The White Lotus has never disguised its infatuation with extravagant luxury. From the well-kept beauty of Hawaii to the warm-weather extravagance of Sicily and the mystical sheen of Thailand, Mike White’s brutal little soap opera about the rich misbehaving overseas has treated geography almost like the main protagonist. The French Riviera, which is similarly shiny, sun-kissed, and absurd, is the ideal destination for season four.
Variety reports that the next season will be filmed in the Château de La Messardière in Saint-Tropez, a 19th-century mansion transformed into an opulent hotel situated on 32 acres of parasol pines, cypress shrubs, and jasmine. Stéphane Courbit, the owner and chairman of Banijay Group, the reality TV conglomerate behind series such as Survivor and Peaky Blinders, owns the Airelles Collection.
Variety has also confirmed that Season 4 filming will start at the end of April and go until the end of October. This season, like previous ones, will not be shot exclusively on one property as White is careful to create distinctive settings that blend many locations.
The narrative will take place on the French Riviera, but certain sequences will also be shot in a hotel in Paris. Apart from HBO’s confirmation that it will follow an ensemble of hotel guests and staff over the span of a week, the plot is under wraps. However, insiders claim that the Cannes Film Festival may play a role in the plot.
Many French actors have auditioned for Season 4, which is now in the casting process. The initial new cast members revealed for the project are AJ Michalka (The Goldbergs, Super 8) and Alexander Ludwig (Earth Abides, Vikings), as Variety revealed last month. Only three cast members have made several appearances thus far: Jon Gries portrayed Greg Hunt in all three seasons; Jennifer Coolidge portrayed Tanya McQuoid in Seasons 1 and 2; and Natasha Rothwell portrayed Belinda Lindsey in Seasons 1 and 3.
