HBO has quickly found a new guest to check in to The White Lotus after the exit of Helena Bonham Carter.
Oscar and Emmy winner Laura Dern has joined the series, whose fourth season is filming in France. She steps in for Carter, who exited after “the character which MikeWhite created for [her] did not align once on set,” per an HBO statement late last week. Dern will play a new role written for her rather than just taking over the part Carter was to have played.
White has some experience writing for Dern: The two created the HBO cult favorite Enlightened, for which Dern earned a Golden Globe, and White wrote and directed the 2007 movie Year of the Dog that starred Dern, Molly Shannon and John C. Reilly.
Dern also has a long history with HBO, having starred in Big Little Lies and Recount in addition to Enlightened. She also has ties to The White Lotus: In season two, she voiced the (offscreen) estranged wife of Michael Imperioli’s character in a couple of phone conversations.
Season four of The White Lotus will be set during the Cannes Film Festival and will follow the guests and staff at two of the fictional luxury hotel chain’s locations in the South of France. TheAirelles Château de la Messardièrein Saint-Tropez will be filmed as the White Lotus du Cap, and the historic Hotel Martinez on the Croisette in Cannes will stand in as the White Lotus Cannes. HBO declined comment on whether the show will film during the real-life Cannes festival, which runs from May 12-23.
Season four of The White Lotus also stars Vincent Cassel, Steve Coogan, Caleb Jonte Edwards, Dylan Ennis, Corentin Fila, Ari Graynor, Marissa Long, Alexander Ludwig, Chris Messina, AJ Michalka, Kumail NanjianiandNadia Tereszkiewicz. Additionalcast includesChloe Bennet, Sandra Bernhard,Heather Graham,Max Greenfield,Frida Gustavsson,Charlie Hall,Jarrad Paul,Rosie Perez, Ben Schnetzer and Laura Smet.
White is the creator, writer and director of the series and executive produces with David Bernad and Mark Kamine.
Dern is coming off Apple TV’s Palm Royale and is attached to star in and executive produce a Sony Pictures TV drama about Miami Herald reporter Julie K. Brown’s investigation of Jeffrey Epstein. Her recent credits also include Is This Thing On?, Jay Kelly and Jurassic World: Dominion. Dern is repped by CAA, Untitled Entertainment, Johnson Shapiro and Wolf Kasteler PR.
Deadline first reported Dern’s casting.