HBO has yet to officially confirm that Season 4 of The White Lotus will be filmed in France, but Variety has learned that the next installment of Mike White’s hit anthology will actually be filmed there, and they’re actively scouting stylish locations in two iconic locations: Paris and the Cote d’Azur.
Season 3 was primarily filmed on Koh Samui, with an episode in Bangkok where Rick Hatchet (Walton Goggins) prepares his fateful revenge plan, but like season 4, the story of season 4 will primarily take place in the south of France, with a subplot in Paris. Sources say that no hotels are currently locked down for season 4, which is still in development and is expected to begin filming next year.
The past three seasons have taken place at Four Seasons properties in Hawaii, Sicily and Thailand, but Season 4 will take a different path as HBO has not renewed its marketing partnership with the Four Seasons hotel chain.
Luxury hotels we visited in Paris include Le Lutetia, an iconic 5-star hotel located in the chic Saint-Germain-des-Prés district on the left bank of the Seine. Built in 1910, Le Lutetia (now part of the Mandarin Oriental chain) was the second home of many iconic figures from history, including Charlie Chaplin, Ernest Hemingway, Pablo Picasso, and Josephine Baker. Another Parisian palace considered in Season 4 is the Ritz Paris, another five-star hotel that opened in 1898 and became a favorite hangout for the likes of Coco Chanel, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Marcel Proust.
White, who likes to develop mystery and suspense around his shows, gave cryptic clues about season 4’s filming locations in a “post-episode” clip package that aired on HBO after the season 3 finale. “In Season 4, we want to take a little break from the waves crashing on our local rocks,” he teased. “But there’s always room for more murders at the White Lotus Hotel.” Locations with the Côte d’Azur’s rocky beaches include Monaco and Nice.
Like the other seasons, which depict wealthy Americans vacationing at idyllic resorts and interacting with the locals, season 4 is likely to showcase French talent alongside American actors. The cast mostly changes from season to season, but some characters do return, including Tanya (Jennifer Coolidge), Greg (Jon Gries), and Belinda (Natasha Rothwell). It will definitely be interesting to see French-Canadian actor Charlotte Le Bon, who plays Chloe, return for season 4.
