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The White Lotus season 3 potential release date, cast and everything you need to know

tom hollander and jennifer coolidge in the white lotus s2
White Lotus season 3: Everything you need to knowStefano Delia - HBO

The White Lotus spoilers follow.

Murder's apparently good for business, because The White Lotus was renewed for a third season just a few weeks into the show's second run in the sunny climes of Sicily, where scams and sleeping around were in the air.

We're still dreaming of more vacation days at the luxury resort, but when can we expect our check-in date to finally come around?

Grab a piña colada and some mace as Digital Spy breaks down everything you need to know about The White Lotus season three.

The White Lotus season 3 potential release date: When will The White Lotus season 3 air?

While fans were treated to an early renewal announcement for the show, production was delayed by the labour disputes in Hollywood last year, which saw both the Writers' Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA go on strike. The unions have since reached an agreement with the studios, but we're still not much closer to a new batch of episodes.

HBO has revealed that the series has been pushed to 2025. HBO and MAX Chairman Casey Bloys announced the delay via Deadline, saying: "White Lotus season three, that was going to be 2024 and that's likely moving into 2025".

That is a long wait, but things are now moving forward — the show’s official Instagram account announced that production had started on February 14 with a post captioned: "Unforgettable experiences are in the making at #TheWhiteLotus. We are eager to welcome new guests to our resort in Thailand."

Plus, there is a silver lining, because show creator and writer Mike White has promised that the next season of the show will 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," he told Entertainment Weekly.

The White Lotus season 3 cast: Who will be back for The White Lotus season 3?

jennifer coolidge, haley lu richardson, the white lotus
Francesca D’Angelo/HBO

A huge list of new casting has recently been announced for season three, ahead of the start of filming.

The newest all-star cast includes Jason Isaacs (Harry Potter), Aimee Lou Wood (Sex Education), Carrie Coon (The Gilded Age), Parker Posey (Lost in Space), Patrick Schwarzenegger (Gen V), and Blackpink singer Lisa.

Also confirmed to be involved in the next season are:

  • Francesca Corney

  • Nicholas Duvernay

  • Arnas Fedaravičius

  • Leslie Bibb

  • Dom Hetrakul

  • Michelle Monaghan

  • Tayme Thapthimthong

  • Miloš Biković

  • Christian Friedel

  • Morgana O'Reilly

  • Lek Patravadi

  • Shalini Peiris

In April, it was also reported by Variety that Natasha Rothwell is to return as world-weary spa worker Belinda, who connected with Jennifer Coolidge's grieving character at the Hawaiian luxury hotel — to her detriment.

Rothwell recently revealed she'd already read the scripts for season three – telling fans to "buckle up" ahead of the new episodes.

"I gasped out loud a minimum of five times and this was just me reading them. The scripts are a testament to [creator] Mike [White]'s skill and ability to tell the most smart and entertaining stories," she told Vanity Fair.

"I mean, everything that he does is like a lesson to me as an actor and a performer. And as a writer myself, he takes folks on a journey. Everyone needs to buckle up, because it's going to get real!"

Meanwhile, speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Coolidge said of Rothwell's return: "Mike must have some juicy stuff for her. I think that will be the most interesting storyline of all: whatever's happened to Natasha's character."

Before the season-two finale aired, Coolidge herself, who has just won another Emmy for her role in the show, seemed like a safe bet for season three. Along with her sketchy husband Greg, played by Jon Gries, Tanya is the only main character to appear so far in both seasons.

However, the season-two finale was the end of the road for Coolidge's character. An absolute tragedy. But now that Tanya's floated out of our lives, does that mean Jennifer Coolidge is out of the show for good, or could she return in a new role?

Speaking to Deadline, creator Mike White said: "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. There are so many fun actors we've worked with so far, so it's just kind of like who's available."

So, perhaps Coolidge could come back as part of a Tanya flashback. But will we see any more surprise casting in the third season?

Technically, anyone who survives the first two seasons could reappear, given that all these different chapters are set in the same universe. Also, Greg could certainly make a comeback in the wake of his wife's death.

Connie Britton could very likely pop up in a long-gestating role. She told Deadline in July 2022: "[Mike] wanted me to be in the second season, and there was an idea that I loved for the character. 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 that in the third season."

We'll just have to wait and see if there will be any additional guests checking into the next White Lotus...

The White Lotus season 3 plot: What will happen in The White Lotus season 3?

theo james, the white lotus
Fabio Lovino/HBO

Season one took us to Hawaii and season two upped the ante with a getaway in Sicily. So, what location could be fitting for season three?

After plenty of speculation that the third season would be Asia-bound, a report from Variety confirmed the production is heading to Thailand.

Seasons one and two were shot at Four Seasons resorts in Hawaii and Italy, respectively. So, if the series' crew does the same for the third season, there are four outposts of the luxury hotelier in Thailand. They're located in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Koh Samui and the Golden Triangle — providing a spread of terrain from the city, country, jungle and beach to choose from.

During a behind-the-scenes HBO clip to wrap up the second season, White hinted the next instalment would focus on "death and Eastern religion and spirituality".

"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."

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, White teased something extra when he revealed what season two was going to look like before Sicily took precedence: "Originally, it was more of like a Bilderberg conference, more about getting into some of the bigger power dynamics there. But Sicily was a totally different vibe than the idea I pitched. That didn't seem right."

That means we could see some international leaders from across America and Europe get down with their freaky selves at a new White Lotus resort in season three.

Another tease we've had for season three is what we can expect from the show's infamous theme tune. For the third season, composer Cristobal Tapia de Veer has said that the theme will be inspired by... TikTok cats?!

Speaking to Variety, he said: "I hear interesting things in TikTok or YouTube sometimes. I think that the best song I heard in the last few years that I can remember is people harmonising to a cat on TikTok.

"There's a cat, and somebody put some piano and then some girls started harmonising, and then there's all these versions harmonising this cat, it's super moving and so spontaneous and fresh that this is grabbing a lot more my attention than super-produced pop music."

The White Lotus season 3 trailer: Any The White Lotus season 3 footage yet?

beatrice granno, simona tabasco, the white lotus, season 2
Fabio Lovino/HBO

The White Lotus is a rather exclusive, private affair, but when we've seen some footage, we'll let you in on what's happening because we like you and want to do our part to help. You're welcome!

The White Lotus airs on HBO Max in the US, and on Sky Atlantic, Sky Go and NOW in the UK.

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