'Wentworth' season 5 release date, plot spoilers: Is Bea Smith alive?

Promotional image for the series "Wentworth"Facebook/wentworthtv

Bea Smith may have died in the fourth season finale of "Wentworth," but actress Danielle Cormack is still rumored to reprise her role when the Australian drama series returns for season 5.

Rumors sparked about Bea's return after Cormack posted a Snapchat video featuring her and castmate Kate Jenkinson, who portrays the role of Bea's lover Allie Novak.

While the clip did not reveal any clear signs of the character's return in the series, speculations claimed that the actresses are working together again for the prison drama series.

Fans of the series did not expect to see Bea dead at the end of season 4 since she had been recognized as the central character of the show since the beginning of the series. But executive producer Jo Porter revealed in a statement that was posted on News.com.au that while it was difficult to say goodbye to the character and the actress, they need to do that to pull the story in a new and different location.

"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," Porter stated. "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 EP went on to say.

Meanwhile, SoHo has yet to announce if they will have to find a new character to fill in the role that Bea left after she was killed by Joan Ferguson (Pamela Rabe). However, speculations claimed that new faces will be introduced when the series returns for its fifth season. The network also remains mum about how the series will move forward after the death of the beloved character.

"Wentworth" season 5 is slated to air sometime in 2017.