HBO has decided to cancel adaptation of Michael Crichton's film of the same name revolving around the titular amusement park in which the androids populating the area begin to turn on the human guests. Evan Rachel Wood has led the cast of all four seasons of Westworld alongside Thandiwe Newton, Ed Harris, Jeffrey Wright, Tessa Thompson, Luke Hemsworth, Aaron Paul, Angela Sarafyan and Anthony Hopkins.
Following the generally divisive response to season 3 of the show, Westworld season 4 picked up seven years after the events of its predecessor in which humanity has lost the war against hosts and the faux Charlotte Hale taking control of the world and deploying a bioengineered virus that allows humans to come under control of hosts' orders. The season also saw a major time jump in which humanity is struggling to bounce back with the help of Maeve, who survived her previous confrontation with Charlotte, Stubbs and Bernard, who has potentially found the best course to save both humanity and hosts. Though not hitting the same critical heights of its first two seasons, Westworld season 4 scored more favorable reviews than its predecessor and ended with an ambiguous cliffhanger going into a planned season 5, though audiences eager to see the final chapter are getting some devastating news.
The Hollywood Reporter has brought word that HBO has officially canceled Westworld, shocking leaving the show without a season 5. Nolan and Joy had previously expressed their hopes to wrap the show up with one more season, even having reportedly been in talks to return, though the network has elected to have season 4 serve as its last. Check out the statement that HBO released below:
Over the past four seasons, Lisa and Jonah have taken viewers on a mind-bending odyssey, raising the bar at every step. 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 them on this journey.
Why HBO Canceled Westworld After Season 4
Following the announcement of Westworld's cancellation, many fans can't help but wonder why the show will not get the chance to tell a comprehensive story with just one last season. While neither HBO nor the show's creators have provided their reasoning, there seem to be a multitude of external factors that could have led to the shocking announcement. From the significant cost of production outweighing the show's dwindling viewership to the recent acquisition of HBO by Warner Bros. Discovery, it seems this latest cancelation suggests a larger shake-up is underway at the network.
After all, HBO has new popular shows to budget for that are only growing. With such hit series as House of Dragon quickly leading the way for streaming series like Peacemaker and Doom Patrol in of commercial success, there is less room for older shows that have become less relevant in recent years. As disappointing as the news of Westworld getting canceled is for fans who were hoping for a satisfying season 5, hopefully there is now more budgetary space for emerging and urgent works of television at HBO.
Source: THR