We’re getting some deets on filming for Vanderpump Rules!

Last season was the biggest ever, as it covered the shocking news Tom Sandoval cheated on Ariana Madix with their co-star Rachel Leviss (AKA Raquel — she’s going by her birth name again). Now production has already picked up again for Season 11. And there are a ton of questions surrounding filming! Which previous cast members will return to the show? How will production navigate the new dynamic between the group? Will they talk about Scandoval more? And the biggest question on fans’ minds — will Raquel be returning to the show now that she’s checked out of the mental health facility where she’s resided for the past two months?

Related: Raquel Leviss Going By Her Birth Name Again To ‘Neutralize’ Bullying!

Well, don’t worry, Perezcious readers! Everyone is getting some insider tea into filming for Vanderpump Rules, all thanks to showrunner and executive producer Alex Baskin. In an interview published by The Hollywood Reporter on Tuesday, the EP opened up about the production for the upcoming season. Alex shared that the team stuck to the “normal, pretty aggressive timeline” when it came to filming — even after everything that went down with Scandoval:

“The challenge is that there’s always a lot of business to be done before you get into production. Contractual negotiations. Things are still unsettled within the group whose lives we’re following. I’ve never headed into a season having less of a sense of where we’re going to be when we wrap in a few months.”

It’s safe to say a lot has changed for the cast over the past few months! The Toms are navigating their restaurant business post-Scandoval — we’ve already seen them filming having an intense conversation about co-owner Greg Morris. And then there’s the fact some of the cast members don’t want to work with Sandoval AT ALL anymore. Obvi Ariana wants nothing to do with her cheating ex-boyfriend. Who can blame her?! But as Alex pointed out to The Hollywood Reporter? That’s a little hard to work out when the former couple STILL live together! When asked if anybody wasn’t “willing to film” with someone else in the cast during their negotiations, Alex explained:

“We always deal with pushback if different parties don’t want to shoot with each other because of strained relations. Obviously, this is more extreme. But Ariana and Tom Sandoval, I would hasten to point out, they still live together. The idea that they wouldn’t shoot together is a little bit hard to digest. They’re in the same home.”

Wait, is she still living there?? We thought she finally moved out!

Anyway, so far the team seems to have figured out a way around it! Lala Kent teased on Instagram Stories on Tuesday that Sandoval was a part of the cast trip to Tahoe. However, Katie Maloney didn’t join the group for the getaway, as she was spotted with Stassi Shroeder, Lukas Gage, and author Colleen Hoover at SUR. And since Ariana previously refused to work with the 41-year-old ever again, we doubt she joined the trip either. Bravo producers seem to be working with what they can get from this crew!

But there is still the issue of — Raquel. Sorry, Rachel. So far, we’ve heard she’s been in talks with the network about her return, but nothing has been officially decided yet. Now that she’s left her treatment facility? Well, Alex confirmed to THR that things still aren’t resolved — but we should be getting an update on the matter “soon”:

“Those are ongoing conversations. I imagine there will be an update fairly soon. But, for now, we’re still in dialogue with her.”

It’s hard to imagine her not on the show for post-Scandoval coverage, but she ultimately has to do what’s best for her, especially regarding her mental health. When it comes to former cast members of VPR? There have been reports about Bravo stars, such as Jax Taylor, Brittany Cartwright, and Kristen Doute, either coming back to the series or getting a spinoff. But Alex isn’t giving much away, only saying:

“Look, the past castmembers are still a part of the group. It isn’t like they went away. So, we’re really excited to develop out what that will mean. There are other opportunities to see the extended friend group beyond just Vanderpump Rules.”

Hmm…

Speaking about the new media attention on VPR, Alex noted:

“There are a ton of outside influences and coverage of what we’re doing. The cast needs to focus and let all of that go because we don’t want to get to a place where we are covering the coverage of the show. We’d hoped that it would have died down, but there’s still a hysteria surrounding it.”

What did producers expect? It was the biggest scandal of the year! The chaos only grew as fans discovered the now-obvious clues about Sandoval and Raquel’s relationship throughout Season 10! Looking back at the Scandoval season, even Alex cannot believe he missed all of the signs while filming for the season:

“Well, first, I felt like a complete moron. It looks so obvious after the fact. I can’t believe the brazenness in some cases. This affair was happening right there in front of us. It’s our job to be skeptical, to document and to ask the questions and probe. And then we have to let it play out in front of us, without our judgment. That really is what happened. We really didn’t know until Ariana knew. But looking back, everything really was obvious.”

They were hiding in plain sight! But will we find out more about Sandoval and Raquel’s “deceit” in Season 11? Alex shared:

“I’m sure we don’t know everything — clearly, that’s why the reunion ended with a twist — but I think that we have to move on from it. This show’s never been static, and we’d disappoint the audience if we started just sleuthing. Everyone is trying to move on with their lives. If that creeps back in, then it creeps back in.”

Unfortunately, everyone will have to wait a bit for the new season of VPR – we’re talking next YEAR! Ugh! Although Alex may want to “take advantage” of this huge “moment” the show is having right now, he recognized the need for the cast and crew to take a breather after season 10:

“I have mixed feelings. I’d love to take advantage of the moment, but it’s really intense to make these shows. The people involved, both in front of and behind the camera, need a little bit of time. You just can’t be making and airing the show all the time. In six months, we’ll drop a new season. It’s good to make the audience miss you a little bit.”

There’s no doubt fans are waiting on the edge of their seats to see what goes down this upcoming season! It already looks pretty intense based on the little teasers we’ve received so far! Reactions to what Alex had to say? Are you looking forward to Season 11? Sound OFF in the comments below!

[Image via Bravo/YouTube]

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