Animal Kingdom Season 5: Release Date, Cast And More

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After a surprising turn of events at the end of season 4, the TNT family crime drama Animal Kingdom is returning this weekend with a radically altered dynamic. Here's everything we know about Animal Kingdom season 5 so far.

After a nearly two-year break, Animal Kingdom season 5 premieres this Sunday, July 11, 2021, at 9:00 P.M. ET on TNT. You can also check out the show on the TNT app, if you've cut cable out of your life.

Based on the acclaimed David Michôd crime thriller from 2010, Animal Kingdom is about a teenage boy named Joshua "J" Cody who goes to live with his criminal family after his mother dies. J's new home is ruled over by Janine "Smurf" Cody, a ruthless matriarch who keeps an iron grip over everyone in their home.

Here's the official synopsis for the new season:

In Animal Kingdom Season 5, Pope, Craig, Deran and J still are dealing with the fallout from the events surrounding Smurf's death, including family members out for revenge. With their kingdom without a leader, the Codys struggle to maintain their fragile alliance, and to see which of them will come out on top. Meanwhile, they search for more information on Pamela Johnson, whom Smurf made the beneficiary of her estate. And back in 1984, an increasingly volatile 29-year-old Smurf is forging her own path raising Pope and Julia and leading the charge on dangerous jobs with new and old friends.

Animal Kingdom was developed for television by Jonathan Lisco (Halt and Catch Fire). John Wells (ER, Shameless) serves as an executive producer alongside Daniele Nathanson (Goliath), Erin Jontow (Shameless), Michôd, and Liz Watts, who produced the movie adaptation.

Season 5 of the series will bring back actors Shawn Hatosy, Ben Robson, Jake Weary, Finn Cole, Leila George, Rigo Sanchez, and Jon Beavers. One person who will be noticeably absent (unless maybe she pops up in flashbacks or dream sequences) is Ellen Barkin, who played Smurf for the first four seasons of the show and was killed near the end of season 4. "Going forward, the Cody family will now have to find their way without their mother's guidance," executive producer John Wells told EW in 2019.