History of The White Lotus in Timeline

The White Lotus is a black comedy drama anthology series on HBO created by Mike White. Each season follows guests and staff at a luxury "White Lotus" resort. Season 1 was set in Hawaii, season 2 in Sicily, and season 3 is upcoming in Thailand. Jennifer Coolidge, Natasha Rothwell, and Jon Gries are the only actors to appear in multiple seasons.

2011: Enlightened (2011-2013)

In 2011, White did not like commuting to a San Fernando Valley studio to shoot Enlightened (2011–2013).

2013: Enlightened (2011-2013)

In 2013, White did not like commuting to a San Fernando Valley studio to shoot Enlightened (2011–2013).

October 2020: The White Lotus Greenlit

In October 2020, The White Lotus was greenlit by HBO as a miniseries.

October 2020: Principal Photography Begins

In October 2020, principal photography for the first season of The White Lotus began in Hawaii under COVID-19 guidelines.

October 19, 2020: HBO Limited Series Order

On October 19, 2020, HBO gave The White Lotus a limited series order that consisted of six episodes. The series was created, written and directed by White, who also serves as executive producer alongside David Bernad and Nick Hall.

October 30, 2020: Cast Additions

On October 30, 2020, Molly Shannon, Jon Gries, Jolene Purdy, Kekoa Kekumano, and Lukas Gage joined the cast of The White Lotus in recurring roles.

November 21, 2020: Filming Update

By November 21, 2020, The White Lotus series was halfway through filming at the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea.

2020: Show Development

In 2020, after the COVID-19 lockdowns, HBO's head of programming Casey Bloys asked Mike White for show ideas that could be shot in a bubble environment under lockdown conditions, leading to the development of The White Lotus.

2020: Location Selection

In 2020, the production team considered Australia and Hawaii as locations for The White Lotus. Ultimately, they chose Hawaii because Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts allowed HBO to use their property for 13 weeks.

July 11, 2021: The White Lotus Series Premiere

On July 11, 2021, The White Lotus, created by Mike White, premiered on HBO.

August 10, 2021: The White Lotus Renewed for Second Season

On August 10, 2021, HBO renewed The White Lotus for a second season, which consisted of seven episodes.

August 2021: The White Lotus Adaptation to Anthology Series

In August 2021, The White Lotus, initially greenlit as a miniseries in October 2020, was adapted by HBO into an anthology series.

August 16, 2021: UK and Republic of Ireland Premiere

On August 16, 2021, The White Lotus series premiered on Sky Atlantic in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.

October 15, 2021: Jennifer Coolidge Returning for Second Season

On October 15, 2021, Jennifer Coolidge was reported to be set to return for the second season of The White Lotus.

2021: AFI Awards

In 2021, The White Lotus was included in the American Film Institute Awards top ten Programs of the Year list.

January 2022: Second Season Cast Confirmed

In January 2022, Michael Imperioli, Aubrey Plaza, F. Murray Abraham, Adam DiMarco, Tom Hollander, and Haley Lu Richardson were confirmed to star in the second season of The White Lotus.

February 2022: More Cast Members Join Second Season

In February 2022, Theo James, Meghann Fahy, Will Sharpe, and Leo Woodall joined the cast of The White Lotus for the second season.

March 2022: Additional Cast Members Announced

In March 2022, Beatrice Grannò, Sabrina Impacciatore, and Simona Tabasco joined the cast of The White Lotus for the second season.

September 13, 2022: First Season DVD Release

On September 13, 2022, the first season of The White Lotus was released on DVD.

October 30, 2022: Second Season Premiere

On October 30, 2022, the second season of The White Lotus premiered.

November 18, 2022: HBO Renews The White Lotus for Season 3

On November 18, 2022, HBO renewed The White Lotus for a third season, which would take place at a resort in Thailand.

December 11, 2022: Second Season Finale

On December 11, 2022, the second season of The White Lotus aired its final episode.

2022: AFI Awards

In 2022, The White Lotus was included in the American Film Institute Awards top ten Programs of the Year list.

April 2023: Rothwell Returning for Third Season

In April 2023, Natasha Rothwell was reported to be reprising her role as Belinda for the third season of The White Lotus.

2023: Writers Guild of America Strike

In 2023, the Writers Guild of America strike caused a delay in the production of the third season of The White Lotus.

2023: Third Season Production Disrupted

In 2023, the production of The White Lotus's third season was disrupted by the Writers Guild of America strike.

January 2024: Third Season Cast Announced

In January 2024, Leslie Bibb, Jason Isaacs, Michelle Monaghan, Parker Posey, Dom Hetrakul, Tayme Thapthimthong, Carrie Coon, Miloš Biković, Christian Friedel, Morgana O'Reilly, Lek Patravadi, Shalini Peiris, Walton Goggins, Sarah Catherine Hook, Sam Nivola, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Aimee Lou Wood, Francesca Corney, Nicholas Duvernay, and Arnas Fedaravičius joined the cast for the third season of The White Lotus.

February 2024: Cast Changes and Additions

In February 2024, Miloš Biković was dropped from the cast of The White Lotus due to alleged support of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and replaced with Julian Kostov. Scott Glenn and Lalisa Manobal were also cast.

February 2024: Filming of Season 3 Begins

In February 2024, filming of the third season of The White Lotus began in Thailand, partly due to a tax incentive.

March 2024: Casting Revisions

In March 2024, Charlotte Le Bon joined the cast of The White Lotus, replacing Francesca Corney in a re-casting.

August 2024: Filming of Season 3 Wraps

In August 2024, filming of the third season of The White Lotus wrapped in Thailand, mainly at the Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui.

November 2024: Political Vibe Shift

In November 2024, story that season was originally set to feature the brief mention of one character having a nonbinary child, however this was later cut due to a political "vibe shift" coinciding with the election of President Donald Trump