The White Lotus is an American black comedy drama anthology television series created by Mike White for HBO that premiered on July 11, 2021. The series follows the exploits of the guests and staff during a week spent at a luxury global resort hotel chain. The first season was filmed and is set in Hawaii, the second in Sicily and the third in Thailand.
The White Lotus was greenlit in October 2020 as a miniseries but was adapted to an anthology series by HBO in August 2021: its second season aired from October 30 to December 11, 2022, and its third season is set to run from February 16 until April 6, 2025, being delayed due to the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike. The series has been renewed for a fourth season.
The series has been acclaimed by critics for its writing, acting, humor, and production values and has received several accolades: it has won 15 Primetime Emmy Awards – including for Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series – and 2 Golden Globes, including for Best Limited or Anthology Series or Television Film. Jennifer Coolidge won several awards for her performances in the first two seasons, including two Primetime Emmys and a Golden Globe, while White won two Emmys for his writing and directing.
Synopsis
Each season of The White Lotus is mostly conceived as a self-contained miniseries, that exploits the guests and staff during a week spent at a luxury global resort hotel chain, whose interactions are affected by their various psychosocial dysfunctions. After each passing day, a darker complexity slowly begins to emerge in these picture-perfect travelers, the hotel’s employees, their wealthy guests, and the idyllic locale itself.
Links for each Season
Season Three Link Soon
Cast & Characters
Season 1
Main
- Murray Bartlett as Armond
- Connie Britton as Nicole Mossbacher
- Jennifer Coolidge as Tanya McQuoid
- Alexandra Daddario as Rachel Patton
- Fred Hechinger as Quinn Mossbacher
- Jake Lacy as Shane Patton
- Brittany O’Grady as Paula
- Natasha Rothwell as Belinda Lindsey
- Sydney Sweeney as Olivia Mossbacher
- Steve Zahn as Mark Mossbacher
- Molly Shannon as Kitty Patton
Recurring
- Lukas Gage as Dillon
- Kekoa Scott Kekumano as Kai
- Jon Gries as Greg Hunt
- Alec Merlino as Hutch
Guest
- Jolene Purdy as Lani
Season 2
Main
- F. Murray Abraham as Bert Di Grasso
- Jennifer Coolidge as Tanya McQuoid-Hunt
- Adam DiMarco as Albie Di Grasso
- Meghann Fahy as Daphne Sullivan
- Beatrice Grannò as Mia
- Jon Gries as Greg Hunt
- Tom Hollander as Quentin
- Sabrina Impacciatore as Valentina
- Michael Imperioli as Dominic Di Grasso
- Theo James as Cameron Sullivan
- Aubrey Plaza as Harper Spiller
- Haley Lu Richardson as Portia
- Will Sharpe as Ethan Spiller
- Simona Tabasco as Lucia Greco
- Leo Woodall as Jack
Recurring
- Federico Ferrante as Rocco
- Eleonora Romandini as Isabella
- Federico Scribani Rossi as Giuseppe
- Francesco Zecca as Matteo
- Paolo Camilli [it] as Hugo
- Bruno Gouery as Didier
- Nicola Di Pinto as Tommas
Guest
- Laura Dern as the voice of Abby
- Angelina Keeley and Kara Kay as two hotel guests
Season 3
Main
- Leslie Bibb as Kate Bohr
- Carrie Coon as Laurie Duffy
- Walton Goggins as Rick Hatchett
- Sarah Catherine Hook as Piper Ratliff
- Jason Isaacs as Timothy Ratliff
- Lalisa Manobal as Mook
- Michelle Monaghan as Jaclyn Lemon
- Sam Nivola as Lochlan Ratliff
- Lek Patravadi as Sritala Hollinger
- Parker Posey as Victoria Ratlif
- Natasha Rothwell as Belinda Lindsey
- Patrick Schwarzenegger as Saxon Ratliff
- Tayme Thapthimthong as Gaitok
- Aimee Lou Wood as Chelsea
- Jon Gries as “Gary” / Greg Hunt
Recurring
- Nicholas Duvernay as Zion Lindsey
- Arnas Fedaravicius as Valentin
- Christian Friedel as Fabian
- Scott Glenn as Jim Hollinger
- Dom Hetrakul as Pornchai
- Julian Kostov
- Charlotte Le Bon as Chloe
- Morgana O’Reilly as Pam
- Shalini Peiris as Amrita
- Suthichai Yoon
Episodes
| Season | Episodes | Originally released | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First released | Last released | |||
| 1 | 6 | July 11, 2021 | August 15, 2021 | |
| 2 | 7 | October 30, 2022 | December 11, 2022 | |
| 3 | 8 | February 16, 2025 | April 6, 2025 | |
Season 1 (2021)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | U.S. viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | “Arrivals“ | Mike White | Mike White | July 11, 2021 | 0.420 |
| 2 | 2 | “New Day“ | Mike White | Mike White | July 18, 2021 | 0.459 |
| 3 | 3 | “Mysterious Monkeys“ | Mike White | Mike White | July 25, 2021 | 0.478 |
| 4 | 4 | “Recentering“ | Mike White | Mike White | August 1, 2021 | 0.515 |
| 5 | 5 | “The Lotus-Eaters“ | Mike White | Mike White | August 8, 2021 | 0.541 |
| 6 | 6 | “Departures“ | Mike White | Mike White | August 15, 2021 | 0.850 |
Season 2 (2022)
Main article: The White Lotus season 2
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | U.S. viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 1 | “Ciao“ | Mike White | Mike White | October 30, 2022 | 0.460 |
| 8 | 2 | “Italian Dream“ | Mike White | Mike White | November 6, 2022 | 0.421 |
| 9 | 3 | “Bull Elephants“ | Mike White | Mike White | November 13, 2022 | 0.474 |
| 10 | 4 | “In the Sandbox“ | Mike White | Mike White | November 20, 2022 | 0.416 |
| 11 | 5 | “That’s Amore“ | Mike White | Mike White | November 27, 2022 | 0.641 |
| 12 | 6 | “Abductions“ | Mike White | Mike White | December 4, 2022 | 0.684 |
| 13 | 7 | “Arrivederci“ | Mike White | Mike White | December 11, 2022 | 0.854 |
Season 3 (2025)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | U.S. viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | 1 | “Same Spirits, New Forms“ | Mike White | Mike White | February 16, 2025 | 0.420 |
| 15 | 2 | “Special Treatments“ | Mike White | Mike White | February 23, 2025 | 0.687 |
| 16 | 3 | “The Meaning of Dreams“ | Mike White | Mike White | March 2, 2025 | 0.507 |
| 17 | 4 | “Hide or Seek” | Mike White | Mike White | March 9, 2025 | TBD |
| 18 | 5 | “Full-Moon Party” | Mike White | Mike White | March 16, 2025 | TBD |
| 19 | 6 | “Denials” | Mike White | Mike White | March 23, 2025 | TBD |
| 20 | 7 | TBA | Mike White | Mike White | March 30, 2025 | TBD |
| 21 | 8 | TBA | Mike White | Mike White | April 6, 2025 | TBD |
Production
Development
On October 19, 2020, HBO gave The White Lotus a limited series order that consisted of six episodes. The series was created, written and directed by Mike White. White also serves as executive producer alongside David Bernad and Nick Hall. On August 10, 2021, HBO renewed the series for a second season which consists of seven episodes. On November 18, 2022, HBO renewed the series for a third season. It was announced that the season would take place at a resort in Thailand. The third season’s production was disrupted by the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike, resulting in the release being pushed to 2025. On January 22, 2025, ahead of the third-season premiere, HBO renewed the series for a fourth season.
Casting
Upon the limited series order announcement, Murray Bartlett, Connie Britton, Jennifer Coolidge, Alexandra Daddario, Fred Hechinger, Jake Lacy, Brittany O’Grady, Natasha Rothwell, Sydney Sweeney, and Steve Zahn were cast to star. On October 30, 2020, Molly Shannon, Jon Gries, Jolene Purdy, Kekoa Kekumano, and Lukas Gage joined the cast in recurring roles.
Upon the announcement of the second season renewal, HBO announced that a predominantly new cast of characters would be focused on at another White Lotus property for the second season, though Mike White had stated there was a possibility for a few cast members from the first season to return as their characters. On October 15, 2021, Coolidge was reported to be set to return for the second season. In January 2022, Michael Imperioli, Aubrey Plaza, F. Murray Abraham, Adam DiMarco, Tom Hollander, and Haley Lu Richardson were confirmed to star in the second season. In February 2022, Theo James, Meghann Fahy, Will Sharpe and Leo Woodall joined the cast for the season. In March 2022, Beatrice Grannò, Sabrina Impacciatore, and Simona Tabasco joined the cast for the season.
Upon the third-season renewal announcement, producers confirmed that there will be a new cast of characters in another White Lotus resort. In April 2023, Rothwell was reported to be reprising her role as Belinda for the season. In January 2024, it was announced that Leslie Bibb, Jason Isaacs, Michelle Monaghan, Parker Posey, Dom Hetrakul, Tayme Thapthimthong, Carrie Coon, Miloš Biković, Christian Friedel, Morgana O’Reilly, Lek Patravadi, Shalini Peiris, Walton Goggins, Sarah Catherine Hook, Sam Nivola, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Aimee Lou Wood, Francesca Corney, Nicholas Duvernay, and Arnas Fedaravičius joined the cast for the season. Biković was dropped from the cast on February 2 due to his alleged support of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and was replaced with Julian Kostov. In February 2024, Scott Glenn and Lalisa Manobal were cast. In March 2024, Charlotte Le Bon joined the cast to replace Corney in a re-casting.
Filming
Principal photography for the first season began in October 2020 in Hawaii under COVID-19 guidelines. By November 21, 2020, the series was halfway through filming at the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea and was scheduled to film in December at locations around Maui.
On January 20, 2022, the second season was reported to be filmed at the Four Seasons San Domenico Hotel [fr] in Taormina, Sicily, Italy;[66] on February 28, 2022, HBO confirmed that production had begun there.
The third season was filmed in Thailand, in part due to the series receiving a $4.4 million tax incentive for filming there. Filming began in February 2024, with locations including Bangkok, Phuket, and Ko Samui, and wrapped in August 2024.
Music
Chilean composer Cristobal Tapia de Veer was hired by White to score the first season.
For the second season, Tapia de Veer collaborated with his manager Kim Neundorf to finish original compositions due to his own scheduling conflicts. Singer Stephanie Osorio provided the vocals.
Budget
According to Vulture, the costs of production for the second season remained at under US$3 million per episode, the same as the first season. Italy, where the second season was filmed, offers up to 40% tax credit to foreign productions taking place in the country.
Release
The series premiered on July 11, 2021, on HBO and HBO Max. In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, the series premiered on Sky Atlantic on August 16, 2021. The second season premiered on October 30, 2022. The third season premiered on February 16, 2025, with episodes airing weekly.
Home Media
The first season was released on DVD on September 13, 2022.
Reception
Critical Response
| Season | Rotten Tomatoes | Metacritic |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 90% (97 reviews) | 82 (39 reviews) |
| 2 | 94% (123 reviews) | 81 (40 reviews) |
| 3 | 95% (115 reviews) | 77 (44 reviews) |
Season 1
Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 90% for the first season of The White Lotus based on 97 critic reviews, with an average rating of 8.4/10. The website’s critics consensus reads, “Though its true intentions can get a bit murky, gorgeous vistas, twisty drama, and a pitch perfect cast make The White Lotus a compelling—if uncomfortable—viewing destination.” On Metacritic, the season has a score of 82 out of 100 based on 39 critics, indicating “universal acclaim”.
Season 2
For the second season, Rotten Tomatoes reported a 94% approval rating with an average score of 8.2/10, based on 123 reviews. The website’s critics consensus states, “Swapping its tropical trappings for Euro chic while focusing primarily on the corrosive influence of carnal desire, The White Lotus remains a cookie full of arsenic that goes down smooth.” On Metacritic, the season has a score of 81 out of 100 based on 40 critics, indicating “universal acclaim”.
Season 3
For the third season, Rotten Tomatoes reported a 95% approval rating with an average score of 7.65/10, based on 115 reviews. The website’s critics consensus states, “Darker and more patient with its storytelling than previous seasons while brandishing a superb new ensemble full of acidic performances, The White Lotus‘ third season offers a spiritual respite that shivs the soul.” On Metacritic, the season has a score of 77 out of 100 based on 44 critics, indicating “generally favorable” reviews.
Accolades
The first season received 11 nominations at the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards in the limited or anthology series categories. It was also nominated for nine Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards across eight categories, winning five. The series won the most Emmys across both ceremonies, including Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series, Murray Bartlett for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor, Jennifer Coolidge for Outstanding Supporting Actress, and Mike White for both Outstanding Directing and Outstanding Writing. Connie Britton, Alexandra Daddario, Jake Lacy, Natasha Rothwell, Sydney Sweeney, and Steve Zahn also received acting nominations.
The second season received 12 nominations at the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards across five categories and 11 nominations at the Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards across 10 categories, moving from limited/anthology series to drama series. It won four awards at the Creative Arts Emmys. For the Primetime Emmys, Coolidge won for Outstanding Supporting Actress. Other nominations included Outstanding Drama Series; F. Murray Abraham, Michael Imperioli, Theo James, and Will Sharpe for Outstanding Supporting Actor; Meghann Fahy, Sabrina Impacciatore, Aubrey Plaza, and Simona Tabasco for Outstanding Supporting Actress; and White for Outstanding Directing and Outstanding Writing for the episode “Arrivederci“.
The series was included in the American Film Institute Awards top ten Programs of the Year list for 2021 and 2022. Other nominations include three Critics’ Choice Television Awards (winning all), five Golden Globe Awards (winning two), and a People’s Choice Award.
