Good things come to those who wait.
And for Euphoria fans, the wait for the HBO drama’s long-delayed third season will finally come to an end in 2026, which is when season three is expected to debut at long last, Warner Bros. Discovery Global Streaming CEO JB Perrette announced Dec. 3, per Variety. In the meantime, viewers can look forward to the return of The White Lotus in February 2025, as HBO also announced its return date.
While Euphoria’s second season was met with critical acclaim and earned series lead Zendaya an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, production on season three has faced numerous setbacks, including the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. When filming does kick off in January, a few familiar faces will be missing, including Angus Cloud, who passed away in July 2023, and Storm Reid, who recently confirmed her exit from the series.
“I’m very excited for season three,” she told Rotten Tomatoes in November. “Unfortunately, Gia’s not returning to the third season, but I am so, so indebted to the cast and the crew of that show, to HBO.”
As for The White Lotus—created by Mike White—the Emmy-winning anthology series will feature a largely revamped cast, although Natasha Rothwell will reprise her role as spa employee Belinda from the show’s first season. And while fan faves like Jennifer Coolidge, Aubrey Plaza and Theo James aren’t expected to return, the new cast is excited to be checking in.
“To work with Mike White and just to be a part of this project was a dream come true," Patrick Schwarzenegger told E! News in November. “It was surreal, it was life-changing to learn amongst the other actors. It was incredible. I can’t wait for it to come out.”
Season three will feature Patrick and Natasha alongside the likes of Leslie Bibb, Parker Posey, Jason Isaacs and Walton Goggins, who also raved to E! News about getting to be part of the “extraordinary” project.
“It really is, at this point, a small group of actors that have had that opportunity to have that experience,” he said. “And I think for all of us that went on this current incarnation, it’s a feather in our cap.”
Keep reading for a closer look at what to expect from season three of The White Lotus.
Who will star in The White Lotus season three?
Patrick Schwarzenegger (Gen V), Aimee Lou Wood (Sex Education), Walton Goggins (The Hateful Eight), Sarah Catherine Hook (The Conjuring) and Sam Nivola (The Pursuit of Love) are the latest stars to check in for season three.
Who else will act in The White Lotus season three?
Avengers' Carrie Coon, Iron Man's Leslie Bibb and Harry Potter's Jason Isaacs are set to star in season three. Parker Posey, Dom Hetrakul, Michelle Monaghan and Tayme Thapthimthong are also joining the White Lotus cast.
Which cast members are returning for The White Lotus season three?
Natasha Rothwell is coming back! The Insecure actress played spa manager Belinda in season one.
Where will The White Lotus season three take place?
Season three will take place in Thailand, the network announced in January 2024.
After wrapping production on The White Lotus' second season in Sicily, creator Mike White hinted that he already had a destination for season three in mind.
"The first season highlighted money and the second season is sex," he said. "I think the third season, it would be maybe a satirical, funny look at death, Eastern religion and spirituality. It feels like it could be a rich tapestry to do another round."
Will the season two mystery continue?
The end of The White Lotus' second season still left some untied threads, particularly when it comes to the nefarious dealings of Tanya's (Jennifer Coolidge) husband Greg (Jon Gries).
However, Mike White suggested those questions might get answered sooner rather than later.
"I think as far as like, what happens to Greg and the conspiracy of Tanya's death, it's possible that I think Portia (Haley Lu Richardson) is scared enough to just leave it alone," White said to HBO after the season two finale, "but the fact that all of those guys die on the boat, it feels like there's gotta be somebody who's gonna track it back down to Greg. But maybe you'll have to wait to find out what happens."
Could anybody else from season two return?
The second season introduced viewers to sex-addicted producer Dominic Di Grasso, played by Michael Imperioli, traveling with his son Albie (Adam DiMarco) and father Bert (F. Murray Abraham).
While it's unclear if Michael has actually had conversations about reprising his role in season three—he'd certainly jump at the chance.
"Who knows, maybe there'll be another White Lotus season where Dominic comes with his wife and they patch it all up!" Michael suggested to Esquire in December. "I don't want to think about it too much. Because the idea of that makes me so happy. I don't want to be disappointed. I would want nothing more than that."
Hey, if that means we'd get to meet Laura Dern, who voiced Dominic's wife in season two, we're all for it!
What about some season one returns?
In July 2022, Connie Britton—who played businesswoman Nicole Mossbacher in season one—revealed that she and Mike White had already discussed her potential return.
"He wanted me to be in the second season, and there was an idea that I loved for the character," Connie told Deadline in July 2022. "Our intention is to do it in the third season. A piece of casting didn't work in the second season and we're hoping to that in the third season."
When asked about the idea by E! News in January, Connie simply said, "Listen, my lips are sealed."
Tanya won't be back again...right?
After Tanya—spoiler alert!—killed a bunch of people and then fell to her death in the season two finale, it stands to reason that Jennifer Coolidge probably won't be returning to The White Lotus for the third season in a row—even in ghost form.
"He sort of sticks to his guns," Jennifer said of Mike White in an interview with E! News Jan. 17. "He's an amazing friend, but I think he made his decision. He wanted a big, dramatic, Italian, you know, operatic ending for White Lotus 2, and he wanted to sacrifice Tanya."
May she rest in peace.
When will season three premiere?
Simply put: It's still going to be a while.
Season three will start filming in February 2024, so if you're craving some devious resort behavior, you'll have to settle for a re-watch of the first two seasons of The White Lotus, which are available to stream on HBO Max.