Westworld Cast Will Get Millions For Season 5 Without Starring In It
What is a dream job? For many it's when you do nothing and still get paid. This is exactly the situation the core cast of the cancelled HBO's Westworld Season 5 series essentially found themselves in.
HBO has confirmed that Season 4 will be the last for the Emmy-winning sci-fi series about the rise of the machines HBO-style.
According to a report published in Deadline, the core cast – Evan Rachel Wood, Thandiwe Newton, Jeffrey Wright, Ed Harris and Aaron Paul – had pay-or-play deals for Season 5. This is not something unusual for the industry as it is a way to secure a cast with big names before a network takes a decision to continue the franchise.
Westworld does, in fact, have some problems. The ratings are declining, the viewership is shrinking and the fans are not happy with the development of the plot, which has become too hard to follow throughout the seasons. Hence the decision to cancel the series.
Now the question is: how much will the cast get? It is reported that Wood, Newton, Wright and Harris, the actors on the original cast, got big raises after Season 2, amounting to about $250,000 per episode in Season 3. As for Season 5 which has been cancelled, the total salary is believed to be in the rage of $10 to $15 million. One episode on Season 3 of the show cost HBO some $10 million.
The cost benefit model major networks employ to decide if a show is worth renewing can be rather upsetting for its fans. This is exactly what many Westworld fans believe. This model doesn't care if your show has buzz, or good reviews, or a small enclave of devoted fans. If the numbers aren't there it's gone and it's not a great model to emulate.
It immediately comes to mind how Breaking Bad was nearly cancelled after 3 seasons due to poor viewership numbers, but thanks to the first three seasons being put on Netflix the show took off in the 4th season and has become one of the most successful series ever made. Most of the Westworld fans agree that the networks are failing to realize that building a dedicated fan base actually pays out for decades. Still, networks need quick returns to be able to invest the money and waiting for long is not an option.
Westworld series was created by Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy and premiered in October 2016.