The White Lotus' creator Mike White responds to what composer Cristobal Tapia de Veer said about leaving the show. Earlier this month, the three-time Emmy winner responsible for creating the series' music score, including the memorable theme songs, toldThe New York Timesthat he will part ways with the series after season 3 due to feuds with the show’s creator.
While speaking toThe Hollywood Reporter,White slams the composer for the high-profile exit. The show’s creator shares that he “was thrown” when he found out about de Veer’s departure through the internet and didn’t know “what happened.” White expressesfeeling disrespected and disheartenedafter putting in the effort to keep the composer on the team, noting a lack of collaborative effort from the composer, clarifying that while the process hasn’t been smooth, they “never really even fought.” Check out the creator’s comment below:
I honestly don’t know what happened, except now I’m reading his interviews because he decides to do some PR campaign about him leaving the show. I don’t think he respected me. He wants people to know that he’s edgy and dark and I’m, I don’t know, like I watch reality TV. We never really even fought. He says we feuded. I don’t think I ever had a fight with him — except for maybe some emails. It was basically me giving him notes. I don’t think he liked to go through the process of getting notes from me, or wanting revisions, because he didn’t respect me. I knew he wasn’t a team player and that he wanted to do it his way.I was thrown that he would go toThe New York Timesto shit on me and the show three days before the finale.It was kind of a b*tch move.
By the time the third season came around, he’d won Emmys and he had his song go viral, he didn’t want to go through the process with me, he didn’t want to go to sessions. He would always look at me with this contemptuous smirk on his face like he thought I was a chimp or something … he’s definitely making a big deal out of a creative difference.
He is very talented. [But]I’ve never kissed somebody’s a*s so hard to just get him to — to lead that horse to water.Have fun with whatever you’re doing next.
What White’s Comment Means For The White Lotus
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Previously, de Veer revealed that he and the show creator had creative differences on the memorable “ooh-loo-loo-loos” while working onThe White Lotusseason 3, and he believed that White thought he was being “unprofessional"fighting for what he believed was the best for the show. The composer also stressed thattheir “tension” was “a good struggle"because it madeThe White Lotusiconic.
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In a different interview, music supervisor Gabe Hilfer shed some light on the creative process and shared that White has given de Veer a lot of creative freedom to interpret the theme in each season while going back and forth to keep the conversation flowing. Hilfer echoed White’s sentiment aboutThe White Lotus' musicbeing a whole process. However, the show creator’s recent comments seem to indicate thata bridge might have been burned between the show creator and composer.
The White Lotus Is Due For Changes
Image via Max
While the music scores and opening credits songs have become integral to the show’s access,The White Lotushas a track record ofchanging its theme songs to reflect each season’s unique themes, tone, and location, which, in a way, minimizes the impact of de Veer’s departure.The White Lotusseason 4’s theme song will likely include input from a different composer.
SinceThe White Lotusseason 3 premiered, many have noticed the missing"ooh-loo-loo-loos” from the opening credits. Many also started to findthe theme song forgettable. The true extent of the creative feud between White and de Veer is unknown, but it seems that the relationship has run its course, and perhaps it’s best to move on from what isn’t working. De Veer’s music will be missed.
The White Lotus
Cast
The White Lotus is a television series that explores the interactions of guests and staff at an upscale tropical resort. Premiering in 2021, the narrative unfolds over a week, revealing underlying complexities and tensions among the resort’s seemingly ideal travelers and employees.
