Is The White Lotus Season 3 coming out? Everything we know about the HBO Max show’s future

The White Lotus Season 2 has officially come to an end. The HBO series’ follow-up to its smash hit debut season proved just as compelling and engaging as its predecessor, with its Season 2 finale even featuring several moments that stand out as surprising and tragic.

As viewers approach 2023, they’ve been left to wonder if The White Lotus is coming back for a third season. And, if so, what can be expected from its next international vacation?

Here’s everything you need to know about The White Lotus Season 3.

Is The White Lotus renewed for Season 3?

Yes! Capitalizing on the series’ success, HBO officially renewed The White Lotus for a third season in November. While little is known about Season 3’s cast and plot, creator Mike White is expected to return as the show’s writer and director.

What happened at the end of The White Lotus Season 2?

At the end of The White Lotus Season 2, Tanya McQuoid-Hunt (Jennifer Coolidge) successfully takes out nearly all her would-be murderers, including the nefarious Quentin (Tom Hollander), only to meet her maker moments later by hitting her head on a metal railing after jumping from a yacht. Her body is found floating in the water the next day, while her assistant, Portia (Haley Lu Richardson), manages to make it to an airport and leave Sicily without having to deal with the aftermath or reveal her knowledge of what happened.

Before Portia leaves Italy, however, she exchanges phone numbers with Albie (Adam DiMarco), who was conned out of a significant amount of money by Lucia (Simona Tabasco). Season 2 also concludes by hinting that the previously broken relationship between Albie’s mother and father (Michael Imperioli) may have a chance at healing. Harper (Aubrey Plaza), Ethan (Will Sharpe), Daphne (Meghann Fahy), and Cameron (Theo James), all met similar fates, leaving The White Lotus Season 2 with their respective marriages still intact, albeit barely.

Whether any of these characters will return in The White Lotus Season 3 remains to be seen, but there’s certainly a chance that some of Season 2’s lingering plot threads will be addressed when it returns.

What will happen in The White Lotus Season 3’s plot?

The White Lotus is an anthology, so its seasons largely revolve around new casts of characters in new locations. Season 3 is expected to stick to that format and follow new characters as they take a vacation at another international resort owned by the title hotel chain.

Beyond that, very little has been confirmed about The White Lotus Season 3. However, series creator Mike White has teased that characters from Season 2 could return. White has also heavily hinted that Season 3 will take place in Asia, and has suggested that it could be a “kind of satirical and funny look” at “Eastern religion and spirituality.”

When will The White Lotus Season 3 come out? Is there a release date?

No official premiere date for Season 3 has been set, and production hasn’t begun. Season 1 premiered in July 2021, and Season 2 premiered about 15 months later, in October 2022. Following that pattern, it seems probable that The White Lotus Season 3 could premiere either at the end of 2023 or early 2024.

If you need a more specific date, 15 months from October 2022 gets us to January 2024, which sounds like the ideal time for a tropical vacation to a White Lotus resort. Sundays that month land on the 7th, the 14th, the 21st, and the 28th. So any of those days could wind up being the release date for The White Lotus Season 3.

Seasons 1 and 2 of The White Lotus are now streaming on HBO Max.