Production has started on season 4 of HBO's "The White Lotus," with the new installment filming in France and centering part of its story on the Cannes Film Festival.

The fourth season moves the anthology series to the French Riviera after earlier seasons were set in Hawaii, Italy, and Thailand. Reports say filming is underway in the region, with locations including Cannes, Saint-Tropez, and Monaco, while some scenes are also expected in Paris.

The hotel setting for the season includes the Airelles Château de la Messardière in Saint-Tropez, a 19th-century property that was identified as one of the main production sites. The choice fits the show's pattern of using luxury destinations as the backdrop for stories about wealth, status, and personal conflict, according to Deadline.

The Cannes Film Festival storyline will be part of the season's plot, and the real festival is scheduled for May 13 to May 24, 2026. The setting gives the production a timely backdrop for scenes involving celebrities, industry figures, and high-profile guests.

What Season 4 Will Focus On

Series creator Mike White has said season 4 will focus on fame, and reports describe the tone as more playful than season 3, which leaned into spiritual ideas. That shift suggests the new season will examine how public attention, image, and ambition play out among the characters.

Season 1 was set at the White Lotus resort in Hawaii, where manager Armond dealt with guests including Shane and Rachel Patton, Tanya McQuoid, the Mossbacher family, Belinda Lindsey, and a local employee named Kai.

By the end of the season, Armond died after a confrontation with Shane, Rachel stayed in her marriage, and Quinn Mossbacher chose to remain in Hawaii, Vogue reported.

Season 2 took place in Sicily and followed Tanya McQuoid-Hunt and Greg, along with the Di Grasso family, Harper and Ethan Spiller, Cameron and Daphne Sullivan, and hotel staff, including manager Valentina. The story involved Greg's secret plans, Lucia and Mia's schemes, and Tanya's death after she realized Greg was involved in a plot against her.

Season 3 was set in Thailand and centered on the Ratliff family, the friend group of Jaclyn, Kate, and Laurie, and characters including Rick, Chelsea, Belinda, Gaitok, Mook, and Sritala.

The season ended with Rick killing Jim Hollinger, Sritala revealing that Jim was Rick's father, Chelsea being killed in the gunfire, and Belinda leaving Thailand after receiving a payout from Greg's associate, Zion, as per the Kenyon Collegian.

Tags
Season 4, Cannes Film Festival