Westworld season 4 confirms release date with atmospheric, action-packed first teaser

HBO has finally confirmed when Westworld season 4 is set to premiere, and it's sooner than you might think. 

The broadcaster shared the atmospheric trailer – ominously titled 'It doesn't look like anything to me' – on Monday, May 9, and it gives us a clue as to what to expect from the Emmy-winning sci-fi show's new episodes, which will kick off on Sunday, June 26.

Set to Lou Reed 'Perfect Day', the clip features no dialogue and sees Thandiwe Newton and Jeffrey Wright reprise their roles as hosts Maeve and Bernard, respectively. Meanwhile, Luke Hemsworth and Angela Sarafyan return, and Aaron Paul is back as human Caleb. Oscar-winning West Side Story star Ariana DeBose features too, having joined the cast as a recurring guest star. 

Two intriguing – albeit expected – appearances include Ed Harris and Evan Rachel Wood's, whose characters both met grisly ends in the season 3 finale. In the episode, the latter's Dolores was technically disabled by the chapter's big bad Serac (Vincent Cassel), although we know that a part of her consciousness lives on in Charlotte (Tessa Thompson). So the one seen in the teaser is likely to be a slightly different version of the human-hating host we've known so far.

Westworld season 4 teaser

(Image credit: HBO)

Elsewhere, Harris's William, who is also known as the Man in Black, was killed by his robotic alter-ego and Charlotte, so we expect things to kick off between the trio in season 4.

If the teaser is anything to go by, it's that fans should expect plenty of bloodshed, as well as the drama's usual mystery and themes of existential crisis at its center. Eagle-eyed viewers may have also spotted a glimpse at a new attraction in the video, which sees a fedora-sporting gangster shooting up a bunch of 1920s-looking city streets with his Tommy gun.

"You're going to see some new worlds that I think are really fun," co-showrunner Lisa Joy previously teased on Deadline's Hero Nation podcast. "And you're going to see someone who I kidnapped from Reminiscence in a funny way." She was also asked to describe the new season in one word, and she went for "inversion."

Created for television by Joy and Jonathan Nolan, Westworld is based on Michael Crichton's 1973 film of the same name. Alison Schapker, Denise Thé, J.J. Abrams, Athena Wickham, Richard J. Lewis, and Ben Stephenson executive produce.

Westworld season 4 is set to premiere on Sunday, June 26, and will also stream on HBO Max. In the UK, the drama is typically shown on Sky and NOW the following day. While we wait, check out our list of the best TV shows of all time for some viewing inspiration. 

Amy West

I am an Entertainment Writer here at 12DOVE, covering all things TV and film across our Total Film and SFX sections. Elsewhere, my words have been published by the likes of Digital Spy, SciFiNow, PinkNews, FANDOM, Radio Times, and Total Film magazine.