One beloved genre show comes to a close while another is just getting started.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, HBO has canceled Westworld after four seasons. Despite the creators having plans to wrap up Westworld in Season 5, declining ratings and fan reception have led to an early grave for the once-lauded series.
Here’s HBO’s statement on the cancelation:
“Over the past four seasons, Lisa [Joy] and [Jonathan 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.”
The Season 4 finale will now serve as an unexpected series finale, although I’m told the ending was left rather ambiguous and will serve the series well as the final episode.
In more promising news, Netflix has finally renewed The Sandman for a second season. The renewal comes more than two months after the first season premiered on the streamer. Based on Neil Gaiman’s DC Comics series of the same name, The Sandman‘s first season followed Morpheus (Tom Sturridge), the personification of dreams and one of the seven Endless, as he is freed from captivity after 106 years and sets out to restore order to his realm, the Dreaming.
No word yet on when Season 2 might premiere, but my best guess would be late 2024. We’ll keep you posted when we actually know more.
What are your thoughts on Westworld being canceled before it could finish its story? Are you happy for more Sandman?
