Filming officially began on the highly anticipated third installment of The White Lotus, and this time the cast checked in to Thailand.
Despite destination speculation fancying Japan, the Maldives and European ski-scapes, filming for season three has commenced in Thailand and will likely follow suit of the first two seasons by setting up in a Four Seasons Resort.
The show’s official Instagram account announced that production had started on Wednesday (14 February) with a post captioned: “Unforgettable experiences are in the making at #TheWhiteLotus. We are eager to welcome new guests to our resort in Thailand.”
The Emmy-winning series, delayed due to both writer’s and actors’ strikes in 2023, is primed for a 2025 release.
Where season one explored money and season two sex, season three aligns with its Southeast Asian location as a “rich tapestry” to delve into the themes of spirituality and death.
Creator of the satirical wealth series, Mike White, previously 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.”
With a host of new characters ready to hole up on an annual trip to the HBO drama’s dysfunctional hotels, here are the paradise islands behind the wild whodunnit anthology.
Where is The White Lotus season three being filmed?
Production plans were tight-lipped until January when the Tourism Authority of Thailand “proudly” announced that the third chapter of The White Lotus would be “prominently set” in Bangkok, Phuket and Koh Samui with filming commencing in February.
Janet Graham Borba, executive vice president of production for HBO & Max, said: “We are pleased to partner with the Tourism Authority of Thailand to execute Mike’s creative vision and showcase all that the beautiful country of Thailand has to offer, as the next group of guests check in to the White Lotus.”
Assuming a Four Seasons Resort will once again backdrop the popular series, the luxury hotel heavyweight has four locations in Thailand – Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Koh Samui and the Golden Triangle – and all are opulent options for the deadly crime comedy.
It’s predicted Koh Samui will be the primary setting for the long-awaited third season with most signs pointing to the towering palms and pale sands that define the resort including a blocked-out booking period over February and March.
Elsewhere, rumoured plotlines will take characters to temples in Phuket and the Anantara Mai Khao Phuket Villas, the latter also unavailable to holidaymakers in April and May during the off-peak Thai travel season.
Where were seasons one and two filmed?
The relocation to Asia for season three follows a stint in both North America and Europe during the show’s first two seasons.
As the respective episodes aired, the allure of star-studded casts and the idyllic settings saw the resorts trend as the place to go for a luxury getaway and a boom in bookings spiked at the service-centric Four Seasons Resorts seen on screen.
Season one – Maui, Hawaii
The 2021 series saw a tropical debut in Hawaii at the fictitious White Lotus Resort.
Set at the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, characters’ – including complex hotel manager Armond, emotionally volatile Tanya and tech exec Nicole’s – tumultuous travels were based in and around the Hawaiian “Valley Isle”.
Covid restrictions limited filming locations largely to the confines of the hotel, but some backdrops saw guests venture to the golden sands of the neighbouring Wailea Beach when outside of the infamous (and invented) “Pineapple Suite”.
Season two – Sicily, Italy
The cast jetted to Italy for a series shrouded in Sicily’s amorous mythology and the San Domenico Palace, Taormina – a member of the Four Seasons group on the northeast coast – formed the facade of the second instalment of The White Lotus.
Free from the pandemic measures of series one, the towns of Taormina, Noto and Cefalù also took centre stage for the twists and turns of the seven Sicilian episodes orbiting the five-star hotel of horrors.
Seasons one and two of The White Lotus are available to watch on Sky and NOW.
