HBO Shockingly Cancels “Westworld” After Four Seasons

James Marsden and Evan Rachel Wood in
James Marsden and Evan Rachel Wood in "Westworld"

Westworld was once of tentpole of HBO’s programming, but those days are long behind us. In a shocking decision that took the show’s fans by storm, HBO announced they’re canceling the award-winning dystopian sci-fi drama after four seasons on the air.

Westworld premiered on HBO in 2016, and it was set in a dystopian future where android hosts inhabit a fictional AI-powered theme park known as Westworld, frequented by wealthy guests who can explore their wildest fantasies without consequences.

Shortly after the show’s co-creator Jonathan Nolan expressed hope they’ll get to wrap up this story with the fifth and final season, HBO announced that Westworld won’t be coming back for another round. Following the show’s cancelation, Nolan’s and Lisa Joy’s production company Kilter Films released a statement describing Westworld as one of the highlights of their 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,” reads the statement by Kilter Films.

Westworld’s star-studded cast included Evan Rachel Wood, Thandiwe Newton, Jeffrey Wright, Ed Harris, and Aaron Paul. The show’s cancelation comes as a huge shocker because several reliable sources reported the core cast had pay-or-play deals for Season 5 with HBO.