Westworld was created by Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy for HBO and is based off a 1973 film that shares the same name. The show takes place in what is made out to be a Wild West themed amusement park. Rather than have animatronics, the show features androids as the character actors for the park, and the park is there for the financially wealthy to be able to live out their Wild West fantasies without any kind of retaliation. It is revealed that the androids are programmed to not harm the humans. Westworld was a total success, receiving critical acclaim, praise for the musical score, and winning nine Primetime Emmy Awards.
And while the show's popularity certainly began to dwindle, it was pending a fifth season which will unfortunately not happen, as HBO canceled the show in November 2022. Westworld became yet another casualty in a slew of cancelations at HBO since the Discovery + merger happened.
James Marsden Calls The Cancelation "A Disappointment"
Marsden, who played Teddy Flood during his time on Westworld, is one of the few that has made his disdain apparent in the media.
"I'd be lying if I told you that the way we ended Westworld wasn't a disappointment. I'm never going to speak without gratitude about any of my experiences, but it would have been nice to be able to complete the story we wanted to finish."
James Marsden continues on to say that he loves his Westworld family, both being a cast member and just a fan of the show spectating from the outside in.
He also understands that the show was expensive to film, something that ultimately lead to the show's cancelation among dipping ratings.
Even still, the X-Men actor says he wishes it weren't just about the money, going on to say, "I totally understand it's an expensive show, and big shows have to have big audiences to merit the expense. I just wish it was more about the financial success."
Marsden is hopeful that maybe the show will eventually get completed, but admits that it is likely "just wishful thinking because I know we had plans to finish it the way we wanted to."
Some Stars Have Not Yet Commented On Westworld's Cancelation
Most of the stars of Westworld haven't made their thoughts publicly known just yet, including the likes of Evan Rachel Wood, arguably the show's biggest star.
According to Daily Mail, she did an interview the same day the cancelation was announced but did not speak about the cancelation.
Rather, Evan Rachel Wood was looking toward future roles, saying she "would love to play a Disney villain or something along those lines" in a live-action Disney film. It is unknown if the actress was aware of the show's cancelation at that time.
Jeffrey Wright is one of the cast members that was a huge fan and lover of the show, much like James Marsden, so it's surprising that he has yet to comment on the show's untimely end. And Aaron Paul, who allegedly enjoyed his role in the show once he joined, has been silent as well.
Actress Tessa Thompson also has not made her thoughts on the cancelation known.
According to sources, the show's creators Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy aren't happy with the show's cancelation either, as they already had season five ready and planned out.
Luke Hemsworth Echos James Marsden's Disappointment
Westworld's cancelation fell on Luke Hemsworth's 42nd birthday. The star took some time to comment on the cancelation, expressing gratitude for his time on the show but is also disappointed that it had to come to such an abrupt end.
In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Hemsworth says "You hope these things go forever, but everyone's got their own reasons. I'm very thankful for my part in that series and that journey was a big part of my life, but yeah it was disappointing."
While acknowledging the fans' own disappointments and frustrations, he is also doing his best to stay positive about the situation, saying, "I think the idea right from the start was to go full circle and come back to be all about loops, to be about human beings and robots being stuck in that trajectory."
He continues on to say they were cut off from completing the story, but "You can't get depressed about it. You move on, and it opens up new doors."
Luckily for the cast, they will still be paid their dues for the fifth season, even if it doesn't see the light of day.
Fans of the show are still hopeful that there may be a way for it to be saved if it is picked up by another network or streaming platform.
Unfortunately, there is no news confirming whether this is a possibility for the show going forward.