really know." 

But as of March 28, 2023, we have a better sense of where all this exploration of non-carnal things will happen. Variety reports Season 3 will take place in Thailand, according to multiple sources. HBO declined to comment, but Variety notes that, if the series continues to use Four Seasons locations for filming, then one of the "luxury hotel giant’s four properties in Thailand, which are located in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Koh Samui and the Golden Triangle" could be in play.

Both seasons have centered around an enigmatic death and the social shenanigans of various guests, so it's possible that White will set things up with another mystery for Season 3. White revealed that his plans for the second season initially focused on political and business goings-on, but that it didn't wind up working for the setting — perhaps meaning he could bring back these ideas for a Season 3. "Originally, it was more of like a Bilderberg conference, more about getting into some of the bigger power dynamics there," White said. "But Sicily was a totally different vibe than the idea I pitched. That didn't seem right." 

White did provide an update on November 7, telling Entertainment Weekly that he's "seriously finishing scripts."

Who is in the cast of The White Lotus Season 3? 

The White Lotus cast for Season 3 is another embarrassment of riches. The latest additions include Walton Goggins, who's also starring in the upcoming Fallout series, Sex Education's Aimee Lou Wood, Gen V's Patrick Schwarzenegger, Sarah Catherine Hook (of the Impeachment season of American Crime Story), and Sam Nivola. On January 5, 2024, Variety reported that Parker Posey, Michelle Monaghan (a True Detective alum), and Jason Isaacs have joined the cast of Season 3, along with Leslie Bibb, Dom Hetrakul, and Tayme Thapthimthong. Just four days later, The Hollywood Reporter confirmed what at once just seemed like a dream: Carrie Coon will star in the new season in an as-yet-unknown role. Maybe she'll borrow one of Bertha Russell's hats! 

In April 2023, Variety confirmed that Natasha Rothwell, who played spa manager Belinda in Season 1, will be returning for Season 3. There are no details yet about how her character ends up in Thailand, but Belinda's interest in wellness aligns with White's desire to explore spirituality. Plus it's entirely possible that Tanya's untimely demise led to some kind of inheritance. Belinda could be experiencing the White Lotus from the other side this time. 

White has previously discussed bringing Coolidge back to the next destination. "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," said White. Based on the way Season 2 ended, however, it  seems incredibly unlikely Coolidge will appear next season, despite White's love of working with her. "There are so many fun actors we've worked with so far, so it's just kind of like who's available," he's previously said.

It's also possible that Season 1 cast member Connie Britton could return for Season 3. "He wanted me to be in the second season, and there was an idea that I loved for the character," Britton told Deadline this summer. "Our intention is to do it in the third season. A piece of casting didn’t work in the second season and we’re hoping to [do] that in the third season. I would love to see a spin-off on every character in that show."

How many episodes will there be in The White Lotus Season 3?

Speaking with Entertainment Weekly on November 7, Mike White revealed that the new season is going to be "supersized": "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." Game of Thrones' final seasons proved bigger isn't always better, but White might show greater restraint in the end. 

When will The White Lotus Season 3 Premiere? 

The production timeline and premiere date are not yet known for Season 3. Though the last two installments debuted a little over a year apart, we'll have to wait a lot longer for new adventures of awful rich people: HBO boss Casey Bloys announced on November 2 that the third season has been pushed to 2025. 

The White Lotus Seasons 1 and 2 are streaming on Max. Join the discussion about the show in our forums.