Fans of “The White Lotus” and anyone looking forward to the “It’ prequel series at HBO and Max will likely have to wait a while longer for new episodes.
HBO and Max chairman/CEO Casey Bloys revealed the revised scheduling plans for both shows, when asked by reporters on Thursday how both the writers’ strike and ongoing actors’ strike had impacted scheduling plans for HBO and Max’s 2024 programming slate.
“‘White Lotus’ Season 3 probably would have been in play for 2024, it’s 2025,” Bloys said during a press event in New York. “‘Welcome to Derry,’ we had had that scheduled for Halloween of 2024. That’s likely 2025.”
“The White Lotus,” HBO’s hit anthology series from creator Mike White, was in the early stages of prepping for Season 3 when the writers’ strike forced the new season to shutdown. It was previously reported that the new series would be set in Thailand and that Natasha Rothwell would be returning in the same role she played in Season 1. Now, with both the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes delaying production on the new season, HBO and Max chairman/CEO Casey Bloys told reporters Thursday that “White Lotus” likely won’t be ready until 2025.
The show has proven to be a substantial critical success for HBO and Max. Season 2 alone pulled in 23 Emmy nominations, including nods for best drama series and multiple acting nominations. Jennifer Coolidge got her second consecutive nomination for the show in Season 2, having won the award for best supporting actress in a limited series for Season 1 before it changed awards categories.
As for “Welcome to Derry,” exact plot details are being kept under wraps. The official description for the series states, “Set in the world of Stephen King’s ‘It’ universe, ‘Welcome to Derry’ is based on King’s ‘It’ novel and expands the vision established by filmmaker Andy Muschietti in the feature films ‘It’ and ‘It Chapter Two.’”
The show had been in production in early 2023 before it shutdown in July due to the actors’ strike. The cast of the series includes Taylour Paige, Jovan Adepo, Chris Chalk, James Remar, Madeleine Stowe, and Stephen Rider.
“Welcome to Derry” was ordered to series at Max in February. It was developed for television by Andy Muschietti, Barbara Muschietti, and Jason Fuchs. Fuchs is writing the teleplay for the first episode of the series, based on a story by him and the Muschiettis. Andy will also direct multiple episodes, including the first. Fuchs and Brad Caleb Kane serve as co-showrunners and executive producers, with the Muschiettis also executive producing via their Double Dream production company. Shelley Meals, Roy Lee, and Dan Lin also executive produce. The series is produced by HBO Max and Warner Bros. Television, with Double Dream currently under an overall deal at WBTV.
