HBO’s financial drama Industry is set to return on Sunday, January 11, 2026, with its fourth season already earning a flawless critical score. Before a single public episode has aired, Season 4 holds a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, signaling universal praise from early reviewers. The new season picks up with Harper and Yasmin at the top of their game, only to be pulled into a dangerous new fintech venture that tests their twisted friendship like never before.
Release Details and Where to Watch
The eight-episode season begins on January 11 at 9:00 PM Eastern Time on HBO. New episodes will air weekly on HBO at the same time and will be available to stream on HBO Max. In the United Kingdom, the season will premiere the following day, Monday, January 12, 2026, on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
This schedule marks a change from previous years, allowing UK audiences to watch closely alongside US viewers rather than waiting months.
Story and Character Updates for Season 4
The official story for the new season places Harper and Yasmin in a high-stakes global conflict. The summary states: “At the top of their game and living the lives they set out to have as Pierpoint grads, Harper and Yasmin are drawn into a high stakes, globetrotting cat-and-mouse game when a splashy fintech darling bursts onto the London scene”.
The central new force is a fintech startup called Tender, a payment processor looking to become a “bank in your pocket”. Harper is pulled into the orbit of Tender’s enigmatic founder, Whitney Halberstram, played by new cast member Max Minghella. Meanwhile, Yasmin navigates her complicated relationship with tech founder Sir Henry Muck, reprised by Kit Harington. Their friendship warps under the intense pressure of money and power.
Actress Myha’la, who plays Harper, describes the dynamic: “Yasmin and Harper are at the opposite ends of a big line and one’s success is the other’s imminent failure. It feels like a race to the end for them both”.
Marisa Abela, returning as Yasmin, gives insight into her character’s difficult start to the season: “Yasmin is married to Henry Muck and their relationship is spinning out of control. She is not only a wife, but essentially a caregiver to someone who resents her for needing her care”.
New Faces and Returning Favorites in the Cast
Season 4 features a significant expansion of the show’s world, reflected in its large ensemble cast. Leading the returning characters are Myha’la as Harper Stern and Marisa Abela as Yasmin Kara-Hanani. Ken Leung is back as the volatile Eric Tao, now exploring a new professional partnership with Harper called “SternTao”.
Other returning cast members include Miriam Petche as Sweetpea, Sagar Radia as Rishi, Toheeb Jimoh, Charlie Heaton, Amy James-Kelly, and Roger Barclay.
The season welcomes several major new actors. Max Minghella joins as Whitney Halberstram, the ambitious founder of Tender. Kiernan Shipka plays Hayley Clay, an executive assistant at Tender. Kal Penn takes on the role of Jay Jonah Atterbury, the CEO and co-founder of the fintech company.
Additional new cast includes Jack Farthing as Edward Smith, a longtime troublemaking friend of Henry’s, and Claire Forlani as corporate PR expert Cordelia Hanani-Spyrka. Notably, Harry Lawtey will not return as Robert Spearing, with the actor stating his character’s story felt complete.
Behind the Scenes: A Bold New Creative Direction
The show’s creators, Mickey Down and Konrad Kay, who also serve as writers, executive producers, and now directors for the new season, have taken significant creative risks. The story moves beyond the familiar trading floor of Pierpoint, which was dismantled at the end of Season 3.
Konrad Kay explained the freedom this change allowed: “We were writing about one world, and at the edges of that world were other worlds, like media and politics. With Season 4, we were like, now we don’t have a trading floor, we can actually just go into those spaces”.
This expansion includes experimenting with different genres. Kay described one episode as a “neo-Gothic period drama in a big house”. Mickey Down acknowledged the gamble but defended the bold choices: “I’m sure some people will be like, ‘What are they doing? It’s supposed to be set in a bank!’ But this show is whatever we want it to be”.
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Critical Reception and the Path to Season 4
The perfect 100% Rotten Tomatoes score for Season 4 comes after the show’s celebrated third season. Season 3 was nominated for a Critics Choice Award for Best Drama Series and was named the number one show of 2024 by The New Yorker. Time magazine called it “the must watch show of the summer”.
The show’s path to this point was not immediate. The first season, while well-reviewed, had modest ratings. Executive producer Jane Tranter noted, “We had to really push to get a second season and had to really push again to get a third”. The breakout success of Season 3, which moved to HBO’s prestigious Sunday night slot, changed everything. HBO executive Cela Sutton said the network realized “we had a hit on our hands,” leading to a quick renewal for Season 4.
Early reviews suggest Season 4 continues this upward trend. The Rotten Tomatoes rating indicates all published critic reviews to date are positive, a rare achievement before a season’s public debut.
The new season promises to deliver the show’s signature elements. Myha’la teased to RadioTimes.com, “I think you can expect from Industry what you can always expect from Industry. Drugs, sex, rock and roll. It’s going to be great”.
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