Sad news from HBO, and it has to do with one of the most beloved sci-fi shows of recent years, Westworld.
Looks like it’s time to say goodbye to the androids of Westworld. HBO cancelled the show after four seasons, even though Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy had hoped a fifth would come “on air” and give audiences the long-awaited finale.
Before HBO made its decision, Nolan and Joy tried to negotiate for a final season in October, but their arguments clearly failed to convince.
The message came straight from HBO about Westworld.
In a statement, HBO representatives said, “For the past four seasons, Lisa and Jonathan have taken viewers on an engaging odyssey, raising the bar with every step. We are extremely grateful to them,” after which they announced that Westworld has come to an end.
Westworld was one of HBO’s hit projects, with 54 Emmy nominations, and even a win for Thandiwe Newton for the supporting role she played.
Sadly, it seems that over the years, viewership has declined and has never given it a chance to recover. Basically, you could say that HBO is also to blame for Westworld’s failure, since the second season came a long time after the fact, and audiences lost interest in the process.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, about 12 million viewers watched the show’s season. The second season ticked off only 4 million viewers.
Most likely, these numbers didn’t sit well with HBO. Apparently, the fourth season cost $160 million, on account of eight episodes, which is more than was spent on House of Dragons, for example. The Game of Thrones prequel had ten episodes and averaged 29 million viewers.