Westworld Season 5 fees will continue to be paid after cancellation – Deadline

exclusive: door for Westworld It was closed today as HBO confirmed The dystopian sci-fi series won’t get a fifth season. It was bad news for anyone associated with the show, led by creators Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, who were hoping and championing another chapter, but for the main cast, there was a positive side. I heard they will be paid for Season 5 regardless of the fact that it will not be produced.

According to sources, the main cast had pay or play deals for season five. I heard the casting choices came out sometime last year, before season 4 aired ( Production may be delayed due to the epidemic), and they were practiced. I heard the cast may have renegotiated their deals at the time.

This step is not unusual. Networks sometimes pay to secure a cast before deciding to renew, especially if the group includes big names that are difficult to reassemble without contracts.

WestworldLeading the main cast, as listed on the show’s page on HBO Evan Rachel WoodThandie Newton Jeffrey WrightEd Harris and Aaron Paul. As the serial quintet at 2019 Comic-Con.

Wood, Newton, Wright, and Harris are original cast members who previously renegotiated big increases after season two to about $250,000 an episode in season three. Paul joined in the third season.

The salaries owed to the actors for the fifth season are believed to be between $10 million and $15 million. It’s not a small part of the change, but Westworld Not a cheap show in general, with a budget for season three of $100 million, or about $10 million an episode, so moving forward with season five would cost HBO north of $80 million.

According to sources, the decision to cancel came according to the same criteria that Netflix uses in its renewal decisions: viewing versus cost. WestworldRatings have fallen steadily throughout her career thus far. creatively Westworld There was a slight uptick in critical response from season three to season four (from 73% to 75% on Rotten Tomatoes), but fans were increasingly talking about thick myths and complex facts that were becoming difficult to follow, which was reflected in viewership numbers.

Cancellation comes the next day Challenging Quarterly Earnings Report By HBO Parent Discovery by Warner Bros. During the ensuing call, WBD CEO David Zaslav Plans revealed To increase the target company’s savings to $3.5 billion, $500 million more than its initial goal

“The great experiment of creating something at any cost is over,” said He said.

Westworld, A dark saga about the dawn of artificial consciousness and the question of free will, is an adaptation of the 1973 film written and directed by Michael Crichton.

Season 4 credits included Nolan and Joey as creators, EPs Abrams, Alison Schapker, Athena Wickham, Richard J. Lewis, Denise Thé, and Ben Stephenson with Kilter Films and Bad Robot produced in association with Warner Bros. Television.