The "White Lotus" ensemble just got bigger and better.
HBO's luxurious resort-themed series, gearing up for a Thailand shoot in February for its third season, has spiced up its cast list with five fabulous additions: Walton Goggins, Patrick Schwarzenegger (son of Arnold Schwarzenegger), Sarah Catherine Hook, Sam Nivola, and Aimee Lou Wood. True to the show's style, their character details are hush-hush for now.
Joining this star-studded squad are Leslie Bibb, Milo? Bikovi?, Carrie Coon, Christian Friedel, Dom Hetrakul, Jason Isaacs, Michelle Monaghan, Morgana O'Reilly, Lek Patravadi, Shalini Peiris, Parker Posey, Natasha Rothwell from Season one, and Tayme Thapthimthong. Unfortunately for anyone hoping to see Jennifer Coolidge again, she clarified during her second Emmy win that she was "actually dead" this time.
Keep an eye out for the exotic locales of Koh Samui, Phuket, and Bangkok, where filming is taking place, all in collaboration with Thailand's Tourism Authority.
What should we expect for the plot of the upcoming season? Creator Mike White offered up some ideas in a post-finale interview on HBO.
"The first season kind of highlighted money, and then the second season is sex, and I think the third season, it would be a satirical and funny look at death and eastern religion and spirituality," he said.
We'll likely have to wait a while to see the finished product, however. The production faced setbacks because of the 2023 strikes in Hollywood. In an early November briefing, Casey Bloys, chairman and CEO of HBO and Max, mentioned that "The White Lotus" is targeting a premiere in 2025.
Goggins, a familiar face on HBO's "The Righteous Gemstones," also shines in "Justified" and "Sons of Anarchy". Hook, seen in Netflix's "First Kill" and "The Conjuring" sequel, brings her charm. Nivola, fresh from "Maestro" and soon in Netflix's "The Perfect Couple," joins the mix. Schwarzenegger, known from Prime Video's "The Boys" spinoff "Gen V" and "The Staircase," adds his flair. Wood, the BAFTA TV Award-winning star from "Sex Education," rounds out this dazzling group.
Behind the scenes, White continues to weave his magic as the creator, writer, and director, alongside executive producers David Bernad and Mark Kamine.
