The production of the series The White Lotus will she put her suitcases in Old Quebec? This is the dream of the national capital, which hopes to attract the third and final opus of black comedy to the setting of the Château Frontenac.
Since 2021, the series has conquered the public by inviting them sometimes to the paradisiacal beaches of Hawaii, sometimes to the sumptuous villas and the picturesque villages of Sicily. Quebec now cherishes the ambition of becoming, in turn, the postcard that will welcome the tribulations – and the ridicule – of these wealthy vacationers who seem to lack everything, except money.
To seduce the production, Destination Québec cité has prepared a 10-page document extolling the beauty of Château Frontenac, the majesty of the St. Lawrence in winter, the “mystery” of Petit-Champlain, the “magic” of winter – and an exchange rate to the advantage of anyone arriving with their American dollars.
“You will fall under the spell of its mysterious je-ne-sais-quoi”, writes the director of Destination Québec cité, Robert Mercure, to the attention of Mike White, the one-man band who created, wrote and directed the series.
“Shows like The White Lotus can have an unimaginable impact for a destination, continues Mr. Mercure. For hours, viewers follow a story set in dream destinations and at the same time project themselves on vacation there. »
The City of Quebec is well aware of the value of these benefits. The Korean series Goblin filmed a few episodes in the Quebec capital in the fall of 2016. Since then, the number of tourists from Korea has exploded and new kind of pilgrims have started to parade in front of completely banal decorative elements. The enthusiasm generated by the show, which generated nearly 3 billion views, continues to this day with the Asian public, according to Destination Québec quoted.
The White Lotus, which takes meticulous pleasure in magnifying the idyllic landscapes that serve as its backdrop, has already aroused a certain idolatry for Sicilian beauty. Google has seen a marked uptick in searches surrounding Palermo and hotels on the Italian island.
The production has already suggested that after landing in the middle of the Pacific and in Europe, the third season could, this time, land in Asia. At the end of the second season broadcast in December, the screenwriter and director had hinted that the last opus would contrast the East and the West.
“The first season dealt with money, the second, with sex, had then underlined Mike White. I think the third season will take a satirical and fun look at death, religion, and western spirituality. »