Mike White's darkly comedic anthology series The White Lotus has returned for its triumphant third season in early 2025, and it has also already been renewed for a fourth installment. Premiering back in 2021, each season of the show is set at one of the locations of the titular resort chain, and has beautiful and exotic vistas as the stage for its drama. The real important bit is the characters who vacation at the resort, and the employees who work there, as their complicated lives (and sometimes their blood) spill out for all to see in increasingly shocking twists.

Season 3 relocates the anthology to Thailand, and serves up a fresh batch of disparate travelers, each with their own dark stories to tell. On top of that, The White Lotus gets more star-studded with each subsequent season, something reflected in the A-list talent on display in season 3. With a bevy of awards to its credit, and a massive audience on Max, it seems as if The White Lotus is going to stick around for quite some time. Reflecting the network's confidence in Mike White's creation, Max swiftly renewed the show for a fourth season.

The White Lotus Season 4 Latest News

Season 4's Location Is Teased

With season 3 concluded, the latest news comes in the form of a location tease for The White Lotus season 4. Without outright confirming a certain setting, series creator Mike White has teased that season 4 will move away from what has been seen in previous outings. "I want to get a little bit out of the crashing waves of rocks vernacular," said White, suggesting that a beachfront location won't be featured next time. This doesn't really narrow it down, but it does open the door for new ideas.

A snowy location has been largely ruled out in previous updates, but more barren locales are always possible. Tourism is truly an international business, and the White Lotus chain of resorts could have a presence in every part of the globe. However, White's comments are interesting because he links the ocean with symbolism for the various seasons.

Read Mike White's full comments here:

“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.”

The White Lotus Season 4 Is Confirmed

The Anthology Series Scored A Preemptive Renewal Order

In a move that surprised almost no one, Max opted to renew The White Lotus for a fourth season around a month before season 3's premiere. While early renewals are still exceptionally rare in the streaming era, the overwhelming popularity and critical success of The White Lotus makes it one of those big exceptions to the rule. It's unclear exactly why Max opted to announce the renewal so early, but it could help drive an even larger audience to season 3, since they are now guaranteed to get at least one more outing.

it isn't certain if season 4 will arrive in 2026 or sometime after.

As for when viewers can expect to actually see season 4 on the small screen, it's tough to guess. Season 1 and 2 came at a yearly clip (releasing in 2021 and 2022), but it took over two years for season 3 to materialize. While a large part of that delay could be chalked up to the 2023 Hollywood strikes which brought the industry to a standstill for most of the year, it still took over a year after the strikes' resolution to return. With all that said, it isn't certain if season 4 will arrive in 2026 or sometime after.

The White Lotus season 3 premiered on February 16, 2025.

The White Lotus Season 4 Story Details

A New White Lotus Location Will Be Explored

Though it's impossible to guess exactly what is going to happen in The White Lotus season 4, it's possible to speculate about the season's themes. One thing that makes the show so brilliant is that it mercilessly lampoons issues of class, while also giving every character their due. Unlike other shows and movies which tear down the rich, The White Lotus imbues them with relatable humanity which adds a compelling layer. With each season essentially exploring similar ideas, it's expected that season 4 will too.

someone or even a group of someones, isn't going to make it back from their vacation alive.

Season 4's setting will also go a long way in explaining what will happen, as the backdrop often informs the type of vacationers who show up at that White Lotus location. Regardless of what the specifics might be, someone or even a group of someones, isn't going to make it back from their vacation alive. This dark twist adds another layer of intrigue to the dark comedy, and The White Lotus isn't afraid to kill off any of the season's characters.