It was a tough year to be a “Westworld” fan in 2022. Not only did HBO prematurely cancel the series in November after four seasons (many fans were expecting a fifth and final season to wrap up the story), but Warner Bros. Discovery announced in December it was pulling the show off of HBO Max entirely. In a new interview with Rolling Stone, series regular James Marsden called the HBO series’ fate a “disappointment.”
“I’d be lying to you if I told you that the way we ended‘Westworld’wasn’t a disappointment,” Marsden said. “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.”
“I love this‘Westworld’family,” he added. “It was one of those unique opportunities to be part of something where I also would be sitting at home ravenously waiting for the next episode as a fan. 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 about more than financial success.”
Marsden concluded by saying he still wants to find a way to finish the “Westworld” story, adding, “Who knows, maybe there’s some world where it can get completed somehow,” he said. “Maybe that’s just wishful thinking, because I know we had plans to finish it the way we wanted to.”
“Westworld” will re-emerge on streaming at some point in 2023, but not on HBO Max. Warner Bros. Discovery is set to license the show and other pulled HBO Max series to third party free ad-supported television (FAST) channels.
“We are incredibly proud of ‘Westworld’ and the remarkable work of our cast and crew,” series creators Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy said in a statement last month about the show’s streaming move. “We are excited to have the opportunity to welcome a whole new audience to our show.”
