New faces including Patrick Schwarzenegger join 'The White Lotus' S03
What's the story
The White Lotus fans, assemble!
HBO's award-winning hit comedy series recently announced the addition of five new stars for Season 3. They are Patrick Schwarzenegger, Aimee Lou Wood, Walton Goggins, Sarah Catherine Hook, and Sam Nivola.
Set to start filming in Thailand in February, the show will take us on a wild ride through Koh Samui, Phuket, and Bangkok.
Here, we gather every update thus far.
Context
Why does this story matter?
Since its 2021 debut, The White Lotus has been a smash hit for HBO.
Season 1—set in Hawaii—scored 20 Emmy nominations and 10 wins.
Season 2 took us to Sicily and snagged 23 Emmy nods, winning five awards.
Creator Mike White teased the Season 3 theme in a 2022 video: "The first season highlighted money and the second season is sex. I think the third season would be maybe a satirical, funny look at death, Eastern religion, and spirituality."
New additions
Previously, 'TWL' added these stars to its cast
Last week, the creators announced the addition of five new members to the TWL cast.
The additions include Miloš Biković (South Wind), Christian Friedel (Zone of Interest), Morgana O'Reilly (Mean Mums), Lek Patravadi (In Family We Trust), and Shalini Peiris (The Ark).
These actors join the previously announced cast members: Leslie Bibb, Dom Hetrakul, Jason Isaacs, Michelle Monaghan, Parker Posey, and Tayme Thapthimthong.
Returning cast
Speculations on returning characters
Natasha Rothwell is also set to return in Season 3!
The Insecure actor previously played spa manager Belinda in Season 1.
Per Variety, several sources with knowledge of the production broke the news, and it has since been confirmed.
After discussing it with White, Connie Britton might also return as businesswoman Nicole Mossbacher in the third installment.
However, don't expect Jennifer Coolidge's Tanya to return after her dramatic Season 2 exit.
Premiere date
S03 likely to premiere in 2025
Last year, HBO and Max chairman/CEO Casey Bloys reportedly indicated that Season 3 may face delays, possibly not airing until 2025.
The show's pre-production was impacted by the dual Hollywood strike.
The White Lotus's plot centers around the dynamics between guests and staff at the fictional White Lotus resort chain, where their lives are influenced by their unique psychosocial dysfunctions.