After the dramatic news announcing Helena Bonham Carter’s exit from HBO’s The White Lotus, a horror movie icon is now rumoured to be replacing her.
The Sweeney Todd actress was set to star in the fourth series of the hit show, this time set in the South of France.
However, it was confirmed last week that Helena would be leaving and her role would be ‘rewritten and recast in the coming weeks’.
Now, Jennifer Tilly of horror film Chucky fame, is tipped to be replacing the 59-year-old.
Strongly prefaced by Deux Moi as a rumour, the celebrity news and gossip Instagram page informed followers that it received an anonymous email which said the following: ‘Jennifer Tilly is in negotiations to replace Helena Bonham Carter in the White Lotus Season 4. Announcement should be made week of May 4th if all goes well!’
The subject line for the anonymous message was ‘White Lotus Shakeup’.
Although it admitted the email ‘cannot be verified’, the account commented it was ‘genius if true’.
Fans of the Chucky star agreed it would be a good shout from creator Mike White. @Mesnarky on Instagram said: ‘This would be iconic!!’
Others, like @sjeaats claimed this would now make a ‘perfect cast’, while @blackeyedkatieb urged the show to ‘give the people what they want’!
Jennifer, 67, gained a cult following when she starred as Tiffany Valentine in the Chucky franchise about a killer doll. Some of her other roles include Olive Neal in Woody Allen’s Bullets Over Broadway, for which she earned an Oscar-nomination, and Bonnie Swanson in Family Guy.
Her varied career also marks her as a professional poker player and in recent years she has become a fixture on The Real Housewives of Beverley Hills.
On April 25, HBO confirmed to Deadline that Helena was leaving the eat-the-rich series. In a statement to the publication, an official spokesperson said: ‘With filming just underway on Season 4 of The White Lotus, it had become apparent that the character which Mike White created for Helena Bonham Carter did not align once on set.
Metro’s wild theory about Helena Bonham Carter’s leaving The White Lotus…
It might be far-fetched, but Metro TV Reporter Charlotte Minter thinks we could be missing something with Helena Bonham Carter’s exit from The White Lotus:
‘Ok, hear me out on this one.
Previous series of The White Lotus have seen many a wealthy and outwardly successful person suffer a meltdown as a result of their actions. And as viewers, we’ve been encouraged to laugh in disbelief at their despair, made funnier by their perceived privilege.
Doesn’t this whole reality feel a little too close to that fiction?
Seasoned actress arrives on set and realises the character isn’t what she thought it was?
Would she not have read the script beforehand and done screen-tests/auditions in the run-up?
We know this series takes place during Cannes Film Festival, and the cast are even expected to walk the carpet at the real event.
So could this not be part of a plotline which sees a scorned actress leaving a set early under less than clear circumstances? Is it an elaborate move from the genius Mike White that he will somehow neatly weave into the plot?
This said, there appears to be no bad blood surrounding Helena’s exit from the show, so maybe that part doesn’t quite fit my theory. Whatever the case, I’m fully seated for the season and I can’t wait to see what unfolds.’
What do you think of the theory?
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It’s a stretch
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It’s so good I hope it’s true!
‘The role has subsequently been rethought, is being rewritten and will be recast in the coming weeks. HBO, the producers and Mike White are saddened that they won’t get to work with her, but remain ardent fans and very much hope to work with the legendary actress on another project soon.’
The Daily Mail then reported that Helena had left because of an alleged ‘clash’ with actress Sandra Bernhard. This was denied by Helena’s team who said the pair had never met.
Metro has contacted Jennifer Lily’s representative and The White Lotus for comment.
Seasons 1-3 of The White Lotus are available to watch on Sky Atlantic.
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