'The White Lotus' season 2: we're sailing off to Sicily!

Are you ready to venture back to paradise? The White Lotus season 2 has been a hot topic of conversation since the dark comedy's summer 2021 debut. 

White Lotus season 1—a sudden HBO Max success, and rightfully so—follows a group of vacationers at an exclusive Maui resort. But with each episode, fans learn their lives are anything but luxurious. 

We witness a doting mother-in-law, an obnoxious husband, family health scares and, thankfully, a Jennifer Coolidge renaissance. Oh, plus there's a murder to top things off. 

So when will we see a sophomore installment of the breakout hit? Grab your suitcases from the closet because it's sooner than you think. 

'The White Lotus' season 2 release date

The White Lotus season 2 will premiere on HBO and HBO Max on Sunday, October 30 at 9 pm. The second season will consist of seven hour-long episodes, which will be released weekly through Sunday, December 11. 

We learned of the show's second-season pick-up right before the season one finale, and we're certainly glad that the travel-related shenanigans will continue.

"Mike [White] has once again delivered a quintessential HBO show, and it’s the talk of the town," Francesca Orsi, executive vice president of HBO Programming, said in a press release. "We were thrilled to hear where he wanted to go next, after closing this epic chapter in Hawaii, and can’t wait to keep following him wherever he takes us.”

This time, however, we won't be venturing back to Maui. (More on that in a bit!)

Watch the 'White Lotus' season 2 trailer:

"Whenever I stay at any of The White Lotus properties, it's always a memorable experience. Always," Coolidge's Tanya McQuoid can be heard saying in the new 30-second promo spot of The White Lotus' second season. 

Where was 'The White Lotus' season 2 filmed?

Speaking of locations: while The White Lotus season 1 was set in Hawaii and filmed at the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, season 2 is heading to Europe—Italy, to be specific. Ciao, bella! 

Another Four Seasons property will stand in for the luxe, fictional White Lotus hotel chain, this time the Four Seasons San Domenico Palace, located in the Sicilian resort town of Taormina. And according to the cast, the hotel is totally haunted: in a recent Vulture profile, two of the actors revealed that they had nightmares about a bald man standing at the foot of their bed on the same night.)

Along with Taormina, the production for season two was also filmed in Noto, Palermo and Rome, per Vulture. 

Who is in 'The White Lotus' season 2 cast?

In January 2022, viewers learned that Parks and Recreation funny lady Aubrey Plaza will be joining the series as a regular cast member in season 2. She is set to take on the role of Harper Spiller, a woman who's visiting the glamorous White Lotus hotel with her husband and his group of buddies.

In addition to Plaza, The Sopranos actor Michael Imperioli is set to make an appearance. He will play Dominic Di Grasso, who is traveling with his son and elderly father. Rounding out the cast are actors F. Murray Abraham, Tom Hollander, Adam DiMarco and Haley Lu Richardson.

There was one cast member that fans were clamoring for a possible return in season 2, and it looks like our wishes were answered! Jennifer Coolidge, who played heiress Tanya McQuoid in season 1, is returning for the show's sophomore season. 

"I do think people will like [the new season], based on the scenes that I’ve witnessed of other people,” Coolidge told TVLine. "I think people are really going to be riveted."

The actress—as well as season 1 cast members Murray Bartlett, Jake Lacy, Steve Zahn, Alexandra Daddario, Connie Britton, Natasha Rothwell and Sydney Sweeney—received an individual Emmy nomination for her performances in the show. The White Lotus reached 20 noms in total, though no word yet on whether the aforementioned actors, aside from Coolidge, are set to return. 

Where to watch 'The White Lotus' online:

Missed out on season one? Catch up on the episodes (there are only six, so it'll be a quick binge!) on HBO Max. Not a subscriber? You can watch the first episode online for free or if, like us, you get hooked quickly, you can sign up for a subscription below.