There was a time the place the perfect sci-fi exhibits on TV weren’t on Apple TV+, however on HBO, and an enormous a part of this was as a result of “Westworld.” Based mostly on the 1973 movie written and directed by Michael Crichton a few futuristic park crammed with robots that finally malfunction and begin murdering the friends, the TV present would continually throw out new sci-fi ideas, big-brain concepts, and wild plot twists that received followers speaking — even when it did go off the rails every now and then.
Greater than something, “Westworld” was a gorgeous-looking sequence the place the producers had clearly spared no expense (in contrast to the characters from that different well-known Michael Crichton adaptation a few sci-fi theme park), with elaborate units and beautiful manufacturing design. It was not a straightforward present to like, to cite /Movie’s personal Danielle Ryan, however even despite the complicated timeline shenanigans and extra of plot twists, the vibes have been all the time good and the visuals gorgeous. And that is with out even mentioning Ramin Djawadi’s unbelievable rating and an ensemble forged that included Anthony Hopkins, Ed Harris, Jeffrey Wright, Thandiwe Newton, Evan Rachel Wooden, James Marsden, and Aaron Paul.
Regardless, that did not cease the powers that be from shutting down the park and canceling the present again in November 2022. As for the explanation, it was easy sufficient — cash. The primary season price $100 million (which was already excessive again in 2016) and the funds escalated to at the least $160 million by the point the ultimate season rolled round. Government producer J.J. Abrams even described the present’s manufacturing values to The Hollywood Reporter as “preposterous” previous to the season 1 premiere. In line with THR, the funds, mixed with the altering of settings each two seasons, meant “Westworld” actually wasn’t an affordable present to make or market. As such, when its remaining two seasons earned diminishing scores, it not made monetary sense to maintain the sequence going.
Westworld had a excessive price of admission
Although “Westworld” solely received 4 seasons, THR famous that creators/showrunners Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Pleasure (in addition to HBO) had plotted a six-season overarching story for the present. Nonetheless, by the point the present entered its fourth season, the TV panorama had modified dramatically. It not mattered that “Westworld” had collected over 50 Emmy nominations in its first three seasons; the sequence was not price it to HBO in 2022, at a time when tv and movie budgets had change into excessively excessive on the whole. Immediately, cost-cutting was the highest precedence all through Hollywood.
Shortly after the cancelation of the present, James Marsden shared his disappointment, acknowledging that “Westworld” was a expensive endeavor and “massive exhibits should have massive audiences” to warrant all that spending. “I simply want it was about greater than monetary success,” he added.
The unhappy actuality is that exhibits like “Westworld” both do not get made anymore or, if they’re made, merely do not attain as many seasons as its creatives would like. Even when your present is predicated on a recognizable IP, that’s no assure that it’ll final very lengthy and even get as many episodes because it did within the earlier season, as we solely barely noticed with “Home of the Dragon.” It is a disgrace; TV has hardly ever regarded pretty much as good because it did on “Westworld.”