Westworld season 4: cast with Angela Sarafyan, number of episodes, when is finale, will there be a season 5?

Westworld, the complex HBO sci-fi drama from Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, returned for its fourth season on Sunday 26 June.

In the UK, it became available to watch on Sky and NOW TV from the early hours of Monday 27 June.

Here’s everything you need to know about Westworld season 4 - including all the news we’ve had so far about a possible fifth season.

What is Westworld season 4 about?

As ever, the plot specifics of Westworld season 4 are being kept under wraps for the time being. We do know, however, that it’s set 7 years after the climactic end of season 3, and that a new world based on 1930s American gangsters will feature too.

An official synopsis from HBO described the series as “a dark odyssey about the fate of sentient life on Earth”.

Who stars in Westworld season 4?

Evan Rachel Wood appears as a new character called Christina. Wood is best known for appearances in True Blood, Mildred Pierce, and Frozen II. She can next be seen alongside Daniel Radcliffe in the music biopic Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, in which she’s playing Madonna.

Thandiwe Newton returns as Maeve. Newton has appeared in films like Reminiscence, Solo: A Star Wars Story, W. and The Pursuit of Happyness, while on television she’s known for roles in Line of Duty, Human Resources, and The Slap.

Jeffrey Wright reprises his role as Bernard Lowe. Wright has recently appeared alongside Robert Pattinson in The Batman, and alongside Daniel Craig in No Time to Die; on television, he’s known for playing Valentin Narcisse in Boardwalk Empire.

Ariana DeBose - who recently won an Oscar for her role in Spielberg’s West Side Story remake - will appear as a mysterious new character called Maya. Few details about DeBose’s character were revealed before broadcast, including her name, suggesting perhaps that there’s more to Christina’s roommate than meets the eye.

They’re joined by James Marsden (Sonic the Hedgehog, 30 Rock), Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad), Luke Hemsworth (Neighbours), and Ed Harris (Apollo 13, The Truman Show).

Who writes and directs Westworld?

Westworld was created and is showrun by husband and wife screenwriting team Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy. Nolan is a frequent collaborator with his brother Christopher, with script credits on The Dark Knight and Interstellar, while Joy directed the Hugh Jackman sci-fi noir Reminiscence.

It’s based on a novel by Michael Crichton, perhaps best known as the author of the original Jurassic Park novel.

Is there a trailer for Westworld season 4?

Yes, there is. You can watch it right here.

When and how can I watch Westworld season 4?

Westworld season 4 begins in the US on Sunday 26 June.

The HBO series is available to watch in the UK on Sky Atlantic and NOW TV. The series will simulcast with its HBO airing, meaning episodes will air in the UK at 2am GMT. They’ll be available to watch through the day from then on demand, or can be watched at a second showing at 9pm.

New episodes will air weekly.

How many episodes is Westworld season 4?

Westworld season 4 has 8 episodes total (two fewer than previous seasons, which each ran to 10 episodes).

We don’t yet know how long each episode will be - historically, some episodes of Westworld have been feature-length, and that may prove to be the case again this series.

Is there going to be a Westworld season 5?

At the moment, we don’t know. Early in the series’ run, star James Marsden suggested that creators Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan had a five or six season plan for the show; in more recent years, Nolan and Joy have suggested that was an overstatement.

The fourth season of Westworld was officially confirmed in April 2020, midway through the third season’s run. News on a fifth season could reasonably be expected over the next few months.

More recently, series star Ed Harris indicated in an interview that Westworld would have “one more season”, due to start filming early next year. However, that’s not quite official confirmation - particularly given HBO’s recent run of cancellations, some of which occurred quite last minute.

Why should I watch Westworld season 4?

I’m quite behind on it admittedly, but I‘ve always enjoyed it as a deliberately very complex and thoughtful piece of science fiction.