It’s time to check out of the White Lotus Thailand. On Sunday, season three of Mike White’s murderous vacation series came to a bloody end, with multiple guests and employees not making it out of the resort alive. This latest season crushed previous records for the series, averaging 12.2 million viewers per episode—a 78% increase from season two’s performance during the same period.
But even before The White Lotus season three premiered on February 16, HBO had renewed the series for a fourth season, meaning there’s more five-star murder in store. Here’s everything we know about The White Lotus season four so far.
First off: Who died on White Lotus season three?
Many, many people. It was written in the stars that disaster would strike opposites-attract lovers Rick (Walton Goggins) and Chelsea (Aimee Lou Wood). After resisting the urge to murder White Lotus Thailand owner Jim Hollinger (Scott Glenn) in Bangkok, Rick wound up shooting the old man at the resort instead, only to discover after pulling the trigger that Jim was actually his father all along. An ensuing shootout took down Jim’s bodyguards and, alas, Chelsea. Then guard Gaitok (Tayme Thapthimthong), on orders from Jim’s wife Sritala (Patravadi Mejudhon), shot an unarmed Rick in the back, murdering him too.
For a minute, it looked like Lochlan Ratliff (Sam Nivola) wouldn’t make it out of Thailand alive either, after making a protein shake with the blender that his father Thomas Ratliff (Jason Isaacs) had used to make poison piña coladas with the seeds of the suicide tree. Luckily for Lochlan, he got away with a near-death experience and an upset stomach. Other guests left the White Lotus not only physically intact, but thriving. Jaclyn (Michelle Monaghan), Kate (Leslie Bibb) and Laurie (Carrie Coon) discovered the power of friendship, while Belinda (Natasha Rothwell) and her son Zion (Nicholas DuVernay) successfully played hardball with Greg (Jon Gries) and left Thailand $5 million richer.
What’s the timeline for season four?
HBO renewed The White Lotus for a fourth season in January of 2025. A few months before that, HBO CEO Casey Bloys told Variety that White had already floated an idea for the season while Bloys was visiting the Thailand set with HBO programming executive Francesca Orsi. “We were in Phuket, sitting at dinner, just chatting about the future, when Mike asked, ‘What do you think—would you be interested in more?’” Orsi told Deadline. “We told him, ‘If you want to make more, we’re in.’”
Variety reports that White is expected to begin filming in 2026, with a potential premiere later that year or in early 2027.
Where will White Lotus season four take place?
The White Lotus has already explored the beaches of Hawaii, the streets of Sicily, and the temples of Thailand. The locale for the fourth season has not been picked, but according to Orsi, they’re beginning the process to narrow it down. “We’re going on some locations scouting in the next couple of weeks, so we’ll know soon,” she told Deadline in February 2025. “I can’t really say where we’re going to land, but chances are somewhere in Europe.”
After season three’s finale, White gave a hint that we might get a change of scenery for season four. “For the fourth season, I want to get a little bit out of the crashing waves of rocks vernacular but there’s always more room for more murders at the White Lotus hotels,” he said on HBO’s “After The Episode” featurette. But don’t hold your breath for a Swiss alps ski chalet season. “I’d bet $100,000 we don’t end up in the cold next,” said producer David Bernad to The Hollywood Reporter. “Even if we flirted with the idea, Mike just wouldn’t want to be in the cold. He hates it.”
Who will be checking into The White Lotus season four?
The possibilities are truly endless. As is customary for The White Lotus, season four is expected to be comprised of a brand new batch of hotel guests, with the potential for a familiar face or two to pop in when we least expect it. White has also said he’s interested in doing an an “all-star season” comprised of fan favorites from across all the iterations. Will that be season four? Probably not. “I don’t think that’ll be season four, but it’s definitely still on the horizon,” said Orsi. “It’s in the early stages, but I imagine Mike will go beyond just one more season. He’s got more to say.” Start compiling your dream casts now.
