'Westworld' Ending at HBO

There will not be a new season of Westword. HBO announced on Friday that the sci-fi, neo-western TV series has not been renewed for a fifth season despite co-creators Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy expressing their interest in another season to end the show. Westworld was one of HBO's biggest shows, earning 54 Emmy nominations during its run. 

"We always planned for a fifth and final season," Nolan said at New York Comic Con earlier this year, per Deadline. "We are still in conversations with the network. We very much hope to make them." The ratings for Westworld dropped for its third season and dropped further in Season 4, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Additionally, fans have complained the show became confusing and there weren't too many characters to root for. 

"Over the past four seasons, Lisa and Jonah have taken viewers on a mind-bending odyssey, raising the bar at every step," HBO said in a statement. "We are tremendously grateful to them, along with their immensely talented cast, producers and crew, and all of our partners at Kilter Films, Bad Robot and Warner Bros. Television. It's been a thrill to join them on this journey."  

"Making Westworld has been one of the highlights of our careers," Kilter Films added. "We are deeply grateful to our extraordinary cast and crew for creating these indelible characters and brilliant worlds. We've been privileged to tell these stories about the future of consciousness – both human and beyond – in the brief window of time before our AI overlords forbid us from doing so."  

Westworld premiered on HBO on Oct. 2, 2016, and the final episode aired on Aug. 14 this year. The series is based on the 1973 film of the same name that was written and directed by Michael Crichton. The story begins at Westworld, a fictional Wild-West-themed amusement park that includes android "hosts." The series eventually expands into the real world where people's lives are controlled by an artificial intelligence named Rehoboam. 

The cast of Westworld includes Anthony Hopkins, Ed Harris, Thandiwe Newton, Tessa Thompson, Evan Rachel Wood, Jeffrey Wright, Luke Hemsworth, Aaron Paul among many others. Newton is the only star on the show to win an Emmy, claiming the award for Best Supporting Actress in 2020.