What is happening with period series? What is the explanation for this blunt decision?
What is happening on HBO Max with period series? Recently, we discovered that the platform had canceled the production of new seasons of one of its star series: ‘Westworld’. This (more than being a cancellation, is a catastrophe for HBO) greatly surprised the audience that, after 4 seasons and 6 years, had faithfully followed the “technological western“. However, the cessation of filming of new episodes has not been the end point of this “bitter” story.
As reported Deadline in exclusive, HBO Max plans to definitively withdraw from its catalog not only ‘Westworld’ but also ‘The Nevers’, another of the period series of its content. What is the explanation for this blunt decision? Why get rid of ‘Westworld’, one of the best science fiction series in history and HBO’s star dish?
Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav had recently announced his intention to evolve the platform into a “FAST” model. (“Free Ad-supported Streaming Television“) [De aquà surgÃa la controversia sobre el parecido entre estas “nuevas” estrategias y la televisión tradicional; contenido libre de pago a cambio de ver anuncios publicitarios…]
All this has led to a financial review of the contents of the platform. The end of 2022 has put a difficult decision on the table and the worst of the results has emerged victorious: ‘Westworld’ and ‘The Nevers’ will pay a high price.
Zaslav had also emphasized his willingness to reinforce his franchises (DC or ‘Harry Potter’, among others) by producing new content for them. “Let’s focus on franchises. We haven’t had a ‘Superman’ movie in 13 years. We haven’t made a ‘Harry Potter’ movie in 15 years,” the CEO stated.
‘The Nevers’ has only seen its season 1A broadcast. The fiction, created by Joss Whedon, premiered its first 6 episodes in 2021. However, he had planned the closing of this season with a second part, batch 1B. The entire plot line is designed to have these two sections. Will we get to see it concluded in another catalog of streaming? The answer is still unknown.
For its part, ‘Westworld’ came to an end after season 4. The series, an adaptation of Michael Crichton’s 1973 film, received a total of 9 Emmys and 54 nominations throughout its career. AAnthony Hopkins, Ed Harris, Thandie Newton, Tessa Thompson, Evan Rachel Wood, Jeffrey Wright, Luke Hemsworth Y Aaron Paul they headed its cast since its premiere in 2016. This fiction, created by Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, managed to place itself in an enviable place within the television productions of recent years. Now, it remains to be seen if another platform will be willing to take over and bring it back to life.
What will be the new home of ‘Westworld’ and ‘The Nevers’? In the absence of an answer, a recommendation: If you still have not been able to finish watching any of these series… hit a good marathon! Time is short.
Source: Fotogramas
Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
