While the Cannes Film Festival draws its usual parade of stars and industry insiders along the Croisette, another kind of cinematic event is quietly taking shape on the French Riviera. Season 4 of The White Lotus, Mike White's Emmy-winning HBO series, will be set around the festival, bringing its signature blend of satire and luxury into one of Europe's most glamorous settings.
The Hôtel Martinez, a landmark of Cannes' beachfront since 1929, will be a central location, fictionally renamed the White Lotus Cannes. Further south, the Airelles Château de la Messardière in Saint-Tropez will serve as another key site, rebranded as the White Lotus du Cap. The choice of these two iconic properties underscores the show's continued fascination with the tensions simmering beneath the surface of high-end hospitality.
Filming has already begun along the Riviera, but the production team has yet to be spotted in Cannes itself. This has led to growing speculation that the festival may not serve as a live backdrop for the season, despite initial expectations. The festival runs until 23 May, so there remains a narrow window for last-minute integration. Representatives for HBO and the festival organisers have declined to comment.
A Festival Setting That Almost Wasn't
The Cannes Film Festival has long been an irresistible setting for filmmakers, though most productions rely on exterior footage and staged interiors rather than shooting during the actual event. This season's cast includes Vincent Cassel and Laura Dern, both of whom are appearing in Cannes this week for other projects, adding to the sense of overlap between fiction and reality.
Producer David Bernad revealed last month at the Canneseries Festival that the idea for Season 4 emerged from a trip he and Mike White took to Cannes in 2021. “We went to dinner and we had a really specific experience with a waiter and a maître d’, and it was the stereotype. It was a very funny moment,” Bernad said. “And I think that it suddenly unlocked what the show is and the dynamics of the show.”
That encounter convinced the duo to anchor the new season in the festival's orbit. “The energy around it was so intoxicating and this season will have elements of that,” Bernad added. “It’s really about the people’s stories, them navigating Cannes, and the ups and downs of the festival. It’s the beating heart of everything in this season.”
The Hôtel Martinez, owned by Hyatt, is no stranger to the spotlight. General manager Michel Cottray noted that the hotel has been “fully engaged and in complete partnership with the festival” since its inception in 1946. On festival nights, the lobby fills with attendees in formal wear heading to evening premieres, often piling into the official motorcade that ferries them down the Croisette to the Palais des Festivals.
Cottray confirmed that the hotel is preparing for the shoot: “We are gearing up to the shooting. I think it will be in a couple months’ time and then it will be a big experience for all of us. But we are ready for that.”
The series' arrival in Cannes comes at a time when the festival itself is under scrutiny for its environmental impact. A recent report highlighted that private jets at Cannes burn 2 million litres of fuel, a detail that could find its way into the show's satirical lens. Meanwhile, the festival opened with 600 industry figures protesting media influence, underscoring the tensions that The White Lotus so deftly explores.
For now, the Martinez awaits its close-up. Whether the festival itself becomes a character in the season remains to be seen, but the combination of Cannes' glittering surface and its undercurrents of power, privilege, and absurdity seems tailor-made for White's storytelling.
