It was midsummer last year when a new series about the misadventures of wealthy clientele at a luxury Hawaiian resort landed on our TV screens. It had everything you could possibly want from a show: gorgeous locations, pitch-perfect casting, and a script that could elicit hysterical laughter one minute and stun you into silence the next.

Much like other rich person dramas such as Big Little Lies and Nine Perfect Strangers, The White Lotus was a brilliant social satire about the nightmarish behaviour of its affluent, entitled holidaymakers. In this show, however, the spotlight was also turned on the hotel’s downtrodden staff, and the injustices caused by the structural forces at large in the world.

The show was a runaway success, and by the time the first season wrapped up, we were instantly left wanting more. The White Lotus recently racked up an impressive 20 Emmy nominations, including a supporting actor nod for fan-favourite Jennifer Coolidge.

Excitingly, we don’t have to wait long at all to check in, as the second instalment of The White Lotus will premiere in October. Ahead of its release, HBO has finally unveiled the official trailer, and it promises a very dramatic vacation.

“Whenever I stay at a White Lotus, I always have a memorable time – always,” Jennifer Coolidge’s socialite Tanya McQuoid says at the opening of the trailer as she relaxes on a yacht in the Sicilian sunshine.

The tranquility doesn’t last long though, as the trailer then launches into a catalogue of chaotic scenes involving sex, drugs and tense arguments between guests at the White Lotus Sicily, including a barbed exchange between three generations of a family learning about their Sicilian ancestry.

“We’re on a family vacation right now and it’s just the three of us because all the women in our family hate you,” Albie (Adam DiMarco) tells his dad, Dominic (Michael Imperioli).

In another scene, the family discuss the pleasures of flirting. “You’re eighty years old,” an incredulous Dominic tells Bert (F Murray Abraham). “But the women I desire remains young,” Bert retorts.

We then see Dominic (Imperioli) informing the hotel manager Valentina (Sabrina Impacciatore) that he’ll have some “good friends” visiting him over the course of the week. In other words, he’ll be having sex with significantly younger women.

The trailer also gives viewers a first look at Aubrey Plaza, who plays Harper Spiller, a newly wealthy woman after her husband finds professional success.

“Now that he’s loaded, do you think he regrets marrying such a dud?”, Cameron Babcock (Theo James) asks his wife Daphne (Meghann Fahy), who are on a couple’s trip with Harper and her husband Ethan (Will Sharpe).

As the trailer reaches its end, we get ominous shots of characters drawn underwater and a mysterious pair of hands holding a gun. Could someone be leaving the hotel in a body bag?

Last month, viewers were treated to a first look at the drama that will inevitably follow in season two with a brilliant new teaser trailer.

Shot in the form of an advert for The White Lotus’s rewards program, named the Petal and Blossom Circles, the clip depicts scenic views of the Italian coast and a luxury boat named The White Lotus – Sicily cruising along on the open water.

There, lying on its deck, is Coolidge’s returning character Tanya McQuoid-Hunt, who gives The White Lotus a glowing endorsement.

“So few brands have meaning anymore,” she says in honeyed tones. “But whenever I stay at any of The White Lotus properties, it’s always a memorable experience. Always”.

In typical White Lotus form, the clip also juxtaposes shots of people working in the European resort alongside wealthy guests enjoying its luxurious facilities. 

Last month, HBO gave fans a further glimpse into the new season with a series of images of the newcomers.

“I hear Sicily is lovely in October,” the streamer teased alongside an image of Coolidge dressed in her signature OTT style, complete with oversized glasses and hot pink designer bag.

A string of subsequent images acquainted us with some of the season’s newer faces, who could be seen toasting champagne upon their arrival in Italy. 

From preppy couples to rugged-looking adventurers, we can’t wait to meet the host of new guests.

Back in July, a new promo previewing the big TV shows coming to HBO Max gave us a closer look at the new lineup of materialistic characters jetting off on holiday to a luxurious resort in Sicily.

The short clip includes a shot of Jennifer Coolidge riding along the Italian coast on a moped, which we think you’ll agree is an absolute summer mood. Spoiler alert: she’s not alone. In fact, she’s clutching on for dear life to none other than Jon Gries, who appeared in season one as Greg, a guest who rode off into the sunset with Coolidge’s Tanya McQuoid in the finale. 

Look closely, and you’ll also spot new cast additions Sabrina Impacciatore as Armond, Aubrey Plaza and Will Sharpe as Harper and Ethan Spiller, and Theo James and Meghann Fahy as Cameron and Daphne Babcock in the promo.

Ready to head back off on holiday? Read on for everything we know about the second instalment of The White Lotus.

For those who are unfamiliar, the original six-part series followed a group of visitors and employees at an exclusive Hawaiian resort.

Per the official synopsis: “The White Lotus is a sharp social satire following the exploits of various employees and guests at an exclusive Hawaiian resort over the span of one highly transformative week.

“As darker dynamics emerge with each passing day, this biting six-episode series gradually reveals the complex truths of the seemingly picture-perfect travellers, cheerful hotel employees, and idyllic locale itself.​”

However, while the first season was filmed at the Four Seasons resort in Maui, the second instalment is expected to follow a different group of holidaymakers in the Mediterranean. 

According to Variety, the Four Seasons San Domenico Palace in the exclusive Sicilian resort town of Taormina will stand in for the fictional luxury chain of White Lotus hotels in the upcoming second season.

Many details about the new cast of The White Lotus are being kept under wraps at this point in time, although we do know that the new episodes will centre around lead character Michael Imperioli.

Best known for starring as Christopher Moltisanti in The Sopranos, Imperioli will play Dominic Di Grasso, a man travelling with his elderly father and recent college graduate son.

Parks and Recreation star Aubrey Plaza has also been announced as one of the new faces checking in. Per The Hollywood Reporter, Plaza will play Harper Spiller, a woman on vacation with her husband and his friends.

In an interview with Variety, Plaza said she was most looking forward to working with Mike White, who created, wrote and directed The White Lotus.

“I was a fan of season one, but more importantly, I was a big Mike White fan. So I’m very excited to work with him,” she said. “I’m very honoured to be on this television series, and I hope I don’t let everybody down. It seems like everyone watched this show.”

As per the latest cast announcement, Theo James, The Bold Type’s Meghann Fahy, Will Sharpe, and Leo Woodall will also all be heading to paradise.

Fahy and James are set to star as husband and wife Daphne and Cameron Babcock. Sharpe, who is best known for Giri/Haji, will play Ethan Spiller, a man on vacation with his wife Harper (Plaza) and the Babcocks.

Finally, Woodall will play Jack, described as a magnetic guest staying at The White Lotus. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Fahy, James, and Sharpe are series regulars, while Woodall is a recurring guest star.

Other season two cast members also include F. Murray Abraham (Mythic Quest, Showtime, The Grand Budapest Hotel), who is set to play Bert Di Grasso, an elderly man traveling with his son and grandson.

The Order’s Adam DiMarco, meanwhile, will portray Albie Di Grasso, a recent college graduate who is travelling with his father (played by Imperioli) and grandfather (F. Murray Abraham).

It’s also been announced that Tom Hollander (The King’s Man, Pride & Prejudice, Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World’s End) will play Quentin, an English expat who is vacationing with his friends and his nephew. 

Haley Lu Richardson (The Edge Of Seventeen, Unpregnant, Five Feet Apart) will also be joining the cast as Portia, a young woman who is travelling with her boss. 

It’s also been confirmed that season one scene-stealer Jennifer Coolidge, who starred in the original lineup as “insane alcoholic” Tanya McQuoid, is also returning. The only series regular to return from the first season, Coolidge recently bagged an Emmy nominee for her brilliant performance.

The first season of the series, which premiered in July 2021, also included Connie Britton, Natasha Rothwell, Steve Zahn, Murray Bartlett, Alexandra Daddario, Fred Hechinger, Jake Lacy, Sydney Sweeney and Brittany O’Grady.

Variety have confirmed that the second instalment of The White Lotus will premiere in October. We also know that season two will consist of seven episodes, and chronicle the goings-on at an exclusive Italian resort over the span of a week – similar to the format of the Hawai’i-set first season.

Images: HBO/Getty