'The White Lotus' heads to French Riviera for lavish shoot

The fourth season of 'The White Lotus' is taking shape against one of Europe's most opulent backdrops, with production set to unfold along the French Riviera and centre on a 19th-century palace hotel in Saint-Tropez, as creator Mike White continues writing the series.

Filming will take place at the Chateau de La Messardiere, a historic property transformed into a luxury hotel, spread across 32 acres of parasol pines, cypress trees and jasmine. The hotel, part of the Airelles Collection owned by Stephane Courbit, will serve as a primary location for the HBO anthology.

Production is scheduled to begin at the end of April and continue through October, with the series once again opting for multiple filming sites rather than a single resort. Alongside Saint-Tropez, scenes are expected to be shot at a hotel in Paris, while the narrative unfolds across the Cote d'Azur.

Though plot details remain tightly guarded, the series will follow its familiar structure of tracking a group of hotel guests and employees over the course of a week. Sources indicate that the Cannes Film Festival, which runs from May 13 to 26, could feature within the storyline.

The new season continues the show's tradition of placing wealthy travellers in exotic, high-end locations, where personal tensions and darker undercurrents gradually surface. The upcoming instalment will likely to explore themes of fame, contrasting those satisfied with intimate relationships against those seeking validation from strangers.

Casting for the fourth season is under way, with a significant number of French actors auditioning as the production leans into its Riviera setting. Among the first confirmed additions are Alexander Ludwig and AJ Michalka, signalling the start of what is expected to be one of the show's largest ensembles.

The series has built a reputation for its rotating cast, with only a handful of actors appearing across multiple seasons. Jennifer Coolidge featured in the first two instalments, Natasha Rothwell appeared in the first and third, while Jon Gries has been present in all three seasons to date.

Recent casting announcements suggest an expansive mix of established performers and newcomers. Names linked to the project include Helena Bonham Carter, Steve Coogan, Chris Messina, Kumail Nanjiani, Chloe Bennet and Max Greenfield, alongside French actors Vincent Cassel, Corentin Fila and Nadia Tereszkiewicz.

The third season, set in Thailand and featuring a wide-ranging cast, earned eight acting Emmy nominations, reinforcing the show's standing as a major television draw. Its blend of ensemble storytelling and an underlying mystery - typically involving a death - remains central to its appeal.

Behind the scenes, however, the new season will mark a notable shift. Composer Cristobal Tapia de Veer, whose distinctive score became synonymous with the series, will not return following creative differences with White during the previous instalment.

Despite the change, the production timeline suggests the next season will not arrive before 2027, continuing the gap seen between earlier releases. With White still developing the script and filming set to span several months, expectations are building for another visually rich and narratively layered chapter.