When the SAG-AFTRA strike ended on 9 November, Mike White’s acclaimed series The White Lotus wasted no time in prepping its highly anticipated third season.
As first reported in Deadline, the Emmy-winning HBO anthology has initiated the casting process for Season 3, with filming tentatively scheduled for early February 2024. Having previously done Hawaii and Italy, White is this time taking his production to Thailand.
Casting calls are currently underway for 13 roles, including nine ‘series regulars’ spanning ages from 18 to 80. The characters being cast are described as a patriarch, a corporate executive to an actress, a mother, a misfit, and a yogi.
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White recently provided an update on the season, expressing his eagerness to begin filming ‘at the beginning of the year.’ Despite facing interruptions in the writing process due to the strike, White assured fans that Season 3 would be a ‘supersized’ edition, promising a ‘longer, bigger, and crazier’ narrative. The expanded scope raises questions about the episode count, as White envisions pushing the boundaries of the series.
While Season 1’s Natasha Rothwell is the only confirmed cast member for Season 3, reprising her role as Belinda in the Thailand-set storyline, discussions with Connie Britton, who featured in Season 1, hint at her potential return.
Season 3 of The White Lotus will, according to White, be focused on ‘death in Eastern religion and spirituality’. HBO’s head of drama, Francesca Orsi, elaborated on the upcoming season’s exploration of ‘spirituality versus the ego’ against the backdrop of Eastern religion.
The season, originally slated for release on streaming in 2024, is now ‘likely moving into 2025’ due to the delays caused by the strikes, according to Casey Bloys, Chairman and CEO of HBO and Max.
