The HBO and BBC co-production 'Industry' has been renewed for a fourth season, scheduled to premiere on January 11. The upcoming season is set to broaden its narrative scope beyond the financial sector, introducing new themes such as age verification, technology, and politics, while featuring an expanded cast and new international settings.
Series Overview and Development
"Industry," a drama series created by Mickey Down and Konrad Kay, debuted in 2020. It initially focused on entry-level recruits within the fictional investment bank Pierpoint & Co. in London, exploring themes of money, status, and power in the UK financial sector. Both Down and Kay, who are Oxford University alumni with prior banking experience, have described the show as niche and iconoclastic, prioritizing unique storytelling. The series was pitched in late 2015 by executive producer Jane Tranter to HBO, influenced by observing young professionals entering finance after the 2008 financial crisis. Down and Kay were recruited as writers, and the pilot script underwent numerous revisions. The show was greenlit in February 2019, with the BBC joining as a co-producer. Season 1, which filmed in summer 2019, received positive critical reviews and cultivated a dedicated audience despite initial low ratings. Each episode's production cost was approximately $2 million.
Season 3 Conclusion and Viewership
Season 3 of "Industry" concluded with significant character developments. Yasmin Kara-Hanani, portrayed by Marisa Abela, pursued a life on a country estate with Henry Muck (Kit Harington). Harper Stern, played by Myha’la, accepted a position with a bearish investment fund. The Pierpoint trading floor was depicted as being prepared for closure following its acquisition by an Egyptian sovereign wealth fund. Season 3 saw a significant increase in viewership and critical acclaim, with its premiere attracting 300,000 live viewers and over 1.6 million total viewers including delayed viewing after HBO transitioned the show to a Sunday broadcast slot. The narrative of Season 3 included elements such as IPOs, a physical altercation, instances of parental abuse, and two character deaths. The renewal for Season 4 was the quickest in the show's history.
Season 4 Narrative and Thematic Expansion
Season 4 aims to expand the series' scope beyond the confines of Pierpoint and the traditional finance industry, venturing into new sectors including media, politics, and technology. A central focus will be Tender, a recently public fintech startup. Filming for the season is underway in Cardiff, Wales, with scenes featuring Abela and Myha’la.
Key themes for Season 4 include:
- Online adult platforms and age verification
- Fintech and fraud
- Investigative journalism
- Populism in Europe and the current state of the UK Labour Party
- The rise of authoritarianism, particularly in UK and US contexts, in the latter half of the season.
The season will introduce a conflict at Tender concerning its continued processing of payments for Siren, an adult content platform. This internal debate is influenced by potential new age-verification legislation and anti-adult content discourse from the UK's Labour Party, prompting some Tender executives to advocate for a policy shift. Show creator Konrad Kay noted that the issue of age verification gained significant public attention after the storyline was developed and filmed, preceding the UK's Online Safety Act, which mandates age verification for online adult content and is set to take effect in July 2025.
New international settings for Season 4 will include Paris, Ghana, New York, Sunderland, an Austrian castle, and a London council estate.
Character Arcs in Season 4
- Harper Stern (Myha’la): She is shown returning to a position of autonomy as her own boss, engaging with financial jargon in a new professional phase. Her path continues to converge with Yasmin's through Tender.
- Yasmin Kara-Hanani (Marisa Abela): Yasmin is portrayed as struggling with a transactional marriage to Sir Henry Muck (Kit Harington) and engaging in ethically ambiguous networking. She continues to engage with other female characters.
- Sweetpea Golightly (Miriam Petche): Her role will be expanded. Sweetpea, a junior banker and part-time adult content creator, will have her identity exposed without her consent despite efforts to remain anonymous. While Season 3 depicted her as an empowered woman with control over her online presence, Season 4 will examine both the empowering and potentially exploitative aspects of such work.
- Rishi Ramdani (Sagar Radia): His storyline will focus on his capacity for self-repair following developments in Season 3.
- Henry Muck (Kit Harington): His role will also be expanded, and his storyline will address mental health issues.
Cast and Production Details
Down and Kay, who serve as showrunners, made their directorial debuts with the final two episodes of Season 3 and are directing four of the eight episodes in Season 4. Cinematographer Federico Cesca, who joined in Season 2, has collaborated with Down and Kay to expand the show's cinematic language. Season 4 draws cinematic influences from films such as "Magnolia," "The Brutalist," "Michael Clayton," and "Margin Call."
New additions to the cast for Season 4 include:
- Max Minghella ("The Handmaid’s Tale") as Whitney Halberstram, co-founder of Tender.
- Kiernan Shipka ("Mad Men") as Haley Clay.
- Charlie Heaton ("Stranger Things").
- Toheeb Jimoh ("Ted Lasso").
- Kal Penn.
Existing cast members Marisa Abela, Myha’la, Harry Lawtey, David Jonsson, and Nabhaan Rizwan continue their roles. Kit Harington and Miriam Petche will have expanded roles.
Oliver White, the music supervisor, has secured licensed tracks from prominent artists for Season 4. Nathan Micay composes the original score, with showrunner suggestions for Season 4 including the directive to "Channel the movie 'Heat'."
Creative Direction and Future Outlook
Down and Kay signed a three-year exclusive TV deal with HBO approximately 12 months prior to this report. Konrad Kay has indicated that the creators have an "ending in sight" for the series and are developing the narrative towards this conclusion. The specific plot trajectory to reach this ending remains to be publicly detailed.