HBO cancels Westworld after 4 seasons

In a surprising turn of events, HBO has decided to cancel the popular sci-fi drama Westworld after four seasons. The news comes amid a series of cancellations and layoffs following a massive merger between Warner Bros. and Discovery.

As noted in TheHollywood Reporter, The sci-fi drama’s ratings have steadily declined since the third season, with the show’s critics’ average score on Rotten Tomatoes falling from the mid-’80s to the mid-’70s. Fans of the series are also increasingly feeling frustrated with the confusing storylines of the previous two seasons and the lack of character development.

Despite the supposed decline in ratings and quality, it’s still pretty surprising that new leadership at Warner Bros. would cancel a show that has racked up numerous accolades, including fifty-four Primetime Emmy Award nominations and nine wins. Additionally, Westworld’s debut on HBO was the network’s most-watched premiere since the first episode of True Detective in 2014.

During his appearance at New York Comic Con, Westworld co-creator Jonathan Nolan expressed his confidence that another chapter of the story would follow season 4, stating: “We always plan a fifth and final season. We are still in talks with the network. We have high hopes of making them.” Likewise, co-creator Lisa Joy told Deadline: “Jonah (Nolan) and I have always had an end in mind that we hope to reach. We haven’t reached it yet.”

HBO sent out the following statement regarding Westworld’s cancellation:

“For the past four seasons, Lisa and Jonah have taken viewers on an amazing odyssey, raising the bar at every turn. 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 has been exciting to join them on this journey.”