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It’s a truth universally acknowledged that guests of the fictional luxury chain The White Lotus aren’t meant to live an uncomfortable life.
So who can blame the cast of Mike White’s hit satire for enjoying some downtime
at another pricey vacation resort – Disneyland Paris?
Season 4 cast members Laura Dern, AJ Michalka and Marissa Long were spotted at the Mouse House’s French outpost on Sunday, apparently on a break from filming the latest season, which is set in the south of France.
The trio were among a larger group taking photos with a Minnie Mouse mascot – who was decked out in a chic salmon dress with Breton stripe detail topped off with an Eiffel Tower-themed fascinator — by the park’s famed Sleeping Beauty castle. Fellow Season 4 cast members Ben Kingsley, Max Greenfield and Vincent Cassel did not appear to have joined the outing.
The show has been filming in Paris since the start of summer, and is shooting interiors at the posh Hôtel Lutetia and at theBry-sur-Marne studios on the outskirts of the French capital. Previous productions that have shot there include the Canal+ series “Marie-Antoinette,” as well as Pathé’s big budget period movies “The Count of Monte-Cristo” and “De Gaulle.” When they’re not filming, “The White Lotus” cast and crew have been living the lives of everyday tourists while staying at another five-star hotel that’s mostly under-the-radar and paparazzi-free, located on the right bank, near the Seine river.
Production is set to head back to the French Riviera for final shots, at the Martinez hotel, as well as in Monaco, where they previously filmed on a yacht and in Nice where they shot at the airport with scenes featuring Laura Dern – who took over from Helena Bonham Carter at the start of production and is rumored to be playing a fading star chasing a comeback — and Heather Graham. Dern has also been spotted at Roland-Garros, the French tennis open, on different occasions, with her daughter Jaya Harper, as well as Michalka.
The highly anticipated new season of “The White Lotus” sees the popular HBO show decamping to Cannes, where it will follow two rival filmmaking teams as they compete for the festival’s top prize. And of course the mis en scène — comprised in Season 4 of a palatial hotel on the Croisette and a luxurious hilltop hideaway — are as central to the plot as the characters.
As Variety previously reported, Saint-Tropez’s Château de la Messardière will play the White Lotus du Cap while the Hôtel Martinez stands in for White Lotus Cannes. The show went into production in April and shot during the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year to capture some of the hustle and bustle of the iconic event. It also shot at the Palais des Festivals for what appeared to be pivotal scenes unfolding during a fictional closing night.
While it’s unlikely Disneyland Paris will feature in the series, given it’s owned by a rival studio, its staff could no doubt give the cast of “The White Lotus” an insight into what it’s like to work at a luxury resort. Its flagship five-star Disneyland Hotel, which sits above the entrance to the theme park, re-opened in 2024 after a three-year renovation with a renewed focus on luxury.
As well as a spa and styling studio it also boasts a pillow menu, offering guests seven types of neck support, while general manager Majbritt Iaconis previously served stints at the Ritz and the Mandarin Oriental. For guests, it’s a very comfortable life indeed.
