Back in March, NewsNation got a weird tip that Mike White was scouting locations for The White Lotus’s Season 4. What was weird about it? White was scouting locations in the French Riviera, after he made a big deal about how he didn’t want the next season to be set at a beach location. Well, Deadline now confirms that the fourth season will film in France, although they haven’t nailed down exactly where – it could be Paris, or maybe the South of France (famously a beach locale).
Welcome to Le Lotus Blanc — The White Lotus creator Mike White and HBO have zeroed in on France as location for the upcoming fourth season of the hit murder mystery comedy-drama anthology, sources tell Deadline. A rep for HBO declined comment.
HBO has a marketing partnership with the Four Seasons hotel chain which doubles as White Lotus hotels. Speculation has focused on the famous Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat, perched on the tip of the Cap-Ferrat peninsula on the French Riviera, which has strong Hollywood ties with its proximity to Cannes. However, sources stress that no hotel has been locked in, noting that the show tends to use multiple resorts in one season, as was the case with the Thailand-based Season 3. It used the Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui as its main setting, along with three other non-Four Seasons hotels. It is unclear yet whether a Four Season resort would be the primary location of Season 4.
The three other Four Seasons hotels in France are the Megève in the French Alps and Hotel George V, located in the heart of Paris. The Cap-Ferrat is the closest to the settings of the first three seasons of The White Lotus which took place at luxury resorts by the beach in Hawaii (S1), Italy (S2) and Thailand (S3).
“For the fourth season, I want to get a little bit out of the crashing waves of rocks vernacular but there’s always more room for more murders at the White Lotus hotels,” White said at the end of Season 3. It is unclear whether he still feels that way but in any case, the Cap-Ferrat is not directly on the beach.
Megève could provide a change of scenery. It may be too much of a change, especially if production starts before May next year, which is possible. That is because the location is a popular ski resort during the winter. The White Lotus cast members have revealed that White hates the cold and has previously nixed suggestions about ski resort locations. As for Paris, that would also be a dramatic change, bringing The White Lotus to an urban environment (albeit a very picturesque and romantic one.)
Months ago, there was also gossip about going to Egypt, but I guess that went nowhere, or maybe they’re saving it for a later season. It feels like setting it in France is just so…expected? Sort of uneventful and not really exotic. Still, I’m interested to hear about casting. I feel like White has wrapped up the Tanya/Greg/Belinda storyline, but if he wants to bring back another character from The White Lotus Cinematic Universe, I certainly hope it’s Parker Posey/Victoria Ratliff. Perhaps Victoria is divorced, with an ex-husband in prison, and one of her North Carolina friends takes her to France for a holiday.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red & HBO/Avalon Red.
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- LOS ANGELES, CA – FEBRUARY 10: Mike White at the LA Premiere of HBO s Original Series The White Lotus Season 3 at Paramount Theatre on February 10, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. Copyright: xJeffreyxMayerx,Image: 962036832, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: imago is entitled to issue a simple usage license at the time of provision. Personality and trademark rights as well as copyright laws regarding art-works shown must be observed. Commercial use at your own risk., Model Release: no, Credit line: IMAGO/Jeffrey Mayer/Avalon
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- LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 10: (L-R) Mike White and Lalisa Manobal attend the Los Angeles Premiere of HBO Original Series “The White Lotus” Season 3 at Paramount Theatre on February 10, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.,Image: 962772752, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Mike White, Lalisa Manobal, Credit line: Jeffrey Mayer/Avalon
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- LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 10: Mike White attends the Los Angeles Premiere of HBO Original Series “The White Lotus” Season 3 at Paramount Theatre on February 10, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.,Image: 962929138, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Mike White, Credit line: Jeffrey Mayer/Avalon
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- Carrie Coon, Leslie Bibb and Michelle Monaghan in Season 3 Episode 4 of The White Lotus,Image: 974260703, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: HBO/Avalon
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- Walton Goggins in Season 3 Episode 7 of The White Lotus,Image: 981264108, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: HBO/Avalon
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- Parker Posey in Season 3 Episode 7 of The White Lotus,Image: 981264128, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Fabio Lovino/HBO/Avalon
I hope Parker Posey comes back for season 4. I don’t think we will see Jason Isaacs again. He seemed done with it all. But appreciated the artistic work he got to do.
Be funny if she comes back as a hotel worker after the loss of the family fortune. Starting over in Paris. Getting to see her be treated the same way she treated staff workers her whole life.
Thankfully France does not have “Soooonamiis”
South of France just seems like such an uninspired choice since we already got a Euro beach setting. Maybe white is trying to psych people out and it really will be in the alps.
During S3, White said on a the official WL podcast that he had been kicking around the idea for a White Lotus season that touched on celebrity and was built around a Cannes-like film festival. Sounds like he’s fleshed that idea out.
i need to watch this series, lol. I got about halfway through the first season and just stopped. i get that its about awful rich people but some of those people were really awful.
that said, it seems like a ski resort would fit the overall premise better than Paris. I feel like you need kind of an isolated location for it to work. but if he hates the cold….
You do need to! I promise, it’s not just about rich white people — Mike White uses such rich imagery and symbolism, it’s like reading a good book. You can go as deep as you want to! I know I was in a minority, but Season 3 really knocked my socks off, thematically.
first, i LOVE your idea of Victoria being in the next season sans her imprisoned husband (but maybe they’re not divorced shes just waiting out his sentence, in a sort of limbo, pehaps estranged from her children), and also I think it would be really interesting to see a ski resort/alps location, despite Mike White hating the cold.
I wish they had done a safari! But Victoria in France is gonna be pretty great if they do that.
If it’s built around the celeb theme the way he’s hinted at you’re more likely to get Jaclyn, Kate and Laurie back. Which could make some sense if they are promoting a film based on their adventure/trauma in Thailand.
I really thought it might be in Africa this time, like a safari. Maybe they looked into it and it just wasn’t going to work out logistically for whatever reasons. And a ski resort was never going to happen because apparently Mike White hates the cold weather. I’m fine with France though so long as the characters and story are interesting. And I would also love for Victoria to return.
I hope Season 4 is in Paris! An urban locale would be a good change of pace.
I need to get an update on Meghann Fahy’s character from the 2nd season – she’s my number one character who is still alive.
I propose Clermont-Ferrand Intl Short Film Festival
Perfect setting for backbiting!