After two seasons of the wildly popular White Lotus , creator Mike White appears to have tapped an A-list star for season three. A growing number of talented actors have come forward for consideration, including the likes of Jennifer Aniston, Bette Midler and Jamie Lee Curtis. The latest is Elizabeth Banks, who very specifically wants to be one of the show's victims.
Play a role with all your heart
While promoting her new animated film " The Move" on "Live with Kelly and Mark" on December 15, Banks mentioned that White had "written the script" before filming the first two seasons of "White Lotus." first draft." This gave Mark Consuelos the opportunity to ask her if she would be interested in starring in White's anthology series. Her answer was a resounding "yes."
"I wanted so badly to be murdered on 'The White Lotus ,'" Banks says, referring to the mysterious deaths that appear in each season — first of Armond (Murray Bartlett), second The first is Tanya (Jennifer Coolidge). "Like, kill me. Please kill me."
Consuelos and Kelly Ripa were both supportive of the idea, so Banks encouraged the talk show host to approach White directly. Ripa turned to the camera and issued a plea. “Mike White, please cast your friend Elizabeth Banks in Season 3 or 4 of White Lotus — we’ll choose one of them,” she said.
Banks expressed her appreciation for Ripa's efforts on her behalf. "I'll write you a check right now," she joked. There's still time for their plea to pay off, as filming is set to begin in early 2024.
"Crazier" Season 3
White previously promised that a "super-sized white lotus " would appear in season three. In a November interview with Entertainment Weekly , he teased that it would be "longer, bigger and crazier." According to reports, the story this time will be set in Thailand, the filming locations of Maui and Sicily for the first and second seasons respectively.
In December 2022, White discussed the themes of the first two seasons with Variety , and he looked ahead to a third season, saying "it could be a satirical and interesting look at death, Eastern religion and spirituality." This seems to be the route he ultimately chose. In May, HBO drama executive Francesca Orsi shared details about season three with Deadline .
“It’s about spirituality and the exploration of self,” Orsi said. "And it's against Eastern religions. But other than that, I can't really talk about some of Mike's character ideas."
So far, only Natasha Rothwell, who played Belinda in the first series, has been cast. Prior to this, White told Deadline that they had worked with "a lot of interesting actors" and "it's like who's available." That, and maybe who's knocking on his door now, like Banksy.
