Animal Kingdom is a TNT crime drama that premiered in 2016 and has been one of the network’s biggest hits in recent years.
Animal Kingdom reached 27 million viewers in Season 4 across all platforms. Its premiere retained its audience from the previous season’s average.
The crime drama series also ranked among 2019’s top 10 cable dramas.
This allowed it to go out the way it wanted to. With Animal Kingdom Season 5 launching in 2021, TNT gave it one last season that will arrive next year.
Here is everything we know so far about Animal Kingdom Season 6.
This article provides everything that is known about Animal Kingdom Season 6 and all related news. As such, this article will be updated over time with news, rumors, and analysis. Meanwhile, let’s dig down into what is known so far.
Is there going to be a Season 6 of Animal Kingdom?
The good news is that Deadline reports that Animal Kingdom will return for a sixth season. The bad news is that this will be its final season.
However, while fans might mourn the loss of one of their favorite crime dramas, the series will get to end with a definitive conclusion thanks to the news ahead of time that this is it for the series.
The news came before the fifth season premiered in July, so the cast was able to work that season knowing they were setting up the blocks that would lead to the series finale.
Release date latest: When does Animal Kingdom Season 6 come out?
There is no word yet on when Animal Kingdom Season 6 will come out, but the news is that production started on the show in March 2021.
The fifth season of Animal Kingdom ran from July 11, 2021 to October 3, 2021.
The first season in 2016 ran from June to August. The second season in 2017 ran from May to August. Season 3 was from May to August and Season 4 was from May to August.
There was no season in 2020 thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic shutting down production and it finally arrived in 2021, later than usual.
With production back to normal, and the series starting the process in March 2020, there is a good chance it will be back to its original timeframe and could arrive in May 2022.
We will update this article with the official release date when TNT releases it.
Animal Kingdom Season 6 cast updates
Season 5 of Animal Kingdom started off with a new look as Smurf died, removing Ellen Barkin from the cast.
That meant that Shawn Hatosy, Ben Robson, Jake Weary, Finn Cole, Leila George, Rigo Sanchez, and Jon Beavers carried the cast into the fifth season.
Shawn Hatosy is Andrew “Pope” Cody, the oldest Cody son who got out of prison after three years to return to the family when the show started.
Ben Robson is Craig Cody, the middle Cody son.
Jake Weary as Deran Cody, the youngest Cody son.
Finn Cole is “J” Cody, Smurf’s grandson who moved in with her and his uncles following the death of his mother, Julia.
Leila George is a young “Smurf” Cody in flashback scenes.
Rigo Sanchez is young Manny, the leader of Smurf’s gang in the flashback scenes.
Jon Beavers is young Jake Dunmore, a member of Smurf’s gang in the flashbacks and her on-again-off-again boyfriend.
Expect a slew of guest stars in Season 6 as the police begin to close in on the Cody family.
Animal Kingdom Season 6 spoilers
Animal Kingdom Season 5 ended with the entire Cody family happy and living high. However, this is just the lull before their fall, which will surely come in Season 6.
This is because Animal Kingdom Season 5 ended with authorities discovering evidence of Andrew “Pope” Cody’s worst crime.
The police swarmed the construction site at the Cabrillo Circle Development and they found Baz’s wife Catherine’s body.
Back in Season 1, Smurf sent Pope to kill Catherine and he buried her body in the desert. His sin has been uncovered.
The boys also decided to start laundering money through Deran’s bar, which went against his entire plan of keeping it out of the family’s criminal activities.
With a dead body and money laundering through the bar, it looks like this happy ending in Season 5 will soon destroy the entire family in Season 6.
There should also be a resolution to Craig’s drug addiction after he spirals into a crisis situation that results in his lover, Renn (Christina Ochoa), finally leaving him.
Also, expect more of the flashback scenes with Smurf as one of the world’s worst mothers, raising her sons to be master criminals.
We will update this article when more is learned about the final season, and when the trailer is finally released.
TNT has yet to announce when Animal Kingdom Season 6 will premiere.