What began as a Covid-era experiment to maneuver through tight filming restrictions has lavishly unfolded into an international cultural touchstone: The White Lotus is, without a doubt, among the most buzzed-about television series of our time. Produced by HBO and streaming on Max, the show is written and directed by Mike White and takes place in a fictional luxury resort over the span of one tension-fueled week of vacation. Both seasons one and two followed a parallel storyline structure: the opening scene teases a death—human remains loaded onto a plane; a floating body in the Ionian sea—with revelations to be unveiled in the dramatic finale. What ensues between these salacious bookends is, well, captivating.
White Lotus season 2HBO/Fabio Lovino
But beyond its titillating whodunnit reveal, The White Lotus is acclaimed for its whip-smart character studies that examine privilege and power dynamics, whether that’s through the lens of money, sex, or in the case of the upcoming third installment—spirituality. “[The next season] will be a satirical and funny look at death and Eastern religion and spirituality,” White said in a behind-the-scenes video released after last season’s finale. The show confirmed it began filming in Thailand in mid-February with an Instagram post showing a clapboard in front of a lush seaside jungle, setting the stage for its notorious vacationers to check in.
(The season three cast includes Parker Posey, Michelle Monaghan, Jason Isaacs, Leslie Bibb, Tayme Thapthimthong, Dom Hetrakul, Carrie Coon, Morgana O’Reilly, Lek Patravadi, Shalini Peiris, Walton Goggins, Sarah Catherine Hook, Sam Nivola, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Francesca Corney, Nicholas Duvernay, Arnas Fedaravičius, Aimee Lou Wood, and most recently announced: Blackpink’s Lisa.)
Internet sleuths have been quick to speculate which properties the series will take place within. If you’ll recall, both season one and two were filmed at Four Seasons locations (Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea in Hawai’i and Four Seasons San Domenico Palace in Sicily, respectively), and there are four resorts in Thailand that fall under the Four Seasons umbrella. After months of speculation, it’s now reported that the Four Seasons Koh Samui is a filming location, as well as a second hotel in Phuket, Anantara Mai Khao Villas.