Westworld Season 5: Will HBO Release More Episodes?
Westworld Season 5: The American dystopian science fiction drama has been officially cancelled. Here’s everything you need to know!
- Westworld debuted on HBO on Oct 2, 2016, and is based upon the 1973 film of the same name and loosely upon its 1976 sequel, Futureworld.
- Westworld‘s first season is the most-watched first season of any HBO original series.
Westworld is an American dystopian science fiction Western television series created by Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy. It first aired on October 2, 2016, on HBO. Since its premiere, the show, based on the 1973 Michael Crichton movie of the same name, has been one of the cable network’s tentpole shows. Westworld season 4 premiered on June 26, 2022, after a break of more than two years and fans are now asking for the next season. Is Westworld season 4 the finale season? Has Westworld been renewed for season 5? Here’s everything we know!
Is Westworld cancelled after season 4?
Westworld Season 1 is the most-watched first season of any HBO original series in history. However, its viewership has been on a downfall. Being one of the biggest shows in HBO history, fans expect Westworld to continue forever.
Fans of the thought-provoking and visually spectacular series Westworld anxiously anticipated the show’s next part. However, with great sadness, we inform you that Westworld Season 5 has been officially cancelled.
But has this news deterred fans from hoping for more seasons? No way. Although HBO has already cancelled Westworld after Season 4, some fans are still holding out hope for a Season 5.
Will there be Westworld Season 5?
Unfortunately, Westworld Season 5 will not premiere on HBO after being cancelled. Season 5 has almost no chance of being made, given the show’s low viewership and outrageously high budget. Despite its success and excellent reviews, Westworld encountered many difficulties before it was cancelled. The show received considerable criticism as it went along for getting too complicated and losing sight of its main point. Therefore, this could have had an impact on the decision to end the series, along with dwindling viewership and ratings.
In November 2022, HBO, via Variety, announced that Westworld will be cancelled after Season 4. In an official statement, the network expressed how they were “tremendously grateful” to the work of showrunners Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy while also giving high praise to the show’s cast, producers, and crew:
Over the past four seasons, Lisa and Jonah 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.
Will Westworld Season 5 be on HBO?
Westworld Season 5 will not premiere on HBO after being cancelled. It seems to be the end of the series as no other streaming service or production house looks interested in it due to its insanely high and complex storylines.
Westworld Creators Planned For Season 5
In October 2022, Westworld showrunners Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy told Variety that they had plans for the show to end with Season 5. They said that they had always conceived Westworld as a five-season series.
A month before Westworld‘s cancellation i.e. in Oct 2022, Nolan said that they were in negotiations with HBO for the fifth season.
Why HBO Cancelled its hit show?
As per insider information, the choice to cancel Westworld was driven by the familiar principles that Netflix employs for renewals – weighing viewership against expenses. Over the course of its run, Westworld’s ratings have experienced a steady decline. On a positive note, creatively, Season 4 saw a slight improvement in critical reception, with Rotten Tomatoes scores rising from 73% in Season 3 to 75%. However, fans had become more vocal about the complex mythology and convoluted plotlines, making it increasingly challenging to follow the narrative, which ultimately manifested in declining viewership figures.
Why the Cast Receive Salaries for Westworld Season 5?
Even though Westworld got cancelled, the main cast will still get paid for Season 5 because of their special contracts, as per Deadline. These contracts, known as “pay-or-play deals,” ensure they receive payment regardless of the show’s cancellation.
The actors’ contracts were activated before Season 4 aired, and it’s possible that they negotiated new terms during that time. This is a common practice, especially if the network, like HBO in this case, wants to secure talented actors even before deciding to renew the show.
The total amount the cast is owed for Season 5 is believed to be between $10 million to $15 million. That’s a significant sum, considering the show’s budget was $100 million for Season 3, with each episode costing around $10 million. Continuing with Season 5 would have cost HBO over $80 million, according to Deadline’s estimates
Where to watch Westworld?
The series was removed from HBO Max on December 18, 2022. So, what are the options available to stream it? In the United States, you can stream the show through DirectV. You can also buy individual episodes or full seasons on Apple TV, Amazon Prime, Google Play or Vudu.