The line between Hollywood satire and reality disappeared on the French Riviera as stars from the newest season of The White Lotus filmed ‘guerrilla-style’ on the Cannes red carpet.
As these exclusive pictures show, small camera teams shot footage on the red carpet as part of a storyline involving the film festival in the fourth series.
A source connected with the hit show told The Mail on Sunday: ‘White Lotus skewers the ultra-rich and famous so where better to film than on the actual red carpet at Cannes?
‘We’ve gone guerrilla-style and have cameras filming the frenzy around the festival with our fictional characters at the heart of it all. It is blending fact and fiction.’
The plot of the £80million series revolves around the stars and producers of rival films nominated for the festival’s Palme d’Or award.
The cast includes Steve Coogan, Sir Ben Kingsley and Laura Dern, the replacement for Helena Bonham Carter, who left after less than a week of filming.
Footage posted to social media by fans showed the show’s actress AJ Michalka, inset, walking the red carpet.
White Lotus producer David Bernard was also pictured with a small camera crew at the festival, which ended yesterday.
The White Lotus actress AJ Michalka walked the red carpet in Cannes, France
The programme’s producer David Bernard (centre) joined other crew at the festival to film
Michalka joined the cast for the programme’s fourth series, set in the French Riviera
Cast and crew members are staying in Cannes’ five-star Hotel Martinez, which will be called White Lotus Cannes in the show.
They are also at Chateau de la Messardiere, which will be named White Lotus du Cap when the series airs early next year.
The source said: ‘They’ve been filming at the hotels and then coming to the festival with a tiny crew to capture live shots.’
French actor Vincent Cassel will play the manager of the White Lotus du Cap against a background of ‘multiple murders and deaths’, according to the insider.
The source added: ‘Cannes fits in with the opulence of previous seasons and Cannes can feel like satire so it’s perfect for The White Lotus.
‘Cannes is a summer camp for narcissists with unlimited champagne, yachts, prostitutes, screaming publicists and celebrities with egos the size of houses. What’s not to love?’
