The third season of HBO's “The White Lotus” was originally set in Japan before it was moved to Thailand — a decision reportedly made to save money. Scouting Japan: At the ongoing Tokyo Film Festival, Georgina Pope, a producer with Toho Tombo Pictures, spoke of a “high profile showrunner” whom she recently went on a scouting trip with to find locations for a certain project. Behind the move: While the scout went “great,” the showrunner and their team eventually backed out after receiving a call from a production company based in Thailand.