Westworld Will Be Removed From HBO Max After Surprise Cancelation

Westworld will be removed from the streaming service HBO Max following the sci-fi show’s surprise cancelation last month after four seasons.

As the streaming service continues its content purge, Westworld becomes the latest show pulled off HBO Max. Created by Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy and based on Michael Crichton’s 1973 film of the same name, Westworld premiered in 2016 as one of HBO’s most promising shows. As the cerebral sci-fi series strayed further and further from its initial amusement park premise and became increasingly complex with each passing season, its viewership and reception slowly began to dwindle, resulting in its cancelation after four seasons. This was despite a fifth and final season already being planned; Westworld season 5 was expected to close out the series for good.

Now, a month after Westworld was surprisingly canceled by HBO, there is more bad news for fans of the show. According to Deadline, Westworld will be removed from HBO Max along with The Nevers, marking the formal end of Joss Whedon’s Victorian drama. The two shows joined Minx and Love Life, which were also recently purged from the streaming service despite being renewed for additional seasons.

Related: How The Peripheral’s Robots Copy A Westworld Trick

Will Westworld Be Available To Stream Anywhere Else?

As Westworld becomes the latest and certainly the most high-profile show to be removed from HBO Max, there is a strong chance it will re-emerge on one of Warner Bros. Discovery’s other streaming platforms. The company’s CEO David Zaslav has revealed his intent to become involved in the booming FAST streaming realm. FAST, which stands for free ad-supported streaming television, refers to services like Pluto TV, Tubi, and The Roku Channel. With HBO Max purging a popular show like Westworld, it will likely be offered in that form instead.

However, there is no timetable for when Warner Bros. Discovery will have a free ad-supported platform up and running. Until Westworld is available to stream again, its removal from HBO Max will remain disappointing for fans who were first deprived of a proper conclusion to the series, and will now be unable to watch the canceled show on a streaming service for the time being. Westworld season 4 ended this past August, meaning that some viewers may not be able to finish catching up on new episodes before the series is removed from HBO Max.

Will HBO Max Remove Even More Shows?

At the time of its premiere in 2016, Westworld was one of the premium cable network’s most-watched shows, and despite its recent cancelation, is still considered one of HBO’s most recognizable flagship series. If a prestigious show like Westworld can be removed from HBO Max, there are many more that Warner Bros. Discovery is likely willing to take down as they continue to cut costs. Shows like Lovecraft Country and Raised by Wolves, which were also canceled by HBO, could be next on the chopping block, but only time will tell as HBO Max continues its content purge.

Next: Westworld’s Ending Doesn’t Work Without Season 5

Source: Deadline