Mike White’s Emmy-winning series The White Lotus has just concluded its third season (with a devastating finale), but luckily, the show has already been confirmed for a fourth. In a press release in January 2025, HBO announced that another chapter of the massively popular social satire is on the way.
There’s not much info yet about where season 4 will be set or who will star. But if this next installment is anything like the previous ones, we can probably expect another group of troubled wealthy hotel guests, struggling staff, and loads of personal drama.
FIND OUT MORE ON ELLE COLLECTIVE
Read Next
Here’s what we know so far.
Where will The White Lotus season 4 take place?
In a behind-the-scenes clip after the season 3 finale, White briefly weighed in on the next season, saying he wants to 'get away from the crashing waves against rocks vernacular,' but there’s 'always room for more murders.' While he didn’t reveal an exact locale, it seems like we’ll be taking a break from the beach.
In February 2025, HBO’s EVP Francesca Orsi told Deadline that the team would begin scouting for a new setting imminently.
'We’re going on some locations scouting in the next couple of weeks, so we’ll know soon,' Orsi said. 'I can’t really say where we’re going to land but chances are somewhere in Europe.'
She continued that a return to Europe was 'likely,' adding that there were 'some countries on the map that we talked about, but nothing to report on until they actually go locations scouting.'
White echoed scouting plans while speaking to The Hollywood Reporter in an interview published on April 2. 'There’s already pressure from HBO [for season 4]. When they have something they’re bullish on, they want to get it out there,' he said. 'We were supposed to start scouting in April, and I was like, "You guys, I haven’t been home in three years."'
However, he wasn’t firm about shooting somewhere in Europe. He’s very conscious about where they decide to take the series.
'Where we choose to go next could be hugely impactful [to that locale],' he added to THR. 'That’s why it was so cool to shoot in Thailand. It’s hard to go backward. Like, "Oh, we’ll do it in Paris!" That feels like a cop-out.'
Producer David Bernad hinted where they probably won’t go: 'I’d bet $100,000 (£76,000) we don’t end up in the cold next. Even if we flirted with the idea, Mike just wouldn’t want to be in the cold. He hates it.'
Who will be in the season 4 cast?
It’s too early to say, given the locations are not yet set, but best believe people are already interested in auditioning.
Casting director Meredith Tucker told The Hollywood Reporter that she already got a call from an agent with an interested client, even though White had not written the scripts yet.
'Last week, an agent reached out, like, "It’s an emergency,"' Tucker said. 'I call him and he says, "I know the answer is "no," but someone said they already had an audition for season four. A client heard this from their friend." [White] has not written one thing. What are these people talking about? Don’t call me until after this one.'
By now, viewers know that season 3 features an A-list cast including Leslie Bibb, Carrie Coon, Walton Goggins, Sarah Catherine Hook, Jason Isaacs, Lalisa Manobal, Michelle Monaghan, Natasha Rothwell, Sam Nivola, Lek Patravadi, Parker Posey, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Jon Gries, Tayme Thapthimthong, and Aimee Lou Wood.
We can’t rule out the possibility of certain characters (if they survive) returning in the future. Jennifer Coolidge appeared in the first two seasons, Natasha Rothwell starred in the first and third, and Jon Gries has been present in all three.
While speaking to THR, Swarzenegger and White discussed a potential 'all-star' season with favourites from previous casts. 'I’d love to do that,' White said.
Swarzenegger added, 'They could get all the douche guys in one hotel together. Mike said that one day when we were on set, he was like, "Oh my God, it’d be so good to get you, Jake Lacy and Theo James in the same room."'
When is the release date?
It’s too early for that too. But for reference, The White Lotus’s first season, set in Hawaii, premiered in July 2021; season two, set in Sicily, came out in October 2022; and season three, set in Thailand, debuted February 2025. It could take another few years before season four is on our screens, but we’ll have to wait for official word from HBO.
Why is the composer leaving?
Cristóbal Tapia de Veer, who composed music for The White Lotus’s first three seasons (including that iconic ooh-loo-loo theme song) will not be returning for season 4 following creative differences with Mike White and producers. Tapia de Veer recalled 'hysterical' conversations with the team in an interview with The New York Times, though HBO and White did not comment.
He recalled himself and White having different ideas in mind for the season one theme. 'I just stuck to what I was doing. And when I was giving versions, it was still the same thing: There were still crazy people and screaming and stuff like that. From there, it became this weird relationship of, How do I pass all this weird music into the show?'
When it came to the season three theme song — which had fans in uproar because it was missing the beloved original melody — Tapia de Veer revealed that the iconic tune actually was in a longer version of the new track.
'I texted the producer and I told him that it would be great to, at some point, give them the longer version with the ooh-loo-loo-loos, because people will explode if they realise that it was going there anyway. He thought it was a good idea. But then Mike cut that — he wasn’t happy about that,' he told the Times. 'I mean, at that point, we already had our last fight forever, I think. So he was just saying no to anything. So I just uploaded that to my YouTube.'
The White Lotus showrunner has not yet addressed Tapia de Veer’s claims.
This post will be updated.
ELLE Collective is a new community of fashion, beauty and culture lovers. For access to exclusive content, events, inspiring advice from our Editors and industry experts, as well the opportunity to meet designers, thought-leaders and stylists, become a member today HERE.
Aimée Lutkin is the weekend editor at ELLE.com. Her writing has appeared in Jezebel, Glamour, Marie Claire and more. Her first book, The Lonely Hunter, will be released by Dial Press in February 2022.
Erica Gonzales is the Deputy Editor, Culture at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage on TV, movies, music, books, and more. She was previously an editor at HarpersBAZAAR.com. There is a 75 percent chance she’s listening to Lorde right now.
