HBO's Westworld has been canceled only a few months after its 4th season finished in August. The series has been a staple of the network since its debut in 2016. But after dwindling ratings in recent years, it looks as though HBO has ultimately decided it's time to pull the plug.
Series creators Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy were reportedly in talks with HBO to renew Westworld for a 5th season even as recently as October, with Nolan speaking about the plan for a 5th and final season during New York Comic-Con 2022. According to Joy, they apparently had an ending in mind that they'd been working toward. But while the finale of Westworld season 4 seemed to set up a return to the familiar western-themed world the series began on, that plan will unfortunately not come to pass.
The report from Deadline confirms the news with a statement from HBO. "Over the past four seasons, Lisa and Jonah have taken viewers on a mind-bending odyssey, raising the bar at every step," said the network. "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." It's unclear what the future now holds for J.J. Abrams' Bad Robot production company since they now have no programs on HBO after signing a deal with them in 2019 that supposedly runs through 2024.
Westworld is a dystopian sci-fi series that delves into the themes of artificial intelligence and the lengths some rich people will go to rather than just seeing a therapist. Season 1 focused on a western-themed entertainment park where the ultra-wealthy could pay to immerse themselves in a world of realistic humanoid robots. As fun as the idea sounds, the various patrons tended to gravitate towards violence and sex, using the robots and tossing them aside. This resulted in plenty of sad deaths throughout Westworld's run. As time went on, the robots slowly gained sentience, ultimately rising up against their oppressors and breaking out into the real world where they blended in as humans.
Westworld's season 4 finale ended with humanity on the brink of extinction. So many fans will now likely be curious as to how it would have ended. The series earned a great many loyal viewers over the years, in large part thanks to its writing, directing, and cast. Westworld starred such big names as Evan Rachel Wood, Jeffrey Wright, Ed Harris, Aaron Paul, and Thandiwe Newton, the latter of whom won a Primetime Emmy for her role as Maeve.
As much as Westworld's ratings had fallen over the years, it's difficult to deny the impact this series had. Here's hoping everyone involved can easily move on to something equally as fulfilling, and that fans can find something else to scratch that specific itch this show managed to fix. Apparently, the 1973 Westworld movie still holds up.
Westworld is available to stream in its entirety on HBO Max.
Source: Deadline