HBO has canceled Westworld, ending the series before the show's creators could wrap up the story with their planned fifth season.
In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, HBO thanked the show's co-creators. "Over the past four seasons, Lisa [Joy] and Jonah [Nolan] 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."
While the ending to Westworld season 4 was just definitive enough to keep the series from feeling truly unfinished, the creators had more in mind. Actor Ed Harris hinted earlier this year at a fifth, final season to start filming in April 2023, and while Lisa Joy was less definitive in a more recent interview about season 5's prospects, she did float some ideas for what themes Westworld would explore in a prospective final season.
HBO has been on a bit of a cancelation spree over the past year, ending The Time Traveler's Wife after one season, Gentleman Jack after two seasons, and killing the Constantine TV reboot and live-action Madame X series before they could even get off the ground. Earlier today, we learned that the Degrassi reboot has been scrapped.
The Hollywood Reporter's sources say that cost-cutting did not have a factor in Westworld's cancellation.
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