'Wentworth' season 5 news, spoilers: Liam Hemsworth cast as show's new lead?
The finale of season 4 of "Wentworth" shook a lot of fans, with the show's protagonist, Bea Smith (Danielle Cormack), stabbed and left for dead. While some fans initially clung to the hope that she would manage to survive the attack, the show's executive producer, Jo Porter, made it clear that she died.
In an official statement, the show's producers said that they killed the character not because Cormack wants to leave "Wentworth," but because they want to pursue a dramatic storyline.
"Wentworth has built a reputation for risk-taking, high emotion and bold storytelling, and once again, the season four finale proves no one is safe," the statement said. "As producers, it is always our intention to keep audiences guessing and on the edge of their seats," it continued.
The show's surprising turn of events has led viewers to wonder who will now serve as the lead of "Wentworth." Some surmised that it might be existing characters such as Karen Proctor (Tammy Macintosh) or Joan "The Freak" Ferguson (Pamela Rabe), who was also the one who stabbed Bea. However, the statement released by the show's producers also indicated that they are open to hiring new actors as cast members.
"While the shoes of Bea Smith will be hard to fill, with the start of season five the gates of Wentworth Correctional Facility will again open to a raft of potential new stories and characters," the statement continued.
Liam Hemsworth is one of the names being associated with this role. He is said to be playing the role of a prison warden who will help Allie Novak (Kate Jenkinson) move on from the death of Bea, who was her lover. However, neither the actor nor the "Wentworth" team has confirmed or denied these rumors about his involvement in the television drama.
"Wentworth" is an Australian drama series. It is set in a jail, with the prison inmates as the main characters. It is aired on SoHo.
The season 5 premiere of "Wentworth" is scheduled on April 4, Tuesday, on Showcase.