Blackpink member Lisa has joined the cast of “The White Lotus” Season 3, Variety has learned exclusively.
She will be credited under her given name, Lalisa Manobal, in the third season of the hit HBO series. As with all castings for the third season, her role is being kept under wraps. “The White Lotus” is set to begin production in and around Koh Samui, Phuket, and Bangkok, Thailand, in February. Exact plot details are being kept under wraps aside from the fact it will follow a new group of guests at a White Lotus resort property.
The expansive ensemble cast already includes: Leslie Bibb, Dom Hetrakul, Jason Isaacs, Michelle Monaghan, Parker Posey, Tayme Thapthimthong, Christian Friedel, Julian Kostov, Morgana O’Reilly, Lek Patravadi, Shalini Peiris, Carrie Coon, Scott Glenn, Francesca Corney, Nicholas Duvernay, Arnas Fedaravičius, Natasha Rothwell, Walton Goggins, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Aimee Lou Wood, Sarah Catherine Hook, and Sam Nivola.
Manobal’s role in “The White Lotus” will mark her acting debut. She is now the second member of Blackpink to appear in an HBO series. Jennie (credited as Jennie Ruby Jane) made her own acting debut in the drama “The Idol,” which premiered in June 2023.
Blackpink — consisting of members Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé, and Lisa — is one of the most popular musical groups in the world. They launched in August 2016 with the single album “Square One” under YG Entertainment. Their single “Boombayah” reached No. 1 on the Billboard World Digital Songs chart, setting the record as the most-viewed debut music video by a Korean act. They became the highest-charting female K-pop group on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Ddu-Du Ddu Du,” peaking at No. 55, and were the first K-pop girl group to enter and top the Billboard’s Emerging Artists chart. The group later collaborated with artists like Dua Lipa, Lady Gaga, Cardi B and Selena Gomez.
Manobal, who recently established her own management company named Lloud Co., has broken several individual records herself. With the release of her solo album “Lalisa” in 2021, she was the first female artist to sell 736,999 copies in the first week in South Korea. Both her singles from the album — “Lalisa” and “Money” — charted in the top 10 of the Billboard Global 200, the latter becoming the longest-charting song by a female K-pop soloist on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and U.K. Singles Chart. She broke three Guinness World Records in 2023 as the Most Instagram followers for a K-pop artist and the first solo K-pop winner at both the MTV Video Music Awards and the MTV Europe Music Awards.
Manobal is repped by Lloud Co.
Mike White created “The White Lotus” and serves as executive producer and director. David Bernad and Mark Kamine also executive produce. HBO has partnered with the Tourism Authority of Thailand to support the filming and promotion of the third installment.
“The White Lotus” proved to be an immediate hit for HBO when it debuted in 2021. The first season, set in Hawaii, received 20 Emmy nominations and ten wins, including best limited or anthology series. The second installment, which premiered in December 2022 and was set in Sicily, earned 23 Emmy nominations, including best drama series, ultimately winning five awards.
Following a 2023 that included major solo moves like featuring on Korea’s legend Taeyang’s single “Shoong!,” a residency at Paris’ famous cabaret Crazy Horse, and a slew of new Guinness World Records to her name, including K-pop’s first solo record to reach 1 billion streams on Spotify, Lisa is ready to make this year even louder—or, should we say, LLOUD-er.
On February 8, Lisa posted to her 100 million Instagram followers with an account named LLOUD, at the handle @wearelloudd, and declared it “a platform to showcase my vision in music and entertainment” alongside a stunning new shot of her in a black suit and tie accessorized with bold rings and a colored French manicure. Lisa asked fans to “join me on this exciting journey to push through new boundaries together.”
Lisa also shared a link to LLOUD’s website, which included its official social media accounts across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok, as well as the following mission statement:
THE FUSION OF SOUND & INNOVATION
At LLOUD, our passion as an artist management company is to create experiences that transcend genres and connect generations. Our core lies in relentless innovation and a commitment to authenticity. We’re not just pushing boundaries; we’re redefining them, crafting chart-topping and genre-defying music. Embrace the beginning of the LLOUD era with us.
Indeed, Lisa’s career so far can be defined as both “chart-toping” and “genre-defying.” Not only has the Thai singer-rapper broke chart records with Blackpink—becoming the first female group to top the Billboard 200 since 2008 and score K-pop’s highest-charting girl group single—but with her solo work as well on tracks like her debut single “Lalisa” going to No. 1 on Billboard’s World Digital Song Sales chart as well as “SG” with DJ Snake, Ozuna and Megan Thee Stallion that was No. 1 on the Latin Airplay radio chart.
BLACKPINK’s Lisa has revealed mysterious black-and-white teaser posters.
Ever since Lisa revealed the teasers, fans have been speculating about what could possibly be “coming soon” tomorrow on February 8 KST. Some are expecting the BLACKPINK member to announce her own clothing or makeup brand or possibly her own one-man label for her solo activities.
However, nothing has been confirmed, so everyone will have to wait until February 8.
