Westworld Keeps Draining Millions Out of HBO After Cancellation
Westworld's cancellation was not a big surprise both to those who only watched the ratings and to the devoted fans – and former fans.
Many of the latter have complained that the show is meandering aimlessly, with no idea on how to resolve the conflicts it set up long before the cancellation was officially announced.
Westworld 's showrunners Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy allegedly had planned to make five seasons of Westworld, but Season 4, which finished airing in August 2022, saw another severe decline in ratings and viewership after Season 3.
Perhaps that was the reason for HBO's decision, or perhaps the showrunners really did not have a plan, or at least did not have a plan good enough to satisfy the studio bosses. So, Westworld was cancelled in November 2022.
However, even after cancellation, and even after Westworld was removed from HBO Max, supposedly to save money, and shifted to the ad-supported free version of The Roku Channel and Tubi, the unfortunate show still keeps draining HBO's coffers.
In particular, HBO had already agreed to pay the cast for Season 5, before deciding to cancel it.
Cancellation of Westworld does not merely reflect dissatisfaction with the show itself. In all likelihood, it is a part of the overarching effort by Warner Bros.
Discovery, HBO's parent company, to clean up the house, by disposing of various unprofitable and failing projects, which started after the Warner Bros. and Discovery merger.
Other struggling HBO shows which already became victims of that effort include Raised by Wolves and Minx. And we're likely to see even more cancellations in near future.
There also are rumors that these cancelations are caused not by simple unpopularity, but by attempts of the newly merged company to cut costs through tax manipulation, with cancellations allowing them to write off some of their taxes.
Another possible explanation might involve general doubts about the economic situation, resulting in axing of any project seen as too expensive – after all, recent cancellations are not limited to HBO.
Just this winter Cobra Kai by Sony Pictures has been cut short (though unlike Westworld it will get a last season to finish the story) and Warrior Nun by Netflix has been canceled.