‘The White Lotus 3’: The creator of the series has many ideas for a new season

The season 2 of the series The White Lotus has shown that it is possible to take a formula that works and build something new from there, without repeating yourself. Initially conceived as a miniseries that had to start and end in Hawaii, the unexpected success encouraged HBO Max to renew it for a second season. It was a six-episode story with a beginning, middle, and end. No cliffhanger, no peppers. Series creator Mike White had envisioned a universe for a miniseries. So when HBO Max talked about renewing, almost immediately after the show’s last episode, it had no idea in the offing. Until the idea of ​​the anthology format arose: with the connecting thread of the White Lotus hotels, with the starting point of satire mixed with pure and simple noir, it was possible to continue building new stories. HBO Max announced the renewal of the series for a third season even before season 2 ended and this time it does have ideas and a formula (to break it, to shape it, to take what works and what doesn’t). In the clip on HBO Max USA YouTube channel “Unpacking S2 E7” from the Season 2 finale, Mike White hints that Season 3 may take place in Asia and focus on “death and Eastern religion and spirituality”.

“Season one was about money, and then season two is about sex,” White says. “I think the third season would be maybe a funny, satirical look at death and Eastern religion and spirituality. It seems to me that this could be a rich tapestry to do another round on White Lotus.”

In season 2 episode 7 there might even be a hint as to where the next season may take place. When Ethan (Will Sharpe), Harper (Aubrey Plaza), Cameron (Theo James) and Daphne (Meghann Fahy) are having dinner on their last night at the White Lotus, Cameron raises a toast to friendship and Daphne proposes, “The year that is coming, the Maldives!”

White also gives another piece of information: “At the end of the last season, Tanya (Jennifer Coolidge) is sitting with Greg in the last episode and he talks about his health problems. And she says: ‘I have had all kinds of treatment throughout Over the years, death is the last immersive experience I haven’t had.'” But the story could also go in other directions.

White’s first idea for the second season had nothing to do with Sicily. In fact, as he has acknowledged in an interview during the promotion of the series, the original idea he had for season 2 is more than likely to end up fitting in season 3. When he put it in front of the HBO Max executives, they rejected it, More than because it was not a good idea, because White had to show that he was able to repeat the play and make it work. Now it’s going to be a lot easier to sell you on the idea of ​​HBO Max for season 3. What was the idea for a new season of The White Lotus? Two words: Club. Bildelberg.

The White Lotus 3: plot

We have the option of spirituality in the Maldives, but if we take into account that first scrapped idea for season 2, we have another option. “Originally, [la temporada 2] It looked more like a conference [estilo del club] Bilderberg, and it had more to do with power dynamics [que se pueden ver en un encuentro de este tipo]. I don’t know if she should have told…” White told Entertainment Weekly before the series premiere. Addressing an event of these proportions fits perfectly with the leitmotiv of the series, attacking another facet of established economic power. All it takes is a kill or two, and the White Lotus can reopen at another location. But what location? Mike White has also provided details.

“yesi would [en referencia a una temporada 3 y a ese modelo de club Bildelberg]I think it would be fun to maybe go to a completely different continent. You know, we’ve done Europe, and maybe Asia, something crazy like that, that would be fun,” White said in another interview on Deadline just when he had just delivered episode 7 of season 2 The White Lotus finished to HBO Max. How about Japan? Because talking about which character can repeat in a new season, he dropped that the next destination could be Tokyo.

The White Lotus 3: cast

It’s pretty clear after the season 2 finale that he’s not going to reprise any character. Now that we know why Tanya was repeating, which was not by chance, season 3 will be a clean slate…

As with season 2, the showrunner is also clear that the series has to be developed again in a White Lotus hotel, just as he cannot repeat characters, except, of course, Tanya. Regarding who could return in season 3, White said that in “like Marvel, some of the characters can return.” What if in season 3 White turned to some other character?

The White Lotus 3: release date

Whether the series has only six episodes in season 3, as happened in the first season, or if it repeats and has seven, like the second, it is reasonable to think that if the renewal occurs around the week of December 12, when the last episode of season 2 is broadcast, taking into account the production times of this format, the logical thing to do is to think of the second quarter of 2024. Mike White has an advantage and that is that the scripts only depend on him: he is the sole writer, executive producer and showrunner, which buys him time.