Prepare your passports and your sharpest wits, because the next chapter of HBO’s Emmy-winning satirical drama, The White Lotus, is officially checking into France.
After the sun-drenched shores of Maui, the ancient drama of Sicily, and the lush, spiritual landscape of Thailand, creator Mike White is trading in tropical resorts for two of Europe’s most storied and luxurious destinations: Paris and the French Riviera.
This is more than just a change of scenery—it’s a high-stakes, high-fashion invitation to a new cultural playground where old money, new scandals, and très chic mayhem are sure to collide.
A Dual Destination of Decadence
Reports indicate that the production is splitting the action between the South of France and the City of Love.
- The French Riviera (Côte d’Azur): Expect the bulk of the action to unfold in the ultimate playground for the global elite. Think the rocky beaches near Monaco, Nice, and Cannes—a backdrop of shimmering azure waters, mega-yachts, and the kind of exclusive old-world glamour that practically screams “potential murder scene.”
- Parisian Palaces: A significant subplot will reportedly take place in the capital, shifting the setting from a beach resort to a dazzling, urban palace hotel. The production team has been scouting legendary five-star properties like Le Lutetia and the Ritz Paris, hotels steeped in history and famous for hosting icons like Coco Chanel and F. Scott Fitzgerald.
This dual setting promises to offer two distinct flavors of European luxury. Will the drama of the Riviera center on celebrity and reckless spending, while the Parisian subplot explores high culture, infidelity, and secrets behind closed doors? Mike White is known for his commentary on class and privilege, and few places in the world provide a richer tableau for that than France.
A Major Change in Hotel Partnerships
In a move that’s sending ripples through the luxury travel industry, the series is reportedly not renewing its partnership with the Four Seasons chain, which served as the exclusive backdrop for the first three seasons.
This means the White Lotus name could be setting up shop in entirely new, non-Four-Seasons-branded luxury resorts. This opens the door to an even wider variety of architectural and design styles, injecting a fresh aesthetic into the series that has become as famous for its interiors as its uncomfortable dinner scenes.
What to Expect from the French Season
Creator Mike White has already offered a playful hint about the next chapter, telling reporters he wants to move away from the “crashing waves on rocks vernacular” of previous seasons. While the Riviera certainly has its coastlines, the Parisian city setting and the shift to new hotel architecture suggest a different kind of metaphor.
The likely themes for Season 4?
- Fame and the Film Festival Circuit: The proximity to Cannes and its world-famous film festival could see the plot focusing on American celebrity, the European paparazzi, and the dark side of ambition in the arts.
- Old Money vs. New Money: France, with its inherited aristocracy and deeply embedded cultural institutions, will provide a fascinating contrast to the tech-bro wealth and American hustle that usually populate the White Lotus resorts.
- The Price of Chic: Expect the staff—likely to feature an exciting new ensemble of French actors—to be even more impossibly stylish, and even more burdened by the entitled American guests.
While casting is still tightly under wraps, speculation is already running wild about which returning character (if any) will make the trip to France, and which French legends will join the lineup.
