Two years following its unexpected cancellation, Westworld co-creator Jonathan Nolan expresses hope for a Season 5 revival. The series, inspired by Michael Crichton’s 1973 film, was crafted for TV by Nolan and Lisa Joy, covering four seasons with intentions for a conclusive fifth before HBO’s abrupt discontinuation in 2022. Despite the setback, Nolan, alongside the cast, retains optimism for the show’s completion.
In a recent conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, Nolan shared his aspirations for bringing Westworld Season 5 back to wrap up its narrative as initially envisioned, drawing parallels to his persistence in the making of Interstellar with his brother, Christopher Nolan. Although hesitant to commit to any specific network or platform for a potential revival, Nolan’s determination remains unwavering. The full quotes are as follows:
“We’re completionists. It took me eight years and a change of director to get Interstellar made. We’d like to finish the story we started. I’m so f**king proud of what we made. It was an extraordinary experience. I think it would be a mistake to look back and only feel regret [over how it ended]. But there’s still very much a desire to finish it.”
“I asked the creators after we got cancelled, ‘Can you please just tell me how you’re going to end?’ And they wouldn’t tell me. I think because, I don’t know, maybe somehow, someway, in some iteration, we’ll get to finish it, but I still don’t know. It does still keep me up at night.”
The cast has similarly voiced their hopes and disappointments following the Westworld cancellation. Luke Hemsworth and James Marsden were among the first to publicly address the show’s premature end, expressing both dismay and a sliver of hope for a possible continuation. Evan Rachel Wood also lamented the cancellation, yet remained hopeful for the show’s future. Nolan’s recent statements reinforce this collective desire to fulfil the series’ narrative potential.
Despite the series’ removal from Max in a cost-reduction move by HBO, Nolan prides himself on the accomplishments of Westworld, reflecting positively on the experience. The show, which premiered in 2016, achieved initial success, setting rating records for HBO. However, it faced declining critical reception in subsequent seasons. Still, it garnered 54 Emmy nominations, winning nine awards.
While Nolan and Joy are currently engaged with other projects, including the highly anticipated Fallout series for Prime Video, the possibility of revisiting Westworld for a concluding season remains open.
Natalie is a big fan of anything related to movies, TV shows, games, and comics — you name it. When she’s not reading or geeking out about the latest shows on Netflix, she’s probably playing Honkai: Star Rail, cosplaying, or daydreaming of meeting her idols.
