The fourth season of HBO’s ‘The White Lotus’ will film at a 19th-century palace-turned-luxury hotel in Saint-Tropez as creator Mike White continues writing the highly anticipated installment, according to Variety.
The Château de la Messardière, set within 32 acres of parasol pines, cypress trees and jasmine on the Côte d’Azur, will serve as one of several filming locations for the anthology series, which follows hotel guests and employees over the course of a week.
The château is part of Airelles Collection, a group of five-star hotels owned by Stéphane Courbit, founder and chairman of Banijay Group, the production company behind Survivor and Peaky Blinders.
HBO declined to comment to Variety.
French Riviera setting
Filming will begin at the end of April and continue through October, Variety has learned. True to White’s meticulous approach to crafting unique backdrops, Season 4 will not shoot entirely at a single property but will combine different venues along the French Riviera, with some scenes also filmed at a Paris hotel.
Room rates at Château de la Messardière typically start at around €1,100 per night in low season and can exceed €25,000 per night for top suites during peak summer in Saint-Tropez.
Cannes connection
While the plot remains tightly under wraps beyond HBO’s confirmation that it will follow a group of hotel guests and employees, sources told Variety the Cannes Film Festival could be part of the storyline.
Given that filming will take place on the Riviera during the festival, which runs 13to to 26th May, the timing appears plausible.
Casting is underway for Season 4, with a large number of French actors having auditioned for roles, according to Variety. The outlet reported last month that Alexander Ludwig (Earth Abides, Vikings) and AJ Michalka (The Goldbergs, Super 8) are the first new cast members announced.
Emmy-winning franchise
So far, only three cast members have appeared in more than one season of the anthology: Jennifer Coolidge, who played Tanya McQuoid in Seasons 1 and 2; Natasha Rothwell, who played Belinda Lindsey in Seasons 1 and 3; and Jon Gries, who has played Greg Hunt in all three seasons.
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Main photo courtesy of Airelles Château de la Messardière