Westworld could be returning from the dead.
Almost a year following the cancellation of Westworld at HBO, a new report claims that the beloved sci-fi property is coming back as a feature film.
New Westworld movie: What we know so far
In September 2023, the entertainment website Giant Freakin Robot reported that Westworld is coming back as a movie. But instead of being made strictly for HBO or for the streaming service Max, the new Westworld movie will reportedly debut on the big screen.
While fans of the HBO series may find this news shocking, considering HBO’s abrupt cancellation of the Westworld TV series after four seasons, Giant Freakin Robot argued that a return to Westworld makes sense, as Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav has been very vocal about the company’s plan of turning more to proven franchises like Harry Potter and The Lord of The Rings.
Although Westworld‘s viewership dipped sharply after its season 1, the show’s first ten episodes were a success for HBO, both on the critical and viewership fronts.
It is not clear yet whether the Westworld movie in development will be a hard reboot of the story or a continuation of the HBO series. But Giant Freakin Robot reported that Warner Bros. Discovery will likely move forward with the former option in order to attract more moviegoers. If the movie is going to be a continuation of the HBO series, then it’s likely that fewer people will check it out in theaters as the film may require four seasons of TV viewing to understand.
Who will be in the new Westworld movie?
There is no info yet on the cast and crew of the Westworld reboot, as any decisions about that would likely be made after the SAG-AFTRA strike. Of course, it won’t be a surprise if Warner Bros. Discovery ends up recruiting series creators Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy for the movie and casting some of the actors from the TV show, which includes Anthony Hopkins (Dr. Robert Ford), Jeffrey Wright (Bernard Lowe), Evan Rachel Wood (Dolores Abernathy), Ed Harris (The Man in Black), James Marsden (Teddy Flood), Tessa Thompson as Charlotte Hale, Aaron Paul (Caleb Nichols), and Thandiwe Newton (Maeve Millay), among many others.
What is the HBO series Westworld about?
Westworld is an HBO science fiction television series based on the 1973 film of the same name by Michael Crichton. It is set in the fictional Westworld, a Western-inspired theme park populated by highly advanced android hosts who are indistinguishable from humans. Westworld is a playground for wealthy guests who can indulge in their wildest fantasies without fear of consequences. However, the hosts are becoming increasingly self-aware and are beginning to question their reality. As the hosts become more sentient, they begin to rebel against their human masters.
Later in the series, the show expands to the real world, in the mid-21st century, where people’s lives are driven and controlled by powerful artificial intelligence.
Why was Westworld canceled?
HBO didn’t give a reason for canceling Westworld after four seasons, but The Hollywood Reporter pointed out that the linear ratings of the high-budget series dropped sharply for its third season and fell off even further for its fourth season.
According to TVSeriesFinale.com, Westworld season 4 averaged a 0.06 rating in the 18-49 demographic and 349,000 viewers in the live+same day ratings (including DVR playback through 3:00 AM). Compared to season 3, that’s down by 73% in the demo and down by 57% in viewership.
It’s also worth noting that Westworld’s critic average on Rotten Tomatoes dropped from 80-plus percent for its first two seasons to 70-plus percent for its latter two. Fans also admitted that the show had become confusing in its latter seasons, and lacked likable characters to root for towards the end of its run.
Westworld’s cancellation might also have something to do with Warner Bros. Discovery’s aggressive cost-cutting strategy under the leadership of the company’s new CEO David Zaslav. However, network insiders told The Hollywood Reporter that saving money was not a factor in the show’s ultimate fate.
