HBO's Cancelled 'Game of Thrones' Replacement Finds New Life Online - Sunburst Viral- Latest News on Celebrities, gossip, TV, music and movies

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The debate about the best HBO series of all time is sure to inspire some bold takes, but however that conversation spins, Game of Thrones will be in the mix. When the epic fantasy series wrapped in 2019, HBO was left with a massive gap to fill. However, a few years earlier, the network had begun grooming its successor, the dystopian sci-fi western series Westworld, which premiered in 2016. The show, created by Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, showed great promise, proving a hit success right out of the gate. Unfortunately, while its predecessor had one of the best second outings on TV, Westworld experienced a terrible sophomore slump. HBO eventually had enough and abruptly cancelled the show, but three years later, Westworld is seeing an unexpected resurgence on streaming.

As seen on iTunes’ Top TV Shows chart, Westworld is rapidly surging and has become one of the most in-demand titles for viewers in the U.S. Interestingly, it ranks side by side with some of HBO’s recent successes, including the Game of Thrones prequel series, House of the Dragon, The Gilded Age, The White Lotus, and The Pacific. Upon its premiere, Westworld was lauded for many aspects, including its spectacular visuals and puzzle-box storytelling. The performances were also spectacular from an ensemble that included Evan Rachel Wood, Anthony Hopkins, Thandiwe Newton, James Marsden, and Jeffrey Wright, among others. Season 1 broke ratings records, and by the show’s end, it had earned 9 Emmy Awards.

Set in a futuristic theme park, Westworld follows a world where lifelike androids called “hosts” cater to wealthy guests and their wildest fantasies. Things eventually spiral out of control when the droids begin to gain consciousness. Thereafter, a different timeline reveals the dominance of artificial intelligence during the 21st century, where it controls human activities. However, as the storylines became increasingly complex, viewership slipped, and after four seasons, HBO pulled the plug and shelved its original plans to wrap the show with five seasons.

Do You Want ‘Westworld’ to Continue?

While Westworld‘s ratings never quite recovered to what they once were, the show still maintained a loyal fanbase who were gutted by HBO’s decision. Many argued that the show deserved a proper conclusion, but the hopes of seeing it return were further dashed when HBO removed the show from its streaming catalog. Regardless, the makers have continued to express interest in giving audiences that fifth season, and the cast members are also open to returning.

One star, Aaron Paul, recently told Collider that he does “have kind of a sense, and there is a world where maybe we get to tell the rest of that story.” He further added, “I’m not going to say anything, but give it time. I’m still holding onto the idea that we will be able to complete that story. It was very well fleshed out. I knew sort of the broad strokes of it all, and it was really cool. But we’ll see.”

With conversations about AI dominating headlines, now may be the perfect moment to revisit Westworld for further exploration of the perils and promise of disruptive technologies. Stay tuned for future updates.