Helena Bonham Carter departed the Emmy-winning series, PEOPLE confirmed on April 24
Credit: Karwai Tang/WireImage; Fred Hayes/Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- Helena Bonham Carter left The White Lotus season 4, PEOPLE confirmed on April 24
- Variety reported on May 5 that her departure was due to “creative differences” with series creator Mike White
- Laura Dern is replacing Bonham Carter and will now play an entirely new character
Helena Bonham Carter reportedly left season 4 of The White Lotus over creative differences with series creator Mike White.
PEOPLE confirmed on April 24 that the actress, 59, departed the Emmy-winning series. Weeks later, on Tuesday, May 5, Variety reported that Bonham Carter exited the series due to “creative differences.”
White demanded that Bonham Carter give a "boisterous" performance for the character of a washed-out star who is chasing a comeback, according to the outlet.
Her decision to leave came just a week into her time on set in the French Riviera. She has since been replaced by White's previous collaborator, Laura Dern. The 59-year-old actress will play a new character, one that was developed specifically for her, rather than taking over Bonham Carter's role.
PEOPLE reached out to Bonham Carter and White's representatives for comment.
Credit: Dave Benett/WireImage
At the time of Bonham Carter's exit, an HBO spokesperson told PEOPLE that "It had become apparent that the character which Mike White created for Helena Bonham Carter did not align" once she was on set.
"HBO, the producers and Mike White are saddened that they won't get to work with her, but remain ardent fans and very much hope to work with the legendary actress on another project soon," the statement continued.
Variety reported that the new season, which began filming on April 15 in France, will follow the competition between two rival film teams at the Cannes Film Festival. It will track how the "new group of White Lotus hotel guests and employees" manage during that week, according to the official logline.
Producer David Bernad says the season will chronicle “the ups and downs of the festival and the pain of being here and the love and excitement of being here,” per Variety.
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Unlike in previous seasons, the latest iteration will feature stays at more than one White Lotus hotel. One team will reside at a grand hotel on the Promenade de la Croisette, and the other group will stay at a hilltop hotel in Saint-Tropez.
The series will film in Monaco and across France, from the French Riviera to Paris. The mainstays will be at the Château de la Messardière in Saint-Tropez and the Hôtel Martinez in Cannes, both renamed for the fictional hotel brand as White Lotus du Cap and the White Lotus Cannes.
During the estimated seven-month production, the series will take a break from the French Riviera as it enters its busy tourist season, beginning in June, and head to Paris at the Hôtel Lutetia.
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Alongside Dern, the upcoming season is set to star Alexander Ludwig, AJ Michalka, Steve Coogan, Caleb Jonte Edwards, Sandra Bernhard, Heather Graham, Charlie Hall, Chris Messina, Max Greenfield and Kumail Nanjiani.
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