Gorgeous Hawaii might be the backdrop to HBO’s new show, but in writer and director Mike White’s world “paradise is no vacation”.
His six-part series is a shocking and humorous look at the lives of the jet-setting elite. Set at £9,000-a-night luxury hotel in Maui, this dark social satire is part murder-mystery, part social commentery.
“It portrays a tropical retreat for the 1% as a simmering cauldron of class conflict, environmental despair and white privilege – somewhere to unravel rather than unwind,” explains the LA Times.
While the show might revolve around a thick plotline with sharp, dark humour, viewers are also keen to know more about the stunning locations where they shot the show in late 2020.
Here’s everything you need to know about The White Lotus and where it was filmed.
What is the premise of The White Lotus?
The six-episode series follows the lives of staff and guests staying at a luxurious tropical resort in Hawaii. Over the span of one week we watch them relax and chill out, but with each new day darker dynamics and more complex stories are revealed.
It has been compared to Bong Joon-ho’s Oscar-winning film Parasite, which also looks at class conflict and social inequality.
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Who’s behind the show and who stars in it?
Mike White of School of Rock fame created, wrote and directed The White Lotus. The script is full of social commentary in the way you see the rich, white families treating the resort and staff.
The cast includes big names like Jennifer Coolidge, Connie Britton, Jake Lacy and Alexandra Daddario as the crazy guests, and Murray Bartlett as the manic hotel manager.
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Where did filming for The White Lotus take place?
The White Lotus is a fictional all-inclusive luxury resort in Maui, but the series was actually shot at a real-life resort. All cast and crew lived, worked and quarantined at the Four Seasons Resort Maui for the whole shoot during the end of 2020. The location is absolutely idyllic with amazing ocean views, luxe rooms and Hawaii’s wild, tropical landscapes nearby.
Due to the pandemic and short timeframe that the series follows, the whole plot is set in Maui and around the White Lotus resort.
The show has already been so successful that HBO has confirmed a second season.
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Have you seen The White Lotus? What did you think? Did it inspire you to want to visit Hawaii? Let us know in the comments….