• HBO's anthology series "The White Lotus" will return for a third season on February 16.
• Season three is set in Thailand and Natasha Rothwell will reprise her role as Belinda.
• New cast members include Patrick Schwarzenegger, Carrie Coon, and Jason Isaacs. 

A new batch of wealthy vacationers will check into the lavish White Lotus resort when HBO's "The White Lotus" returns for season three.

Since premiering in 2021, each season of Mike White's "The White Lotus" has focused on a new group of rich people visiting the titular resort chain — but not everyone makes it out alive. And a newly released teaser trailer for season three of "The White Lotus" indicates that at least one character will end up in a body bag.

Here's what to expect when the Emmy-winning anthology series returns for season three.

Season 3 was filmed on-location in Thailand

Season one took place in Hawaii, and season two was set in Sicily, Italy. In a featurette released after the season two finale, White alluded to Asia as the next destination.

"The first season kind of highlighted money, and then the second season is sex," he said. "I think the third season would be maybe a satirical and funny look at death and Eastern religion and spirituality. It feels like it could be a rich tapestry to do another round at White Lotus."

In March, Variety reported that season three would take place in Thailand.

The first official poster for season three of "The White Lotus" suggests that karma will be a major theme.

Natasha Rothwell will reprise her role as Belinda Lindsey

Natasha Rothwell played a spa owner in season one of "The White Lotus."

Throughout the season, Jennifer Coolidge's character, Tanya McQuoid, strung Belinda along and gave her hope that she'd fund her dream of developing a wellness center.

Tanya ultimately backed out of the deal, leaving Belinda disillusioned.

Variety first reported Rothwell's return in April. She teased season three during an interview with Vanity Fair at the LA premiere of Wonka in December, saying that she "gasped out loud a minimum of five times" while reading the scripts.

"The scripts are a testament to Mike's skill and ability to tell the most smart and entertaining stories," Rothwell said. "I mean, everything that he does is like a lesson to me as an actor and a performer. And as a writer myself, he takes folks on a journey. Everyone needs to buckle up, because it's going to get real!"

The first official teaser trailer for season three of "The White Lotus," released on Monday, revealed that Belinda ends up in Thailand's White Lotus resort as part of an exchange program.

'The White Lotus' season three cast includes Carrie Coon, Jason Isaacs, and Michelle Monaghan

HBO announced the following castings in January: Leslie Bibb ("American Housewife"), Dom Hetrakul, Jason Isaacs ("Harry Potter"), Michelle Monaghan ("Mission: Impossible"), Parker Posey ("Beau Is Afraid"), Tayme Thapthimthong, and Carrie Coon ("The Gilded Age").

Five more actors were added to the cast later in the month: Walton Goggins ("Fallout"), Sarah Catherine Hook ("First Kill"), Sam Nivola ("Maestro"), Patrick Schwarzenegger ("Gen V"), and Aimee Lou Wood ("Sex Education").

In February, Variety reported that Blackpink member Lisa also joined the cast and will be credited under her given name, Lalisa Manobal.

Little is known about the characters, but Manobal will be playing a staff member at the Thai resort.

Character descriptions released by HBO shared more insights into who the actors will be playing in the new season.

Bibb, Coon, and Monaghan portray three longtime friends on a girls' trip who haven't seen each other for a while; Goggins and Wood play an age-gap couple; and Isaacs and Posey star as a husband and wife duo vacationing with their three kids, played by Schwarzenegger, Hook, and Nivola.

Patravadi plays one of the owners of The White Lotus, Manobal portrays a health mentor for resort guests, and Thapthimthong plays a security guard.

The season follows the characters over the course of one week.

Mike White described the new season as 'supersized' and Patrick Schwarzenegger called it 'insane'

"It's going to be a supersized 'White Lotus,'" White told Entertainment Weekly in November. "It's going to be longer, bigger, crazier. I don't know what people will think, but I am super excited, so at least for my own barometer, that's a good thing."

It's unclear if White's comment means that the season will contain more episodes or that the episodes will be longer — or both.

Schwarzenegger shared similar sentiments, telling Business Insider in November that the latest installment is "absolutely fucking insane."

Season 3 will premiere on HBO on February 16

Season three, which will consist of eight episodes, was filmed in and around Koh Samui, Phuket, and Bangkok.

The new season will debut on Sunday, February 16 at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and will stream on Max.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

• Coming EV models include small hatchbacks, pickups, sports cars, and minivans.
• They come from brands like Audi, Cadillac, Lucid, Mercedes-Benz, Rivian, Tesla, and Volkswagen.
• This article is part of "Getting Ready for Electric," a series of guides and practical advice for buying your next EV.

A large number of exciting EVs are headed to market soon.

Several automakers have modified their electrification strategies in recent months, replacing some of their prior electric-vehicle concepts with a focus on internal-combustion-engine and hybrid models.

Even with this strategic change, you can expect to see a lot of EV options in the coming years.

Here's a collection of cool EVs — including small hatchbacks, pickups, sports cars, and minivans — that we can't wait to drive.

Audi Q6 e-tron

The Audi Q6 e-tron is the 11th battery electric model to join the brand's lineup and marks the debut of Audi's all-new EV platform.

With a 100-kWh battery pack, the Q6 e-tron is rated by the Environmental Protection Agency for 321 miles of range. The Q6 e-tron with Quattro all-wheel drive has 456 horsepower and can do 0 to 60 mph in just 4.9 seconds. There's also a higher-performance SQ6 e-tron.

The Q6 e-tron starts at $63,800.

Cadillac Vistiq

The Cadillac Vistiq, starting at $77,400, is a three-row midsize luxury electric SUV positioned between the smaller Lyriq and the flagship Escalade IQ.

Cadillac says the Vistiq will have a range of about 300 miles with a 102-kWh lithium-ion battery pack. With dual electric motors generating 615 horsepower, it can go from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.7 seconds.

Production at GM's Spring Hill, Tennessee, plant is expected to start in early 2025.

Canoo pickup truck

The Texas-based startup EV maker Canoo unveiled its electric pickup in 2021, but there hasn't been much news about the innovative cab-forward truck since. So it's unclear when it will go into production. What we do know is intriguing, including 600 horsepower, 200-plus miles of range, and an ultraconfigurable truck bed.

Hyundai Ioniq 9

The 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9 is an all-electric midsize three-row family SUV set to go on sale in the first half of 2025. Built on the Electric Global Modular Platform platform, which also underpins the Kia EV9, the Ioniq 9 features a 110.3-kWh battery pack and an estimated range of 385 miles.

Kia EV4

The Kia EV4 is a concept for a stylish compact EV sedan that debuted at the 2023 Los Angeles Auto Show. Kia has not confirmed that the EV4 will enter production. But Car and Driver believes it could arrive as early as 2026 with up to 300 miles of range and a starting price of about $39,000.

Lotus Emeya

The Lotus Emeya is a high-performance four-door GT with as much as 905 horsepower. According to Lotus, the Chinese-built EV can do 0 to 62 mph in 2.78 seconds and has a top speed of 159 mph.

Lucid Gravity

The Gravity is the second model to emerge from the American EV startup Lucid. It's a three-row luxury SUV with up to 828 horsepower and an estimated 440 miles of range. The Gravity Grand Touring is on sale now, starting at $94,900.

Mercedes-Benz G 580 with EQ Technology

The iconic Mercedes-Benz Geländewagen can finally be had as an EV. Offered alongside its internal-combustion siblings, the 2025 Mercedes-Benz G 580 with EQ Technology comes with a 122-kWh battery pack, 239 miles of range, 579 horsepower, and a starting price of $161,500.

Polestar 5

The Polestar 5 is a luxury high-performance EV sedan that is scheduled to launch in 2025. The Polestar 5, set to compete against the likes of the Porsche Panamera and Mercedes-Benz EQS, will be built on the brand's first dedicated EV platform, featuring an 800-volt battery and electric motors that can produce up to 884 horsepower. While developed by Polestar's research-and-development teams in the UK and Sweden, the 5 will be built in the brand's new factory in Chongqing, China, alongside the coming Polestar 6 EV sports car.

Ram 1500 REV

The Ram 1500 REV is Stellantis' answer to the Ford F150 Lightning and Chevrolet Silverado EV. Its 168-kWh battery pack helps it reach an estimated 350 miles of driving range. According to Ram, the 654-horsepower pickup can do 0 to 60 mph in just 4.4 seconds and tow up to 14,000 pounds.

Rivian R3X

The R3X is the high-performance variant of the Rivian's coming R3 midsize electric SUV and has distinct hatchback styling. According to Rivian, the R3X should be able to achieve over 300 miles of range and do 0 to 60 mph in less than 3 seconds. The R3 and R3X are expected to arrive after Rivian commences customer deliveries of the R2 in the first half of 2026.

Scout Terra and Traveler

Volkswagen Group's Scout Motors recently unveiled its Scout Terra pickup and Scout Traveler SUV. The body-on-frame off-roaders, with a starting price between $50,000 and $60,000, are inspired by the International Scout utility vehicles of the 1960s and '70s. The Terra and Traveler are set to enter production in 2027 in South Carolina.

Tesla Roadster

The long-awaited second-generation Tesla Roadster was announced in 2017 and remains in development purgatory. The Roadster was supposed to go on sale in 2020 but has been continuously delayed. When it does arrive, Tesla says it should go from 0 to 60 mph in 1.9 seconds, reach 250 mph, and have a range of 620 miles.

Volkswagen ID Buzz

The VW bus is back. Volkswagen relaunched its counterculture-era icon as the all-electric 2025 ID Buzz. The new bus, which starts at $60,000, comes with a 91-kWh lithium-ion battery pack and is available in all-wheel drive. The ID Buzz has an estimated 234 miles of range.

• Fred Hechinger plays Emperor Caracalla in Ridley Scott's "Gladiator II."
• The actor said that starring on "The White Lotus" changed his life.
• He'll next be seen in the Marvel movie "Kraven the Hunter."

On Fred Hechinger's first day on the set of "Gladiator II," he and his costar Joseph Quinn witnessed Paul Mescal's character face off against a rhino in a bloody battle at the Colosseum.

It didn't matter that they weren't in the actual Colosseum but a replica built by the movie's production, or that the rhino wasn't real but a remote-controlled animatronic creature. The result still rendered Hechinger, 24, "immediately speechless."

Day one ended up being a harbinger of the pinch-me experience Hechinger would have throughout filming Ridley Scott's epic sequel.

"The scale that I have felt watching Ridley's movies is mirrored in the experience of making them," Hechinger told Business Insider.

"Everywhere you looked, there was detail," he added. "The world felt like it was living around us and we were participating in it."

Those details helped Hechinger fully immerse himself in his role as Emperor Caracalla, one-half of the film's mercurial, unhinged ruling duo that turned Rome into a shadow of its former glory.

Hechinger's Caracalla is sick and twisted — a 'dangerous concoction'

"Gladiator II" is set 15 years after the death of Maximus Decimus Meridius (Russell Crowe). Under the rule of the villainous fraternal twin emperors Caracalla and Geta (Quinn), Rome's citizens have become pawns and means for amusement. One of those gladiators forced to perform for them is Lucius (Mescal), the son of Maximus and Lucilla (Connie Nielsen).

The twins show off their excess wealth in gold-adorned outfits and accessories and laugh maniacally as gladiators fight to the death in the arena. The film also suggests that Caracalla's twisted persona is the result of syphilis corrupting his mind.

"He's sick in a lot of ways," Hechinger said. "I think there was something interesting about the story where you have a person who's really suffering, but in turn, creating immense suffering for an entire nation of people. His insularity matched with his sickness, which I felt was a very dangerous concoction."

"Gladiator II" is also a study of what unchecked power does to a civilization.

"People who are unwell, who have a lot of power, can frequently be surrounded by people who won't do anything about that," Hechinger added. "They'll just continue to let them destroy themselves and the world around them. And so I think everything that Caracalla is plagued by goes very untreated, both by himself and the people around him."

'The White Lotus' gave Hechinger his big break

Hechinger has come a long way since season one of HBO's "The White Lotus," in which he played Quinn Mossbacher, an awkward, tech-addicted teen visiting the titular resort's Hawaii location with his family.

"It completely changed my life," Hechinger said of the show, which became a sensation on HBO in 2021, earning 20 Emmy nominations for its first season. Filming on-location in Maui while quarantined during the pandemic also made for a unique bonding experience among the cast.

"We lived together. We broke bread every single night together," Hechinger said. "It felt like this troupe, this company of people, and in a more personal sense, it changed my life by getting to know them and becoming friends with those artists. I feel like I sought out such wisdom and had so much fun with everybody there."

That role opened doors for Hechinger to continue to grow in his career. Since then, he's starred in films and shows with Hollywood heavyweights like Nicolas Cage and Christian Bale.

"I always want to surprise audiences and tell stories that are entertaining and challenging at the same time," Hechinger said. "The wonderful reception toward that show has made that goal easier."

Hechinger prides himself on playing varied roles, whether he's a menacing emperor in "Gladiator II," a concerned grandson in "Thelma," or a school staff member in "Nickel Boys." Next month, he'll take his first foray into the superhero genre with "Kraven the Hunter," in which he reportedly plays the Marvel Comics character Chameleon.

Yet with his star on the rise, Hechinger isn't thinking too hard about his five-year plan.

"I don't have a particularly long view of things," he said. "I just think the most important thing is: are you telling vital stories?"

"Making something with a group of people is urgent a lot of the time," he added. "You're all deciding to gather in one place together and bring your heart and soul to the story. I feel revved by the people that are arriving at that."

"Gladiator II" is now in theaters.

• Patrick Schwarzenegger spoke to Business Insider about season three of "The White Lotus."
• Schwarzenegger said the new season is "absolutely fucking insane."
• The actor said that he enjoyed exploring Thailand and hanging with his costars when he wasn't filming.

Patrick Schwarzenegger can sum up season three of "The White Lotus" in one succinct phrase: "Absolutely fucking insane."

Each season of Mike White's Emmy-winning anthology series focuses on a different group of privileged vacationers visiting the titular fictional resort chain. Season one was set in Hawaii, while season two took place in Sicily, Italy.

Season three of the HBO series, which is expected to premiere in 2025, will focus on guests at the resort's Thailand location. Details remain under wraps, but the cast includes Schwarzenegger, "Fallout" actor Walton Goggins, Blackpink member Lisa, and returning "White Lotus" star Natasha Rothwell. Filming took place on location in Thailand earlier this year and lasted nearly seven months.

"It just felt like forever, but at the same time, it blew by," Schwarzenegger, who's promoting his partnership with Ketel One Vodka as the brand's inaugural Spirit Advisor, told Business Insider on Tuesday. "It was an incredible opportunity, an incredible time with everybody, and I'm so thankful for it."

Though Schwarzenegger was tight-lipped about season three, he recalled exploring the country's islands in his downtime, eating plenty of Thai food, hanging out at the beach, trying to find the best coffee, and spending time making memories with the cast.

Schwarzenegger's costar Goggins recently said that he followed an "extreme" diet in preparation for the show. Schwarzenegger, on the other hand, said that he had a much different experience.

"I ate Thai food all day, every day," the "Gen V" actor said.

Since filming wrapped in August, Schwarzenegger has been busy with a different role, as Ketel One's first-ever Spirit Advisor.

The self-proclaimed "cocktail connoisseur and snob" said teaming up with the family-owned brand was an easy yes.

While fans eagerly await more crumbs of information about season three of "The White Lotus," Schwarzenegger is looking forward to spending time with his friends and family — and enjoying an espresso martini or two.

"The holidays, to me, are about creating those memories, enjoying time with each other, eating delicious food, drinking delicious drinks, and finding ways to also give back," he said.