The White Lotus Creator Mike White Wants A Breakout Star To Return For Season 4

Mike White's hit HBO series "The White Lotus" immerses viewers in the lifestyles of society's most wealthy and privileged, diving deep into their issues — both personal and professional — with a backdrop of luxury vacation destinations. The first season, which aired in 2021, follows an intertwining group of guests at the eponymous hotel in Hawaii, including Sydney Sweeney's college sophomore Olivia Mossbacher.

Sweeney, who broke through with her turn as Cassie Howard in HBO's "Euphoria" two years prior, is now one of Hollywood's most in-demand rising stars. As such, it's no surprise that the creator of "The White Lotus" is keen on working with her again. Mike White has expressed interest in bringing back Sweeney's sardonic character for a future season, though he's aware that it might be tricky. "I don't know if we could afford her now," he told Variety. "As of now, it doesn't look like that's gonna happen."

Sweeney's successful run on HBO has led to a few major film roles, though the results have been mixed, with the superhero flick "Madame Web" and the boxing biopic "Christy" both underperforming at the box office. Her most commercially successful movie to date is the romantic comedy "Anyone But You" (despite mixed reviews, it grossed around $220 million worldwide on a budget of $25 million) and her most recent outing, the psychological thriller "The Housemaid," has also been a financial success.

Every major character in the first season of "The White Lotus" had an unorthodox vacation in Hawaii. As for the Mossbacher family, Olivia ultimately showed the least amount of growth. Her parents, Nicole (Connie Britton) and Mark (Steve Zahn), seemingly rekindled a sexual spark in their otherwise power-imbalanced marriage, and her brother Quinn (Fred Hechinger), who began the season preoccupied with his video games, discovered a passion for Hawaii itself through canoeing with the locals.

Olivia's expression of disdain for the wealth and privilege she was brought up in turns out to be nothing more than fashionable virtue signaling, a front aimed at helping her climb the social ladder in her college life. This is much to the dismay of her friend Paula (Brittany O'Grady), who accompanied the Mossbachers on their trip. With this in mind, it actually makes a lot of sense to bring Olivia back for another season — has she seen the error of her ways since we saw her last?

Viewers will be taken to France in "The White Lotus" Season 4. So far, Alexander Ludwig ("Vikings") and AJ Michalka ("The Goldbergs") are the only confirmed cast members, so there's still a chance that Sweeney might come back into the fold, albeit a slim one. Crucially, Sweeney holds Mike White in high regard, expressing to Variety an interest in teaming up with him on "The Amazing Race." She said: "Honestly, Mike and I would be a killer team."