WESTWORLD (HBO TV)

[A. A. Ron 1,740]

I bet HBO wants to cancel or slash the budget and Nolan and Joy are just taking their time thoroughly considering their options.

[Jay 37,317]

In interviews she suggested they're waiting to be renewed didn't she?

[Edmilson 7,394]

Nolan about the possibility of a fifth season:

 

Quote

“We always planned for a fifth and final season,” Nolan said. “We are still in conversations with the network. We very much hope to make them.”

 

https://deadline.com/2022/10/westworld-jonathan-fifth-and-final-season-jonathan-nolan-addresses-nycc-1235139135/

[Mr. Who 919]

46 minutes ago, Edmilson said:

Nolan about the possibility of a fifth season:

 

 

https://deadline.com/2022/10/westworld-jonathan-fifth-and-final-season-jonathan-nolan-addresses-nycc-1235139135/

Great news! It’s one of my favourite shows of all time and given the reveal that scenes from the 5th season were already shown in season 2 (different scenes and not just the after credits scene), I can’t wait to see how all the seasons and storylines are wrapped up!

 

I think that they’re negotiating about the budget/amount of episodes and are trying to time/plan it right because of Nolan and Joy’s involvement with Fallout, The Peripheral and some other projects at Amazon.

[JNHFan2000 2,944]

I held out hope for S5, after S4 was so great, but it was not meant to be.

Maybe they cpuld do a streaming movie to kind close it anyway (like Deadwood as mentioned in the article)

 

[Jay 37,317]

Bummer

[Mr. Who 919]

Worst decision of the year! this is one of my very favorite shows of all time and it’s so disappointing that it won’t get the ending that was planned since day 1. We’ll never know the meaning of the wet dress, MIB after credit scene and the possible other scenes from S2 which took place during S5.

 

Zaslav’s cost cutting is an absolute disgrace

[Jay 37,317]

2 minutes ago, Mr. Who said:

1. We’ll never know the meaning of the wet dress

 

What's this now?

[Mr. Who 919]

14 minutes ago, Jay said:

 

What's this now?

There is a scene in S2 which shows Dolores with a wet dress and in the S4 finale we see Dolores with the same wet dress (same spot) so the scene in S2 takes place after the S4 finale. There’s also other scenes in S2 which might take place after S4.

 

Another really sad thing is that we’ll never get to hear Djawadi’s final score. He talked about wanting to use the new themes from S3-4 (which were more electronic) in more orchestral ways in S5 which would be set in the park.

[Jay 37,317]

This new guy who took over and is canceling stuff left and right is a real poop head

[Edmilson 7,394]

[JNHFan2000 2,944]

Zaslav is butchering Warner Bros. at the moment. He is cutting lots of stuff which a lot people aren't to happy about.

 

I hear he is sort of shaping Warner Bros in a certain way so that he can sell it again (Universal might be on the board for that) and he cutting stuff now that he is not interested in or that he thinks not enough people like.

 

Real shame, because I feel he is not doing the studio any favors with decisions like this and putting James Gunn as head of DC (which I find an awful choice).

But we'll see what happens, but I am also not happy with this.

[Mr. Who 919]

As a huge GOT fan I’m just happy that HOTD is safe but cancelling Westworld with one season to go is just such a bad decision. HBO is not supposed to act like Netflix. Especially for a show as carefully plotted as this.

 

My only hope is that Amazon (for whom Nolan and Joy now work) or Apple TV+ (who have a lot of money) pick up the final season. The odds seem really low for that though.

[JNHFan2000 2,944]

8 minutes ago, Mr. Who said:

As a huge GOT fan I’m just happy that HOTD is safe but cancelling Westworld with one season to go is just such a bad decision. HBO is not supposed to act like Netflix. Especially for a show as carefully plotted as this.

 

I agree. There are some many shows today that get a final season to wrap it's story because it was cancelled.

 

Hell Riverdale got that. Manifest got that (after being taken over by Netflix).

 

I know Westworld is a more ezoensive show that those probably but as you said, it's a well plotted show and just cancelling it after a terrific 4th season is nuts.

At least make something. He wants to continue Wizarding World with Rowling. That's even more troubling. There is no logic whatsover to his decision making.

[Edmilson 7,394]

26 minutes ago, JNHFan2000 said:

Real shame, because I feel he is not doing the studio any favors with decisions like this and putting James Gunn as head of DC (which I find an awful choice).

 

Why do you think Gunn is an awful choice? He's not the first one I'd personally choose, but he seems to have great love for these characters, so hopefully he'll do a great job.

 

Either way, yeah, it does look like Zaslav just wants to sell WB to Comcast anyway and be over with it.

[Disco Stu 15,495]

I quit Westworld a few years back anyway, like a lot of people I guess judging by the cancellation. 

[Marian Schedenig 8,176]

Hmph. Cancelling after S3 I probably wouldn't have minded much, but S4 was good and would have deserved a proper closure followup season.

[Datameister 2,037]

41 minutes ago, Marian Schedenig said:

Hmph. Cancelling after S3 I probably wouldn't have minded much, but S4 was good and would have deserved a proper closure followup season.

 

My thoughts exactly. Ending it after the mediocre S3 would have made for a clear overall downhill trajectory in terms of quality. It would have felt a little like putting it out of its misery. But then S4 was actually quite decent, with a great lead-in to a final season that could have been quite strong. Really hoping we still get some closure in the form of a movie or revival someday.

[Edmilson 7,394]

Part of me thinks the creators aren't really that interested in continuing working on the show either. They have their massive and lucrative deals with Prime Video and other stuff on their plates, so in a way I think they're kinda glad they're not stuck with Westworld anymore.

[Datameister 2,037]

1 hour ago, Edmilson said:

Part of me thinks the creators aren't really that interested in continuing working on the show either. They have their massive and lucrative deals with Prime Video and other stuff on their plates, so in a way I think they're kinda glad they're not stuck with Westworld anymore.

 

Nah, you don't end a season like that if you're ready to call it quits.

[MedigoScan 324]

Leave it to a soulless corporation to see a season ending with the death of all humanity and be happy to let that be the final note.

[Mr. Who 919]

Jonathan Nolan recently said that they were still in discussions about the final season. Warner just had a quarterly earnings report which wasn’t good so that is likely the main reason… the new boss is the worst.

[Nick1Ø66 4,689]

Sometime during the first episode of the second season, I realized couldn't remember what happened during the first season, and, being too stupid to understand Westworld's clever and complex plotting, found myself completely lost and gave up. Haven't seen it since.

[Mr. Who 919]

22 minutes ago, Nick1Ø66 said:

Sometime during the first episode of the second season, I realized couldn't remember what happened during the first season, and, being too stupid to understand Westworld's clever and complex plotting, found myself completely lost and gave up. Haven't seen it since.

The second season isn’t that complicated if you just keep in mind that all scenes are chronological unless they’re shown from Bernard’s perspective! I actually never really understood why some found the show complicated.

 

One of the best aspects is how different each season is while telling the larger story. I remember seeing the first episode of S3 and thinking, hang on this isn’t westworld but once you get over that it’s a brilliant season. S4 was great but I would have liked more exploration of Rehoboam and Serac and I would definitively watch a prequel show (which obviously will never happen now) about the real world and the creation of Rehoboam.

 

S5 would have been special since all the set up would lead back to the park but hopefully Nolan and Joy release some kind of short book or scripts some that we can read the ending.

[Edmilson 7,394]

Looks like Zaslav's genius plan of cutting costs still involves the cast being paid for a season that won't be filmed:

 

‘Westworld’ Core Cast Will Still Be Paid For Season 5 After Cancellation

[Toillion 213]

When this show first came out I was super excited about it but I knew it's story was going to be somewhat complex so I made a choice to wait until it's completion to watch it through. Now that it is being canceled before it's final season is it worth even starting? I feel like it doesn't make much sense to start watching something that doesn't have an ending. 

[Mr. Who 919]

2 hours ago, Toillion said:

When this show first came out I was super excited about it but I knew it's story was going to be somewhat complex so I made a choice to wait until it's completion to watch it through. Now that it is being canceled before it's final season is it worth even starting? I feel like it doesn't make much sense to start watching something that doesn't have an ending. 

It's an amazing show so it's definitively worth watching. S4 has an ending which could be seen as a series ending in some way, even though it's not the final chapter of the story.

[Mr. Who 919]

Well this is a new low for HBO. Not only have the canceled the final planned season but now they're pulling the whole show from HBO Max to avoid paying residuals to the cast and crew. I hope that there's a chance that they're selling the IP so that another studio can make the final season but maybe that's just wishful thinking.

Zaslav is the worst.

 

https://deadline.com/2022/12/westworld-the-nevers-pulled-hbo-max-canceled-1235197233/

[Knight of Ren 787]

That's just awful! It's so sad to see such a great show be treated with such disrespect. I hope some other studio is willing to acquire it so we can get the intended resolution of the story, but at least we still have the first 4 seasons to enjoy, even if they're removing it from HBO Max.

 

Seriously, I don't understand why they're doing all this, but to me it seems like awful management of their IPs.

[Edmilson 7,394]

Zaslav is doing everything he can to make people go back to downloading torrents.

[Datameister 2,037]

Unbelievable. And right after I finished my first rewatch of S1. It's even better the second time around. The performances from Thandiwe Newton and Anthony Hopkins are absolutely riveting. The theme park setting and the meditations on the nature of consciousness are riiiiiight up my alley, which is part of why later seasons weren't as fun for me. But both elements could have returned spectacularly for the final season. Or at least … you know … continued to be available via the first season or two.

 

Makes you wonder what Zaslav will do next to piss off fans and creators alike.

[Mr. Who 919]

5 hours ago, Knight of Ren said:

That's just awful! It's so sad to see such a great show be treated with such disrespect. I hope some other studio is willing to acquire it so we can get the intended resolution of the story, but at least we still have the first 4 seasons to enjoy, even if they're removing it from HBO Max.

 

Seriously, I don't understand why they're doing all this, but to me it seems like awful management of their IPs.

Yeah it goes so much against the creatives who make shows and movies. Who wants to work at HBO when their show can be removed like this.

 

Westworld is one of my all time favorite shows and I rewatch it every 2 years (when a new season would air) since 2016. I own the blu rays so I'll have no issues watching it again but it's just so disrespectful to Nolan and Joy and everybody who worked on the show to remove it like this.

 

As Warner seems to be willing to do anything to save a few bucks, my hope is that they would be willing to sell the IP to another studio who can give the show a new home and potentially a final season. It's a long shot of course but who knows.

 

35 minutes ago, Datameister said:

Unbelievable. And right after I finished my first rewatch of S1. It's even better the second time around. The performances from Thandiwe Newton and Anthony Hopkins are absolutely riveting. The theme park setting and the meditations on the nature of consciousness are riiiiiight up my alley, which is part of why later seasons weren't as fun for me. But both elements could have returned spectacularly for the final season. Or at least … you know … continued to be available via the first season or two.

 

Makes you wonder what Zaslav will do next to piss off fans and creators alike.

I like all the seasons and really like how each season is very different but is all a part of the big story. I've always had problems ranking the seasons because they're all so different. I was also really looking forward to the return to the park in S5 so HBO is just putting salt in the wounds with this latest move.

 

Hopefully interest in physical media comes back now that people see that streaming services can do whatever they want with their shows and movies.

[Toillion 213]

Wow, so disappointing! I literally just started the series last weekend and am two episodes in. Any idea when they will be pulled? I'm not sure I would have the time to binge watch the series before that happens. I guess if it leaves too soon then it will just have to be added to my Plex library. 

[JoeinAR 1,949]

Its dead Jim

[Mr. Who 919]

11 minutes ago, Toillion said:

Wow, so disappointing! I literally just started the series last weekend and am two episodes in. Any idea when they will be pulled? I'm not sure I would have the time to binge watch the series before that happens. I guess if it leaves too soon then it will just have to be added to my Plex library. 

There wasn’t an exact date when it gets pulled. Piracy for this show will definitively increase and hopefully blu ray sales as well.

[Datameister 2,037]

10 hours ago, Toillion said:

Wow, so disappointing! I literally just started the series last weekend and am two episodes in. Any idea when they will be pulled? I'm not sure I would have the time to binge watch the series before that happens. I guess if it leaves too soon then it will just have to be added to my Plex library. 

 

The good/bad news is that the first season is the strongest. So even if you only get through that, you'll at least have seen the best of the show.

[Bayesian 1,359]

7 hours ago, Datameister said:

 

The good/bad news is that the first season is the strongest. So even if you only get through that, you'll at least have seen the best of the show.

Agreed. Seasons 2 and 3 are worth watching too. Season 4 is, IMHO, a near-total misfire of wasted opportunities and can be skipped entirely. (I may be the only one on the forum who thinks that, but certainly not the only one in the world, going by S4’s abysmal viewership figures.)

[Mr. Who 919]

I love all the seasons and especially like the fact that they’re so different while telling the larger story. It’s a shame that we’ll not get the ending and answers to the Dolores wet dress scene from S2 and the MIB Emily credits scene etc that actually take place after S4 ends but were showed in S2.

[Datameister 2,037]

2 hours ago, Bayesian said:

Agreed. Seasons 2 and 3 are worth watching too. Season 4 is, IMHO, a near-total misfire of wasted opportunities and can be skipped entirely. (I may be the only one on the forum who thinks that, but certainly not the only one in the world, going by S4’s abysmal viewership figures.)

 

My feelings on 3 and 4 are flipped—I actually liked 4 somewhat better than 3.

[Nick1Ø66 4,689]

On 13/12/2022 at 8:01 PM, Toillion said:

Wow, so disappointing! I literally just started the series last weekend and am two episodes in. Any idea when they will be pulled? I'm not sure I would have the time to binge watch the series before that happens. I guess if it leaves too soon then it will just have to be added to my Plex library. 

 

I pretty much stopped watching after the first season (which is excellent), and frankly I felt like I got a complete story. Sure, the end potentially  sets things up for future seasons, but it also wrapped up a singular story inside the park that I felt satisfied with. I suppose for someone who stuck with the show, they'd want to see a resolution to the plot lines they set-up in subsequent seasons (and would understandably be disappointed with the cancellation), but in terms of telling an intelligent, thoughtful story about AI, I thought they did that in one go. And from most of what I've read from fans and even stars of the show, Season 1 is by far the best anyway. I'm not sure I've heard anyone say subsequent seasons are "essential' viewing.

 

I sort of think of it like The Matrix. If you watched Reloaded, you might as well just push on and finish it with Revolutions. But if all you ever saw was the first one, you'd be good.

[Mr. Who 919]

They put Maeve in this cleaving WB video (1:08)…

 

[Jurassic Shark 12,033]

On 06/11/2022 at 9:11 AM, Toillion said:

When this show first came out I was super excited about it but I knew it's story was going to be somewhat complex so I made a choice to wait until it's completion to watch it through. Now that it is being canceled before it's final season is it worth even starting? I feel like it doesn't make much sense to start watching something that doesn't have an ending. 

 

Perhaps you could watch the movie instead, or better, read the book.

[Edmilson 7,394]

I was just remembering that the final scene of Season 2, with the beautiful Radiohead song Codex (which has since become one of my favorite songs of all time), is still one of my favorite scenes ever in any TV show.

 

 

And actually, the seasons 1 and 2 finales are two of my favorite episodes of television ever! They make me so sad that it was not only cancelled but also pulled from streaming because WB is a shit company.

[Edmilson 7,394]

Djawadi's cover of Codex is also pretty good:

 

 

[Mr. Who 919]

21 minutes ago, Edmilson said:

Djawadi's cover of Codex is also pretty good:

 

 

Love it! I wish the full cue was used in the show!

[Toillion 213]

Mondo is doing a nice release for all four seasons. Season one goes one sale this week limited to 3,000 copies with tri-fold gatefold sleeves and die cut outer jackets. Then the remaining seasons one month at a time. The last one will come with a slipcase for them all. It is a little expensive at $60 per season. 

 

https://mondoshop.com/blogs/news/westworld-season-1-music-from-the-hbo-series-vinyl-on-sale-info

 

 

[John F 100]

Would love to see more music from this show released.

[Jay 37,317]

New interview with Jonathan Nolan includes, among other things:

 

 Is there any possibility that Westworld‘s original planned ending will be dramatized in any form — whether as a graphic novel or a movie or anything? Do you still have hope for that?
Yes, 100 percent. We’re completionists. It took me eight years and a change of director to get Interstellar made. We’d like to finish the story we started.

 

How much did Warners taking the show off Max bother you? To not just cancel it but to remove it from the streaming service.
Look, my career began on CBS [with Person of Interest]. The amount of people you can reach with a free, ad-supported service [like Roku and Tubi, which had Westworld last year] is vastly higher than with a subscription service. That part didn’t bother me. But in terms of finishing the story, you understand that you get the time that you get, sometimes it’s as much as you want, sometimes it’s not. I’m so fucking proud of what we made. It was an extraordinary experience. I think it would be a mistake to look back and only feel regret [over how it ended]. But there’s still very much a desire to finish it.

 

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-features/jonathan-nolan-interview-fallout-westworld-1235864206/

[JNHFan2000 2,944]

I'm really hoping it gets made, just to have a full circle story

[Knight of Ren 787]

Oh my god! I hope it truly happens as I loved that show and got so mad when it got cancelled. I don't mind if it's another season or a movie but I think they deserve to finish the already planned story, so I hope they can get it done!