{"id":567888,"date":"2026-05-05T19:01:09","date_gmt":"2026-05-05T19:01:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/567888\/"},"modified":"2026-05-05T19:01:09","modified_gmt":"2026-05-05T19:01:09","slug":"cannes-plot-budget-and-helena-bonhams-exit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/567888\/","title":{"rendered":"Cannes Plot, Budget and Helena Bonham’s Exit"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tIn Cannes, two rival film teams descend upon the Cannes Film Festival<\/a> with movies in competition and something to prove. One camps out at a flashy, palatial hotel on the Croisette, while the other is ensconced in a luxurious hilltop hideaway. <\/p>\n

\n\tThat\u2019s the premise of Season 4 of Mike White\u2019s hit anthology series \u201cThe White Lotus<\/a>,\u201d which will deliver a satire on the film industry through its story of American stars coming to the French Riviera \u2014 and once again implicating the titular hotel chain. <\/p>\n

\n\tIt\u2019s not the first time the Cannes Film Festival has been filmed \u2014 \u201cCall My Agent,\u201d for instance, shot inside the Palais des Festivals. But it\u2019s never been leveraged so grandly. With a budget of around $120 million, Season 4 is shaping up to be the most ambitious shoot ever to use the festival as its central setting. Production will span roughly seven months and take place across the French Riviera and Paris, with interiors shot at the Ch\u00e2teau de la Messardi\u00e8re (rebranded White Lotus du Cap), the H\u00f4tel Martinez (White Lotus Cannes) and the H\u00f4tel Lutetia in Paris. <\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tHotel Lutetia<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAFP via Getty Images<\/p>\n

\n\tDespite its scale, \u201cThe White Lotus\u201d is keeping a low profile. One might expect the south of France to be turned upside down by the HBO production. But while Saint-Tropez\u2019s Ch\u00e2teau de la Messardi\u00e8re has been fully closed, its 32 acres of gardens sealed off from the public, the gated entrance is guarded discreetly by two production workers in street clothes; the crew vehicles are parked at a nearby beach.<\/p>\n

\n\tNot that it would likely be mobbed even if the production were more noticeable. The show streamed on Prime Video and Canal+ in France (before HBO Max launched its stand-alone service), and has yet to become nearly the phenomenon that it is stateside. <\/p>\n

\n\tAcross caf\u00e9s, fancy shops and beach bars in Saint-Tropez, reactions ranged from \u201cWhat\u2019s \u2018White Lotus\u2019?\u201d to \u201cWho\u2019s Mike White?\u201d to \u201cI don\u2019t watch TV.\u201d In Cannes, meanwhile, the Hotel M\u00e2rtinez manager declined to talk due to NDAs, but members of the staff didn\u2019t seem aware that the production was coming to shoot \u2014 and didn\u2019t know the show either. <\/p>\n

\n\tThat hasn\u2019t stopped locals from trying to check in. Open casting calls for extras \u2014 essential for re-creating the busy festival \u2014 have drawn large crowds. And many are discovering the series for the first time in the process. <\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tThe Martinez Hotel<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGetty Images<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cI waited in line and it was packed \u2014 all ages,\u201d says one snack bar worker in Saint-Tropez, who landed a role as a security guard after hearing about the show through a Facebook post that his mother sent him. Two of his friends also picked up roles as extras. <\/p>\n

\n\tWithin the industry, too, the \u201cWhite Lotus\u201d buzz is real. French actors turned out in force to audition, with Vincent Cassel \u2014 who\u2019s starred in U.S. productions from \u201cBlack Swan\u201d to \u201cOcean\u2019s Twelve\u201d \u2014 landing the role of the hotel manager. The French cast also includes Nadia Tereszkiewicz and Laura Smet, who dropped out of a local TV project to join the production. <\/p>\n

\n\tAs in previous seasons (set in Hawaii, Sicily and Thailand), much of the show\u2019s comedy will stem from cultural friction, which France promises to provide in abundance. <\/p>\n

\n\tAnd that friction is only amplified by the glamour of Cannes. \u201cWhen we located the show at the Cannes Film Festival specifically, this idea of fame popped up,\u201d producer David Bernad, a close collaborator of White\u2019s, said at the Canneseries festival in April. \u201cWho has the world\u2019s attention, who are the people that can grab the world\u2019s attention, who are the plus-one in a relationship, who\u2019s the person that has that power \u2014 and how that shapes a dynamic.\u201d <\/p>\n

\n\tSeason 4 will track the characters as they navigate \u201cthe ups and downs of the festival and the pain of being here and the love and excitement of being here,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

\n\tAmong the guests White had invited to this \u201cWhite Lotus\u201d outing was a character who was no stranger to drama. <\/p>\n

\n\tWhite had written a washed-out star who is chasing a comeback, sources tell Variety. The role was originally set for Helena Bonham Carter, who exited the HBO production \u2014 after nearly a week on set \u2014 over \u201ccreative differences\u201d involving White\u2019s demand for a boisterous performance; within days, she was replaced by Laura Dern. (Dern is playing a character White is developing who will fill a similar place within the ensemble. Given Dern and White\u2019s collaborations on the TV series \u201cEnlightened\u201d and the film \u201cYear of the Dog,\u201d it may be a more comfortable fit.) <\/p>\n

\n\tThis is familiar territory for White: Before he cast Jennifer Coolidge as the breakout character in Seasons 1 and 2 of \u201cThe White Lotus,\u201d he wrote her an unproduced star vehicle called \u201cSaint Patsy\u201d in which Coolidge was to play an actress receiving a lifetime achievement award at a film festival. <\/p>\n

\n\tBut Cannes isn\u2019t just any film festival. Speaking at Canneseries, Bernad recalled an encounter with a waiter that sealed the deal: \u201cWe went to dinner, and we had a really specific experience with a waiter and a ma\u00eetre d\u2019, and it was the stereotype.\u201d A show concerned with customer-service dynamics suddenly had a new element to play with: French aloofness. \u201cIt was a very funny moment. And I think that it suddenly unlocked what the show is and the dynamics of the show,\u201d he said, adding, \u201cWe literally canceled all the other places we were going. We were like, OK, we\u2019re shooting here.\u201d <\/p>\n

\n\tThe culture-clash element fuels the season\u2019s comedy, as sources tell Variety one scene that\u2019s been shot depicts a star fighting with a receptionist to have room service delivered after hours. <\/p>\n

\n\tWhile the Cannes Film Festival serves as what Bernad calls the \u201cbeating heart\u201d of the story, the real action of production will begin once the Croisette empties out. Instead of shooting during the chaos of the actual event, the team will re-create Cannes in the days immediately after it wraps, using the Palais des Festivals, the red carpet and surrounding infrastructure to stage its own version of the festival. <\/p>\n

\n\tBut given that Cannes\u2019 79th edition is devoid of blockbusters, whatever elements of \u201cThe White Lotus\u201d make it into the fest may outshine the official competition. A small crew will capture some color throughout the festival, while White and members of his cast \u2014 which also includes Sandra Bernhard, Steve Coogan, Kumail Nanjiani and Rosie Perez \u2014 are expected to walk the red carpet at some point during the second week as guests. <\/p>\n

\n\tFrench directness has also left an impression on the production team. \u201cIt\u2019s liberating,\u201d Bernad said to journalists. \u201cIn Hollywood, people are like, \u2018Yeah, great ey leave and they\u2019re like, \u2018Wow, this guy\u2019s an idiot.\u2019 So I feel like I have very honest relationships with the French crew.\u201d He added, \u201cIt\u2019s the best craft service we\u2019ve had.\u201d He\u2019s also enjoyed seeing \u201cwine glasses everywhere at lunch every day.\u201d Even if no wine is being served, \u201cit feels like an homage to the past in filmmaking.\u201d <\/p>\n

\n\tFor Cannes, the production represents a massive get. After losing out when Season 2 ultimately shot in Sicily, the city mounted a coordinated effort \u2014 helped by Canneseries artistic director Albin Lewi \u2014 to bring the show to the region. <\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cThey offered them a very tailored setup. All the doors were opened,\u201d Lewi says. City officials also streamlined logistics typically associated with France\u2019s bureaucracy. The production will shoot in Cannes for around 50 days, generating an estimated 17,000 hotel nights. <\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cWhen a series shoots for 40 or 50 days, it\u2019s not just about showcasing a location \u2014 it\u2019s about bringing the city to life,\u201d says deputy mayor Sophie Mouysset. <\/p>\n

\n\tThe HBO production will, however, depart from the south of France to make way for tourists during the summer, the region\u2019s busiest season. In June, it will shoot interiors at the H\u00f4tel Lutetia \u2014 a Parisian landmark built in 1910 that was long considered a second home to Charlie Chaplin and Ernest Hemingway \u2014 and in studios before returning to the French Riviera. <\/p>\n

\n\tBeyond the economic boost for the city, having the Cannes Film Festival serve as the backdrop for the show underscores its enduring pull and aura. Coincidentally, Venice welcomed \u201cThe Studio\u201d last month to shoot at a re-creation of the Venice Film Festival \u2014 with Seth Rogen, Bryan Cranston and guest stars Madonna and Julia Garner spotted in the City of Canals. But that storyline promises to be nowhere near the scope of \u201cThe White Lotus,\u201d which sets its entire season at the event. <\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cThere\u2019s nowhere grander for artists,\u201d Bernad said. \u201cIt\u2019s the biggest dream on Earth. I\u2019m like an 8-year-old. All I want to do is have a movie in competition in Cannes and screen at the Palais.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In Cannes, two rival film teams descend upon the Cannes Film Festival with movies in competition and something…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":567889,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[41891,96,42429,391,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-567888","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tv","tag-cannes-film-festival","tag-entertainment","tag-the-white-lotus","tag-tv","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/567888","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=567888"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/567888\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/567889"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=567888"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=567888"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=567888"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}