Everything we know so far about the fourth season of the hit sci-fi show, including plot, cast and when it might air.
Westworld is known for its complicated narrative and philosophical conundrums, but the third season delivered all that as well as plenty of action for good measure.
Season three was released just as the coronavirus pandemic hit and made for great early lockdown viewing, but now production has started on the fourth season during the ongoing crisis it seems as though fans might have to wait even longer than usual for their next dose of android action.
Filming has already paused once due to COVID-19, but the good news is that production on the sci-fi western is back on track in California.
Read on for everything we know about the fourth season so far.
Has Westworld been renewed for a season 4?
Yes – which is hardly a surprise given that it’s one of HBO’s biggest ongoing shows!
The series was officially recommissioned by HBO for a fourth run in April 2020, with Sky also confirming that it would continue to broadcast the show in the UK.
At the time of renewal, HBO’s president of programming Casey Bloys said, “From the Western theme park to the technocratic metropolis of the near future, we’ve thoroughly enjoyed every twist and turn from the minds of master storytellers Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy. We can’t wait to see where their inspired vision takes us next.”
Westworld season 4 release date
Well that’s the million dollar question – no timeline has been given and bearing in mind the continued disruption to film and TV caused by the coronavirus pandemic it’s likely we won’t be treated to new episodes any time soon.
Even without the pandemic, there is normally a two-year gap between new seasons of the show, so if all goes to plan it seems the earlier we can expect the new series is some time towards the beginning of 2022.
Production did officially start however in summer 2021, with Maeve star Thandiwe Newton finishing her first week of filming in June.
First week finished on @WestworldHBO Season 4. My gratitude is in hyperspace – unreadable it’s so huge. Thank you to our fans past, present and future ????????????????????????????????????????❤️
— Thandiwe Newton OBE (@ThandiweNewton) June 19, 2021
However, perhaps unsurprisingly production was paused on the sci-fi western in July 2021 following a positive coronavirus test amongst the crew. Deadline reported that work on the show was paused for two days, but production had resumed by August 2021.
As always we’ll keep you updated with new developments when we get wind of more concrete updates.
Westworld season 4 plot
The third season ended with a bang – with the Man in Black (Ed Harris) being killed and replaced by a host controlled by Halores – so the potential for season four is already great.
Earlier this year, showrunner Jonathan Nolan said that he couldn’t wait to see the new developments, claiming, “I’m a big believer in being guided by irony. [The Man in Black] winds up becoming this thing [a host] that he’s controlled for so long. And on a visceral level, I just can’t wait to watch Ed kill everyone.”
Meanwhile Harris himself added, “I have no idea what they have planned for me. I’m teamed with Tessa, I know. Hopefully, we can do some rightful damage.”
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Nolan has also teased that the next run will have a slightly different feel to the three that have come before, telling The Hollywood Reporter, “We felt we had an open invitation to play around, especially in this moment where TV is reinventing itself constantly, to have a show that reinvents itself season after season.
“So the idea that next season will feel different and distinct in genre from the previous seasons? Yes, that’s absolutely part of the structure of the show.”
Beyond that, it’s anyone’s guess as to what might happen – for example will Dolores make a return in a new form after her death in season three? And is Charlotte building an army? For now, we’ll just have to wait and see!
Westworld season 4 cast
There’s been no official announcement just yet, but we can safely assume that most of the big names will return – including Harris, Thandie Newton, Tessa Thompson, Evan Rachel Wood and Jeffrey Wright.
We’d also expect to see the likes of Aaron Paul back for more, while there will also be some new names joining the cast – including Prodigal Son star Aurora Perrineau. Perrineau’s role has remained undisclosed for now, but Deadline has reported that she will appear in at least five episodes.
Westworld season 4 trailer
Of course, with production only recently underway, we’re some way off seeing a trailer for the next run at the moment. But to give you an approximate timeframe on when we might expect to see one, a teaser for the third season (see below) was presented at San Diego Comic-Con on 20th July 2019, some eight months prior to the season premiere.
A full season trailer followed on 20th February, 2020 – almost exactly one month ahead of launch.
Check out what else is on with our TV Guide