HBO has cancelled Westworld.
The cancellation was reportedly due to the show’s declining ratings over its four seasons aired to date. Admittedly, Westworld never hit the cultural highs it achieved in its first season back in 2016. The show, which discusses consciousness, morality, memory and more, saw a significant drop when its third season was released in 2020. Ratings dipped even further when the show hit its fourth season.
Westworld was initially set for six seasons before rounding that number down to five seasons in July 2022. Now, it seems like there won’t be a new season at all. The show aired its last episode, season four’s finale, on 14 August 2022.
“Over the past four seasons, Lisa and Jonah have taken viewers on a mind-bending odyssey, raising the bar at every step,” HBO said in a statement on Friday. “We are tremendously grateful to them, along with their immensely talented cast, producers and crew, and all of our partners at Kilter Films, Bad Robot and Warner Bros. Television. It’s been a thrill to join them on this journey.”
Created by husband-and-wife producing duo Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, Westworld starred Evan Rachel Wood, Thandiwe Newton, Ed Harris, Jeffrey Wright, Tessa Thompson, Luke Hemsworth, Aaron Paul, Angela Sarafyan and James Marsden. Newcomers for season four included Ariana DeBose, Aurora Perrineau and Daniel Wu.
Nolan and Joy added in their own statement through banner Kilter Films: “Making Westworld has been one of the highlights of our careers. We are deeply grateful to our extraordinary cast and crew for creating these indelible characters and brilliant worlds. We’ve been privileged to tell these stories about the future of consciousness – both human and beyond – in the brief window of time before our AI overlords forbid us from doing so.”
The AI overlords in question? Likely Warner Bros Discovery.
In addition to the show’s dwindling viewership, other factors that went into the decision to end the sci-fi drama also include the production’s hefty price tag and an ongoing evaluation of programming across the board by HBO’s new parent, Warner Bros. Discovery.
Warner Bros. Discovery has been ruthless. The company shelved the anticipated Batgirl movie even though it was already in post-production. It has also deactivated the Wonder Twins DC movie amongst others. The company has also expressed its desire to take on a Marvel Studios-like approach for its DC titles. Other major movements also include the exit of Walter Hamada and the appointment of James Gunn.
Whilst this marks the end for Westworld, fans of the production duo can still catch the couple’s follow-up to Westworld, titled The Peripheral. The show is thematically similar to Westworld and explores a future in which computer simulations and virtual worlds are much harder to distinguish from reality.
The Peripheral is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
Don’t judge a book by its cover, for behind all this makeup, is a geek just like you. To simply put it, superheroes, Star Wars, Harry Potter and all things gore and creepy makes this girly girl swoon.
Natalie
