HBO Renewed 'The White Lotus' Ahead of the Season 1 Finale
Updated Aug. 4 2022, 10:12 a.m. ET
Lani and Armond in 'The White Lotus' Season 1.
The series premiere of The White Lotus set the tone for the entire series. It's a murder mystery of sorts; it's revealed early on in Season 1 that one guest at the White Lotus resort in Hawaii dies by the end of the week-long vacation.
Because of the intimate setting and the intense storylines among the ensemble cast of characters, fans were already wondering about Season 2 well before the first season finished. The show was initially marketed as a one-off limited series, but HBO announced a surprising decision ahead of the Season 1 finale.
Sydney Sweeney and Brittany O'Grady as Olivia and Paula in 'The White Lotus.'
Will there be a Season 2 of 'The White Lotus'?
Though The White Lotus was originally billed as a limited show, HBO announced that it had renewed the popular series for a second season.
"Mike [White, the show's creator] has once again delivered a quintessential HBO show, and it's the talk of the town. We were thrilled to hear where he wanted to go next, after closing this epic chapter in Hawaii, and can't wait to keep following him wherever he takes us," Francesca Orsi, the HBO executive VP of programming, said in a statement on Aug. 10, 2021.
When is the release date for 'The White Lotus' Season 2?
The White Lotus was nominated for 20 Emmys in 2022, which shows just how successful the series is for the network. And it might rake in even more noms and (dare we say?) a few wins in 2023.
Season 2 premieres on October 30, 2022, at 9:00 pm EST on HBO with a new cast except for Season 1's Jennifer Coolidge and Jon Gries, who played her love interest in the first season.
The White Lotus isn't the first HBO show to expand from being a limited series.
Big Little Lies, based on a book of the same name, was originally supposed to be one season. But the fan reception was so great that the network ordered another season and brought back the original cast, with a few new faces.
The White Lotus was a quick success among critics and viewers alike following its release on HBO, and Mike White already knows in what direction he'd take the drama.
Before the Season 2 renewal news came out, Mike White told TVLine in August 2021 that he had some ideas of his own about what Season 2 might look like.
"It would have to be a different hotel, like, say, The White Lotus: San Tropez or something," he said at the time, of the show's setting for the second season.
Jennifer Coolidge plays Tanya in 'The White Lotus.'
He also revealed, much to the disappointment of fans, that the Season 1 cast only signed on for one season. He, therefore, couldn't realistically have all of the same characters back at a brand new resort.
"I don't think you can credibly have [all the Season 1 guests] on the same vacation again," he said. "But maybe it could be a Marvel universe type thing, where some of them would come back."
Luckily we now know we're getting two characters back, including a fan favorite, so that's something.
Who dies in 'The White Lotus' Season 1?
The big mystery in Season 1 of The White Lotus is who dies. By the end of the season we learn that Shane (Jake Lacy) accidentally kills White Lotus hotel manager Armond (Murray Bartlett). It's a surprising end, especially since it means there's no feasible way to bring back the charismatic but totally unhinged hotel manager.
Still, with Jennifer Coolidge back for Season 2 and the promise of more drama and intrigue, the second season of The White Lotus is unlikely to disappoint.
Watch Season 1 of The White Lotus on HBO Max.