After Helena Bonham Carter dramatically exited the cast of the fourth season of The White Lotus, the creators of the series quickly found her replacement. It has now been officially announced that Oscar winner Laura Dern has joined the cast. She is widely known for her roles in Jurassic Park, Big Little Lies, and many other productions.

According to Variety, the 59-year-old actress is not simply stepping into the British star’s role, but will instead portray an entirely new character. The part that showrunner Mike White had originally developed for Bonham Carter was completely rewritten after it was said that the character «did not fit her on-set persona».

Helena Bonham Carter

Laura Dern is already familiar to viewers of The White Lotus. She previously appeared in the second season – albeit only by voice – as the wife of Michael Imperioli’s character. In addition, this is not her first collaboration with series creator Mike White: the two previously worked together on the series Enlightened and the film Year of the Dog.

Filming for the new season is already underway in several locations across France, including Cannes, Saint-Tropez, Monaco, and Paris. The story will unfold on the French Riviera, with part of the plot reportedly tied to the Cannes Film Festival.

Photo: Instagram @thewhitelotus