Westworld Creator Isn’t Giving Up On Finishing The Story
Jonathan Nolan’s Westworld is a beautiful example of a dystopian sci-fi American western, and he doesn’t want to give up on finishing what he started. The show ran for four seasons when HBO decided not to renew it for a fifth. Nolan’s Westworld was based on the 1973 movie of the same name written and directed by Michael Crichton (yes, the author of Jurassic Park), with a loose basis on the 1976 sequel, Futureworld.
A Theme Park Gone Wrong
The story behind the show is that Westworld is a super technologically advanced Wild-West-themed amusement park for adults. The park is populated with a range of android “hosts” who cater to the indulgent fantasies of its high-paying guests.
The guests are allowed to do whatever their sick minds can fathom to the “hosts” without fear of retaliation or any sort of consequences. The androids are coded to never harm humans, but we all know how that story always plays out. Rules are made to be broken, and Westworld breaks all the rules.
A Hit For HBO
When Westworld first debuted on HBO in 2016, it brought in the network’s highest viewership ratings for a premiere since the release of True Detective in 2014. For the next six years, a new season of the show dropped every other year. HBO was always quick to renew the show (renewing before it was finished airing each season) until it suddenly wasn’t.
A Sudden Fall From The Top
After the fourth season of Westworld aired, HBO took its time revealing its decision on whether or not to renew the show for a fifth season. Some think it was so they could see the viewership ratings from the last season. Viewership of the fourth season dropped 81 percent from that of the first season, and Westworld got the axe in November 2022.
While it was a sudden fall, the first season of Westworld still claims the role of HBO’s most-watched first season of any series. The first season of the show was hailed for its captivating performances, stunning visuals, narrative, and soundtrack (by Ramin Djawadi).
Award-Winning Cast
Westworld’s opening season won nine Emmys (with 54 nominations), with Thandiwe Newton (Maeve Millay in the series) taking home the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress. However, as the seasons progressed, the elements of the show that were first praised began to be the subject of criticism, and viewers lost momentum.
Nolan’s Other Sci-Fi Show Ended Too Soon
Since the fall of Westworld, Jonathan Nolan has found other projects to express his unique artistry. He had a short-lived Amazon series called The Peripheral. That show did well enough in the first season to be renewed, but it was “un-renewed” when the writer strikes erupted.
Hope For Fallout
Currently, Nolan is working as a collaborator on the new live-action game adaptation, Fallout. So far, the show is doing well, but the competition (The Last of Us) is fierce. Luckily, Jonathan Nolan is a stubborn man.
When questioned as to whether or not there will be some dramatization ending to the Westworld story in the future, Nolan replied by saying, “Yes, 100 percent. We’re completionists. It took me eight years and a change of director to get Interstellar made. We’d like to finish the story we started.”
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
