Movies - TV
Westworld Star James Marsden Reacts To The Show's Surprise Cancellation
By SANDY SCHAEFER
During its run, the viewership of “Westworld” tumbled from 12 million viewers in its first season to four million viewers in its fourth and final season, and the show’s budget swelled from $100 million to, at least, $160 million. The show was officially canceled in November 2022, which caught some people off-guard, including longtime cast member James Marsden.
Marsden lamented to Rolling Stone, “I'm never going to speak without gratitude about any of my experiences, but it would have been nice to be able to complete the story we wanted to finish. I love this 'Westworld' family. It was one of those unique opportunities to be part of something where I also would be sitting at home ravenously waiting for the next episode as a fan.”
As easy as it would be to blame the series' termination on Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav and his “business first, art last” philosophy, Marsden knows that “Westworld” was an expensive show to make, and its dwindling viewership may not have justified the cost. “Big shows have to have big audiences,” he admitted. “I just wish it was about more than financial success.”