Production has begun on The White Lotus Season 4, with this latest season being set in France and the Cannes Film Festival as the backdrop. Many familiar elements make a return here, including the push and pull dynamics between the privileged and the working class, and even power dynamics among the elite themselves.
What sets this season apart from the rest, however, is what producer David Bernad described as “French aloofness” in a report from Variety.
‘Speaking at Canneseries, Bernad recalled an encounter with a waiter that sealed the deal: “We went to dinner, and we had a really specific experience with a waiter and a maître d’, and it was the stereotype.” A show concerned with customer-service dynamics suddenly had a new element to play with: French aloofness. “It was a very funny moment. And I think that it suddenly unlocked what the show is and the dynamics of the show,” he said, adding, “We literally canceled all the other places we were going. We were like, OK, we’re shooting here.”’
It’s worth noting that Vincent Cassel has indeed been tapped to play the hotel manager this season, like I’d hoped, and I’d certainly be very excited to see what he brings to the table.
Bernad also commented that French directness has felt “liberating” for him and the team. “I feel like I have very honest relationships with the French crew,” Bernad says, “It’s the best craft service we’ve had.” The report also goes on to describe a scene in The White Lotus Season 4 that will involve a conflict between a hotel guest and service staff about ordering room service after hours, which sounds wonderfully frivolous with the potential to escalate into something so much more. It reminds me a lot of Shane’s feud with Armand in Season 1, with both characters spending all season trying to mess with each other, and it seems that the French culture will prove to be ripe ground for more shenanigans like this one.
Variety’s report also touches a little on Helena Bonham Carter’s role and her exit from the show. Creator Mike White had written a “washed-out star who is chasing a comeback” and that role was originally meant for Carter. The report simply states that Carter left production “after nearly a week on set over creative differences involving White’s demand for a boisterous performance”.
She has since been replaced by Laura Dern, who actually voiced Dominic’s wife over a phone call in Season 2. The role has been rewritten for Dern, and while it’ll likely be similar to what White initially had in mind for Carter, we can probably expect some key changes.
The White Lotus is now available for streaming on HBO Max.
