Get ready for a new dose of dysfunctional luxury. The cult series The White Lotus is packing its Louis Vuitton suitcases and moving to a location where champagne is served instead of water – the French Riviera. During the Cannes Film Festival, we'll follow a new star-studded cast that will provide more drama, intrigue and epic fashion disasters. Who will survive this week on the Cote d'Azur?
Series creator Mike White clearly heard us when we were complaining about the need for more glamour in our lives. After sipping tropical cocktails in Hawaii and munching on pasta in Sicily while gazing at the local volcanoes (and volcanic personalities), the fourth season of The House of Cards begins filming, taking us to the very cradle of the European elite. This time, the Emmy-winning HBO original series is moving to France.
The film crew has already taken their cameras to Cannes, Saint-Tropez and Monaco. The stars will also shoot a few hidden shots in romantic Paris, but don't worry - the entire story will remain faithfully anchored in the sun-drenched Cote d'AzurImagine yachts the size of smaller European countries and the personal dramas of the protagonists that are even bigger than these yachts. A real balm for our cynical, yet endlessly luxury-hungry souls.
Cannes, the red carpet and new (very difficult) guests
If you thought previous TV vacations were stressful, buckle up and put down that glass of chardonnay. Season four will throw us straight into the madhouse – sorry, exclusive social event – of the famous Cannes Film FestivalThe story will follow a new group of guests and employees at the hotel over a single, but extremely intense week.
For us and the characters, this means miles of red carpets, relentless paparazzi flashes, desperate Hollywood stars seeking attention, bored billionaires and, of course, guests who clearly have more baggage in their heads than in the baggage they checked in at the airport. The staff will be busy refilling glasses, covering up international scandals and dealing with the absurd requests of spoiled rich people. The irony of a week at the world's most prestigious and elite festival turning into a psychological nightmare is simply too delicious to miss.
The cast that Hollywood would literally kill for
And now for the most important and juicy part of any fashion or TV conversation – who are the lucky ones who will be wearing outrageously expensive designer clothes and passive-aggressively arguing by the edge of the infinity pool this year? The list is so long and full of celebrities that it could easily read like an exclusive VIP list at the Met Gala.
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The leading roles are filled with names that make our knees go weak. Get ready for an unforgettable experience. Helena Bonham Carter, who will certainly bring her characteristic, slightly gothic-aristocratic chic to French elegance. She is joined by the always seductive and dangerously charming French star Vincent Cassel (oh, mon Dieu!). They are accompanied by the incredible Steve Coogan, Caleb Jonte Edwards, Dylan Ennis, Corentin Fila, Ari Graynor, Marissa Long, Alexander Ludwig, Chris Messina, AJ Michalka, Kumail Nanjiani and Nadia Tereszkiewicz.
But that's not all! The cast is rounded out by names like Chloe Bennet, the iconic Sandra Bernhard, the unforgettable Heather Graham and Max Greenfield (our favorite, always neat Schmidt from New Girl will definitely provide a genuine laugh). Frida Gustavsson, Charlie Hall, Jarrad Paul, Rosie Perez, Ben Schnetzer and Laura Smet will also make their mark. Honestly, it seems like half of Hollywood is on a "working" vacation in France right now and we would give anything to be there.
Where will we (virtually) register this time?
Because White Lotus never, ever disappoints when it comes to choosing spectacular locations, this year too two absolute architectural and tourist gems of high society have been chosen as the visual backdrop. Get your platinum credit cards ready, even if only in your own imagination from the comfort of your own home couch.
Airelles Château de la Messardière
The first hotel to receive that infamous, slightly sinister makeover for the series is the beautiful Airelles Château de la Messardière, which will appear in the series under the name White Lotus du Cap. If the name sounds prestigious and too expensive for mere mortals, that's because it really is. We're talking about a real 19th-century mansion that towers over the fashionable Pampelonne Bay in Saint-Tropez. The level of exclusivity? Here, you don't get taken to their private beach club by an ordinary van, but rather by the hotel's fleet of Rolls-Royces. The price for a night's stay is a story in itself - in high season it starts at a good 1,000 euros for the most "basic" room, but if you want to truly experience the White Lotus experience in one of the prestigious suites, you'll pay up to 28,000 euros. Per night, of course. Here, tears from nervous breakdowns are wiped away exclusively with silk.
Hotel Martinez
The second one is legendary and iconic Hotel Martinez, which will be elegantly named White Lotus Cannes. This 1920s Art Deco beauty is not just a hotel, but a true Hollywood institution, where the biggest A-list names traditionally flock during the Cannes Film Festival. Fun fact: Martinez boasts one of the largest and most luxurious “penthouses” in all of Europe, known for hosting everyone from Leonardo DiCaprio to Uma Thurman. How much does it cost to sleep there? Prepare for an absurd 50,000 euros per night. Just imagine the staff in designer and impeccably pressed uniforms, sending spoiled guests to hell in their minds with a sophisticated French accent – and on the outside, of course, with a dazzling smile and a full tray of Dom Pérignon and white caviar in their hands, fulfilling every whim.
We can't wait to check in at the reception. Vive la France and let the chaos begin!
