Hawaii, Sicily and now Thailand: truly, watching the rich sunbathe (and backstab each other) in gorgeously unaffordable locations has never been so fun as it has on Mike White’s hit TV show The White Lotus.
This season alone, we’ve had incest (yikes), a toxic friendship trio and a potential showdown between two stars of the first season, Belinda and Greg. But the fun is over: season three wrapped this week, leaving audiences bereft of drama.
Roll on the next season! But as The White Lotus is an anthology series, that begs the question: which Four Seasons hotel will it be set at?
Well, we have thoughts. Read on for our wishlist (and semi-substantiated breakdown) of where could be next.
Egypt
Of course, nothing has been confirmed, but prior to season three airing, celeb magazine Parade aired an interview with a source that said that the fourth season would likely be shot “in Egypt or Mexico.”
"They want to pick somewhere they haven't shot yet, so a new continent,” they added. “They want to go somewhere completely new since this season is in Asia, which is why they're between the two. The decision should be made soon."
There is a Four Seasons hotel in Sharm el Sheikh, and a quick Google brings up images of crystal blue waters, palm trees and reef diving galore. Plus, it isn’t a continent the show has been to before, and while a safari-themed White Lotus would frankly be amazing to watch (the potential for satire and/or death is infinite), Egypt seems like the better bet here.
Mexico
And what about Mexico? Conveniently close to the US, it has the benefit of being both a cultural hotspot (just think what fun White could have with all the local artwork and traditions, a la Sicilian Moor’s Heads) and hosting the dreaded American Spring Break in Cancun.
There are also some pretty convincing Reddit fan theories breaking down why it would be such a good location. “Specifically the Four Seasons Resort in Punta Mita, Nayarit,” one wrote. “I imagine this hypothetical season focusing on the themes of fulfillment, purpose, and what it means to be happy. Exploring the things the rich will do just to try and fill the void. Problems money can't solve.”
“For a returning character, I'm not sure. Perhaps Valentina fell in love with a wealthy guest in Sicily and now they're vacationing together in Mexico.” Would definitely watch.
Skiing
They’ve done so many tropical locations – isn’t it time we pivoted to somewhere colder? A skiing-themed holiday, in somewhere like Gstaad, Megève or Verbier, would be a perfect antidote to all the shot of sweaty people in sunhats (and a nice change for the cast, who have complained a lot, post-filming, about how unbearably hot the shoot was).
Unfortunately, there is one major strike in the against column here: White Lotus’ producer and casting assistant, David Bernad, recently told the Guardian that the show would likely stay in hot locations going forward.
“Mike doesn’t like the cold,” he said, and expanded on it in an episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast: “I feel confident we will never do a season in the cold… Mike is not for it. He is a California guy. He is not built for the cold. Never say never, but I would be surprised.” Boo.
France
This seems pretty likely. In a recent interview with Deadline, HBO executive Francesca Orsi said that the team were “going on some locations scouting in the next couple of weeks, so we’ll know soon.”
“I can’t really say where we’re going to land but chances are somewhere in Europe.”
They’ve already done Sicily, of course, but the show will also need to be set somewhere with an established luxury hotel scene – and a Four Seasons Hotel, of course. And there just happens to be a rather grand-looking one on the French Riviera. Factor in the French reputation for love and sex and... I mean, it kind of writes itself.
Japan?
Yes, it’s a bit far-fetched, but bear with me here: Mike White was reportedly eyeing up the location for season three, before better tax breaks in Thailand ultimately led to them settling for Koh Samui.
Similar rumours have circulated about Norway – where a local newspaper apparently reported that White had filed for permission to shoot the new season, before withdrawing it due to tax reasons.
One thing’s for sure: all bets are off.
