White Lotus fans 'ecstatic' over Laura Dern casting after Helena Bonham Carter drops out

Laura Dern will officially be replacing Helena Bonham Carter in the fourth series of The White Lotus – and fans are sat, ready and waiting.

The hotly anticipated show will be set in the South of France, with various locations across Cannes, St Tropez and Monaco, with two key hotels serving as filming bases: Airelles Château de la Messardière and Hôtel Martinez.

Dern – famed for her roles in Big Little Lies, October Sky, and I Am Sam – will join a string of famous faces on set. These include Marissa Long, Chris Messina, Max Greenfield (The Neighborhood), Kumail Nanjiani (Only Murders in the Building), Chloe Bennet (Interior Chinatown), Charlie Hall (The Sex Lives of College Girls), and Jarrad Paul (Free Bert).

The announcement was made on Instagram, and it didn't take long for fans to chime in on the action.

"Disappointed about Helena, but Laura Dern is not a downgrade at all," one quipped.

Another wrote: "Damn, he knew he had to pull out the big guns after losing Helena Bonham Carter."

Meanwhile, a third penned: "This cast just keeps getting crazier and crazier. Laura Dern is gonna eat every scene alive with that unhinged rich lady energy we know she brings. White Lotus S4 is already looking like the most chaotic season yet. "

Last week, HBO announced Bonham Carter's sudden exit, stating that the character Mike White created for the actor "did not align once on set".

"The role has subsequently been rethought, is being rewritten and will be recast in the coming weeks," the statement read at the time. "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."

Filming of The White Lotus is expected to continue during Cannes Film Festival.

You should also read...

• The White Lotus season 4: What to know about upcoming season as new all-star cast members revealed
• Why Helena Bonham Carter has dropped out of The White Lotus

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