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The wait for The White Lotus season 3 already feels long and frustrating, when in reality it’s only been a short time since we wrapped on the shady dealings of Sicily – and lost (or did we) fan favourite Tanya McQuoid. Still, the HBO series has a piece of our hearts, and we’re counting down the days until it’s on our screens again.
While production is still a fair way off (and therefore the actual release even further), we have been delivered some little details along the way that give shape to what season 3 will look like. Let’s just say we’re more than excited.
Here is everything we know about The White Lotus season 3.
Filming Will Take Place In Thailand
The most exciting news about The White Lotus season 3 so far is that we have a confirmed location: Thailand. Tropical, humid and visually arresting, Thailand feels like the perfect choice after the crisp blue seas and crumbling history of Sicily in season 2, and the classic American holiday destination of Hawaii.
Creator Mike White had actually hinted at an Asia location back in December 2022, saying season 3’s focus would likely tie into Eastern religion. “The first season kind of highlighted money, and then the second season is sex,” he said in HBO’s supporting interview series for the show. “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.”
Now, Variety is exclusively reporting that multiple sources confirmed Thailand as the destination in question. HBO declined to comment, but given both season 1 and 2 of The White Lotus were filmed at Four Seasons resorts, it’s likely that the luxury hotel group will be involved again – which means The White Lotus season 3 could use one of their Thailand locations in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Koh Samui or the Golden Triangle.
Sources say White has been in Thailand looking at possible filming locations, so watch this space.
There Will Likely Be Returning Cast Members
The White Lotus cast has always been a mixture of new or lesser-known faces and lauded actors, who every season become high-profile stars (ahem, Simona Tabasco) we want to see in every film, ever. The return of Don and Tanya McQuoid for The White Lotus season 2 brought joy to the hearts of many fans. Well, there have been hints that another fan-favourite character may be making a return for The White Lotus season 3.
Connie Britton, who played Nicole Mossbacher in season 1, a busy high-flying CEO taking a family holiday with her adult children and husband to The White Lotus in Hawaii. There were rumours Britton would be appearing in season 2, but now the actress has clarified that while both she and White were interested, things didn’t work out.
“He wanted me to be in the second season, and there was an idea that I loved for the character,” she told Deadline in July 2022, adding “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 spinoff on every character in that show.”
However, Britton was asked again in January if she would return for The White Lotus season 3. “Of course I would,” she told Variety. “I think [Mike White] is a genius, but also a kind genius. I have loved collaborating with him and I’ll say yes to him ’til the end of time.”
So no confirmation as yet that White is casting Britton again, but it’s sounding hopeful. Another star who has voiced interest in returning for The White Lotus season 3 is Michael Imperioli, who played Dominic Di Grasso, a Hollywood producer on a generational holiday with his father and son. You might recall that his ex-wife called him during his stay at the hotel, which leads to our next rumour.
Will Laura Dern Appear In ‘The White Lotus’ Season 3?
The topic of many a Reddit thread for The White Lotus is Laura Dern and her cameo in season 2. To recap, Dern played (as a voice actor) Dominic Di Grasso’s estranged wife, who calls Di Grasso in episode one. It’s a brief cameo but with such a seasoned actress involved, fans have long speculated that this was just the start of Dern’s involvement in the HBO series.
First, it’s worth noting that as we covered, Michael Imperioli (who played Di Grasso) is keen to return. “Who knows, maybe there’ll be another White Lotus season where Dominic comes with his wife and they patch it all up!” the actor told Esquire. “I don’t want to think about it too much, because the idea of that makes me so happy. I don’t want to be disappointed … I would want nothing more than that. I just loved working with Mike so much.”
For her part, Dern hasn’t mentioned any involvement – but she does have a history of working with White, co-creating the series Enlightened and working together on the film Year Of The Dog. It wouldn’t surprise us if her cameo was intended to be fleshed out in The White Lotus season 3.
Is Tanya McQuoid Really Dead?
Many fans have speculated that Jennifer Coolidge’s iconic character Tanya McQuoid isn’t really dead, and will make a return in The White Lotus season 3. Well, sadly Coolidge herself shut down those rumours in December 2022 during an Entertainment Weekly interview.
“There’s all kinds of reactions to it,” Coolidge said of the season 2 finale. “There was actually more than two people who thought it was like some sort of dream. They thought it was a dream even though I was in a body bag. They somehow thought it was all in Tanya’s head or whatever. They didn’t get that I was dead dead, forever. Dead in every sense.”
She added the final nail in the coffin later in the interview. “Mike and I had a talk about it. Mike was like, ‘I’m killing you off.’ He said that to me very early on, he said, ‘You’re not going to make it, Jennifer.'”
So we’re very sorry to any Tanya McQuoid fans, but we won’t be seeing Jennifer Coolidge in The White Lotus season 3.
