Image Source: HBO
HBO has pulled the plug on its long-running sci-fi series, “Westworld.” The news comes just three months after its season four finale aired on Aug. 14. Longtime viewers of the dystopian drama were transported to a future where consciousness — both human and artificial — can be harnessed and transported to other planes of existence where reality is sharper, more compelling, and deadlier than most ever imagined. For many fans, HBO’s decision to cancel the series came abruptly, particularly after cliffhangers in season four left the plotline open for a final season.
“I’m gonna miss all the badass women of Westworld. And we deserved to have a proper ending to this show,” one Twitter user wrote, while another Twitter user added, “westworld deserved a fifth and final season.”
Other fans weren’t as surprised to hear the news after the show’s fourth season became increasingly confusing. Following a drop in viewership during season three, the series was not able to recover, making ratings one of several reasons the show was likely canceled.
“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 series, created by Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, starred Evan Rachel Wood, Emmy-winner Thandiwe Newton, Ed Harris, Jeffrey Wright, Tessa Thompson, Luke Hemsworth, Aaron Paul, Angela Sarafyan, James Marsde, and more. Other notable cast members include Oscar-winner Ariana DeBose, Aurora Perrineau, and Daniel Wu.
“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 to POPSUGAR. “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.”
Kilter Films, one of the show’s production companies, added, “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.”