The White Lotus season 2 had to change one of its nude scenes for a surprising reason. Set to debut October 30 on HBO, with series creator Mike White returning as writer and director, the new installment of the Emmy-winning White Lotus takes place at another branch of the titular luxury resort. Although for its second outing, which takes place in Italy, the series shifts its attention away from questions of class divisions and racism and the way the two intersect to focus on the subject of sexual politics.
Early reviews of The White Lotus season 2 have previewed that the show will lean into physically intimate relationships of all sorts. The ensemble cast, which includes Aubrey Plaza, F. Murray Abraham, and the returning Jennifer Coolidge, will see their characters cross paths for a charged vacation that promises to escalate in the same manner as the previous story. Theo James, who has recently starred in Sanditon and The Time Traveler’s Wife series, will play a wealthy businessman named Cameron ― and it seems that he’ll be just as caught up in the chaos.
Speaking with ET Online, James mentioned that there was nude one scene that was very different from what was initially filmed. As the actor explains, the filmed version was “way too much.” Ultimately, it was decided to go with a different take that “toned it down.”
“The initial version we shot was way too much. So, we did a more subtle version. They toned it [down]. It’s funny ’cause we’re all kind of naked. It’s a holiday show, really.”
The White Lotus Already Has A History Of Truly Wild Scenes
What helped the HBO drama to stand out when it debuted was the fact that it embraced pushing the limits of what its viewers would expect. Whether it was sex scenes featuring characters that were unraveling or bizarre acts of revenge where the camera never pans away, the show stripped away at the beauty of a resort vacation from both a practical and thematic level. Although the setting was beautiful, the situations and the dynamics between the vacationers were often at their worst.
Even though The White Lotus season 2 may not feature a gross finale scene, the premise seems just as primed to hit viewers in a way they might not expect. It could well be the case that the scene James describes is well in line with the games the characters play against each other, previewing a run of episodes that will leave audiences guessing and potentially shifting their allegiances.
