[imagesource: HBO]

We are all eagerly waiting for the second season of the comedy-drama praised for its satirical bites on the corrupting force of privilege even when steeped in paradise.

That theme will continue, except this time, a fresh cast will do their thing on the sunny shores of Sicily instead of at a luxury Hawaii holiday resort, notes Tatler.

HBO Max released a promotional video teasing a number of shows and films, including the new Game of Thrones prequel, as well as a little taste of the alluring new Sicilian setting in The White Lotus season two.

It looks like Jennifer Coolidge will be one of the only familiar faces checking back in.

In the snippet, we see Coolidge riding on the back of a motorcycle with the guy she picked up in season one, Jon Gries. That’s before we meet Sabrina Impacciatore as she welcomes the new group “to the White Lotus in Sicily”:

You may be happy to hear that Sydney Sweeney will also make another appearance.

Alongside those familiar faces, the new cast seems promising:

Season 2 will feature  Michael Imperioli (of The Sopranos fame) as Dominic Di Grasso, while his elderly father will be played by F. Murray Abraham, and his recent college-graduate son by newcomer Adam DiMarco.

Aubrey Plaza (of Parks and Recreation) will also be starring as Harper Spiller, a woman vacationing with her husband, Ethan, played by Will Sharpe (who’s appeared in hits like Sherlock and Giri/Haji).

Meghann Fahy (The Bold Type) and Theo James (Divergent) will play Cameron and Daphne Babcock, a couple holidaying with the Spillers.

Plaza mentioned that the story exists with “our little foursome” but suggests that “there are moments when some of the characters overlap, like in the first season”.

The list of big names doesn’t end there:

Tom Hollander (known for his comic brilliance in Rev) will play Quentin, an English expat on holiday with his friends and nephew; while Haley Lu Richardson (a former Disney Channel star) will portray Portia, a woman on a trip with her boss.

Young actor Leo Woodall will play hotel guest Jack, while three Italian actors will also be joining the cast: Sabrina Impacciatore as resort manager Valentina; and Beatrice Grannó and Simona Tabasco as Mia and Lucia, respectively, two young Italian locals.

Once again a Four Seasons Hotel has been used as the primary location – the Four Seasons San Domenico Palace, in the hilltop town of Taormina:

 

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Plaza reckons this spot provides the perfect backdrop to the action:

“It’s pretty wild. We’ve taken over this entire hotel… It’s cool how the location informs the show. Sicily is such a culturally rich place. I mean, there’s a literal volcano that has erupted since we’ve been here. It’s a very charged environment. It’s going to feel like that.”

Yup, as we saw in season one, a paradisal location does little to keep the toxic dynamics of the characters’ lives at bay.

The long-awaited return is set for October.

[source:tatler]