When it first debuted in 2016, Westworld was an unconventional dystopian show about a themed amusement park where humans could live out their wildest fantasies with android “hosts.”
Four seasons later, fans have gone through a whole rollercoaster of a revolution. But it seems like the ride may end here. So, has Westworld been canceled or renewed?
Westworld has been canceled by HBO after four seasons. The show won’t be renewed for Season 5. Sources cite that the decision was made due to reduced viewership and budget issues.
Season 4 recently finished airing in August. However, HBO took a long time to confirm if the season was renewed or not—which in itself was a cause to worry. Originally, the show was supposed to have six seasons, but now, Season 4 will be the last.
Read the official statement here:
“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 join them on this journey.”
HBO
As you can see in HBO’s official statement, no particular reason has been given for the cancelation. But industry experts can make a calculated guess.
To begin with, Westworld has always been a very expensive show to produce. Season 1 cost about $100 million, which was justified because it secured a 12 million viewership. However, the eight-episode Season 4 allegedly had a budget of $160 million, but only raked up a viewership of 4 million.
To compare the situation, House of the Dragon had ten episodes, a budget of $125 million, and a viewership of 29 million per episode.
It’s clear that HBO does not mind spending the money if it has the intended results. Westworld’s first two seasons were met with much critical acclaim, even earning multiple Emmy nominations. The series also became HBO’s most-watched at the time.
With Season 2 coming to a close, it seemed like the show had stretched the concept thin. Fans no longer found any novelty in the show and the dwindling viewership reflected the same.
Dare I say, by the time Season 4 came along, the storyline was quite convoluted.
Co-creator Lisa Joy had hoped that the show could’ve at least been given the chance to wrap up the story neatly with a last, fifth season. Clearly, HBO did not think it was worth the investment.
Season 4 ended with the extinction of the whole human race. Despite this, Dolores is able to connect the real world to the Sublime, with the possibility of bringing back people. This move also alluded to one “final test”—which, of course, we won’t know anything about unless the creators let us in on it.
As Season 4 concluded with a little bit of a cliffhanger, maybe someday a Westworld movie will make its way onto our screens. Here’s hoping.
About Westworld
Westworld is an American science fiction-thriller media franchise that began with the 1973 film Westworld, written and directed by Michael Crichton. It was followed by the sequel film Futureworld (1976).
In 2016 a new television series based on the original film debuted on HBO; the critically acclaimed series has broadcast three seasons, with a fourth currently streaming on HBO Max.
The series follows a dystopian world within the limits of Wild-West-themed amusement parks open to the elite to enjoy and are populated with human-like androids created for their enjoyment. But things take a dangerous turn when the robots malfunction and start killing the park’s patrons.
The TV Series follows the same universe as the films and features a star cast including Evan Rachel Wood, Thandiwe Newton, Tessa Thompson, Jeffrey Wright, James Marsden, Simon Quarterman, and Aaron Paul.
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