In 2021, The White Lotus brought us irony. It brought us disgust. It brought us Jennifer Coolidge sobbing into a box of ashes and Alexandra Daddario making every journalist question their body of work. And while we must bid goodbye to the swaying palm trees and ominously yellow-tinged sky of the Hawaiian resort, HBO has confirmed the vacation need only take a slight detour: The social satire is coming back for a second season, this time in a new locale and with a new cast of VIPs.
Per Deadline, season 2 of The White Lotus will leave the drama of the Maui murder mystery behind in exchange for a stay in Europe. But rest assured, the story will follow another set of privileged globetrotters as they check in to a White Lotus property. Here’s what little we know about what comes next.
When will season 2 premiere?
The White Lotus will return in October, Variety reports, though the exact release date has not been revealed yet.
What will The White Lotus season 2 be about?
The first season followed three groups of guests as they attempted to enjoy a relaxing vacation in Maui, only for approximately everything to go awry and end in unexpected death. Because showrunner Mike White will also be involved in the second season, we can anticipate it will follow a similar trajectory—perhaps not involving murder, but who knows?—and force its high-profile visitors to examine their moral failings. Whether or not they actually learn from them this time remains to be seen.
“Mike has once again delivered a quintessential HBO show, and it’s the talk of the town,” Francesca Orsi, EVP Programming at HBO, said in a statement following the season 2 announcement. “We were thrilled to hear where he wanted to go next, after closing this epic chapter in Hawaii, and can’t wait to keep following him wherever he takes us.”
Where will it take place?
White initially told TVLine the show would shift locations from Hawaii, saying “it would have to be a different hotel, like, say, The White Lotus: San Tropez or something.” In an interview with Vanity Fair, he hinted at possible locations in France or Japan. Finally, in January 2022, Variety first reported that season 2 would be filmed in Sicily, specifically at the Four Seasons San Domenica Palace in Taormina.
Who will be in the cast?
It’ll likely be a few months before we get a full confirmed list for next season’s cast, but we do know two major names will make their first appearance on the show: Michael Imperioli (The Sopranos) and Aubrey Plaza (Parks and Recreation). Per Variety, Imperioli was the first new cast member confirmed for season 2, and he’ll play Dominic Di Grasso, a vacationer traveling with his aging father and young son, a recent college graduate. Plaza will take on the role of Harper Spiller, another vacationer, but one who arrives with her husbands and his set of friends.
F. Murray Abraham, Adam DiMarco, Meghann Fahy, Tom Hollander, Theo James, Haley Lu Richardson, Will Sharpe, and Leo Woodall are also in the cast, per Variety.
Thankfully, there are plenty of Hollywood A-listers beloved for their renditions of entitled rich people. (Basically, the entire cast of Big Little Lies seems a good fit.) Our one request? Bring Natasha Rothwell back as Belinda, and give her what she deserves: a massive, uber-successful spa business. It’s about time.
Who are the new Italian cast members?
Since the new season takes place in Italy, some actual Italian actors have been cast as characters populating the Italian resort during the week the season takes place. Actress Sabrina Impacciatore has been cast as a character named Valentina, Deadline reports, who manages the White Lotus resort in Sicily. Beatrice Grannó and Simona Tabasco are playing two local young women named Mia and Lucia who spend time around the hotel.
Is there a trailer yet?
Not quite, but an HBO Max sizzle reel shared on July 18 shared a glimpse at the new season. (Skip to 0:17 below.) The quick montage shows Coolidge’s Tanya enjoying a Vespa ride, Sabrina Impacciatore’s Valentina welcoming guests to the White Lotus, and Plaza’s Harper sharing a toast with other patrons (presumably before their vacations all go downhill).
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