HBO cancels 'Westworld' after four seasons, here’s why

HBO has decided to cancel the sci-fi drama series ‘Westworld ‘after its four seasons. The move came after the ratings for the show plummeted severely, which became a serious concern given the huge cost of production. While the rumors of cancellation were rife on the internet for quite some time, hardcore fans of the show were left surprised following the announcement.

The first season of ‘Westworld’ premiered in October 2016, and since then, the show has been continuously renewed for four seasons. The fourth season was concluded a few months ago, and the question of whether the show would be renewed arose for the first time.




However, it is worth noting that the show's viewership went down drastically for season 4 compared to the first.

According to THR, the first season clocked in about 12 million viewers, while the last season managed only 4 million. The cost of production for the fourth season was $160 million, considerably more than that of House of Dragon ($125 million), which garnered 29 million viewers per episode.

Initially, the creators of the show, Lisa Joy and Jonah Nolan, and HBO had hoped for at least six seasons for Westworld. However, HBO took notice of the rating going down for the last two seasons and decided to end the show.

Moreover, HBO was now looking forward to creating economical, high-profile shows, which made Westworld a difficult prospect.

FAQs

• Who are the creators of Westworld?
Westworld was created by Lisa Joy and Jonah Nolan, while J.J. Abrams was the executive producer.

• What was the cost of production for the fourth season?
The cost of production of the fourth season was $160 million approx.