Westworld Star Jimmi Simpson Says Show ‘Absolutely Got Shafted’ with Cancelation

Summary

• Westworld’s
  sudden cancellation was unfair; audiences missed out on deeper exploration of human tendencies.
• Removal of
  Westworld
  from HBO Max is disappointing; audiences can’t watch the show anymore.
• Jimmi Simpson hopes
  Dark Matter
  will be allowed to exist on Apple TV+.

In an exclusive interview with MovieWeb, Dark Matter star and science fiction staple Jimmi Simpson, the actor offered his thoughts on the unceremonious way Westworld was canceled and removed from streaming. The critically acclaimed series, which is based upon the 1973 film of the same name and follows several characters in a fictional, technologically advanced Wild-West-themed amusement park, was suddenly canceled in 2022 despite a fifth season initially being planned.

For his part, Simpson feels that Westworld “did get a little bit of a shaft,” and feels that the lesser response to the later series is ultimately the studio and the audience’s loss.

“I mean, I think this show did get a little bit of a shaft in a way. You know, audiences respond to something, and often these days, they want more of that thing. And that’s not what Jonah and Lisa’s plan was, ever. I don’t think it should have been. I think the first season was a gorgeous description and exploration of human tendencies to just take what they want, and those it effects. It was beautiful, but then you have to go deeper. And so they did, and if people didn’t respond as well, you know, I think it’s their loss, really.”

Westworld

Release Date October 2, 2016

Main Genre Sci-Fi

Seasons 4

Studio HBO

Creator Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy

Continuing, Simpson says he would love to see more from Westworld and calls the removal of the show from the streaming service Max (something which has sadly been happening more frequently of late) “kind of mucky.”

“I would always love to see more from that show, but yeah, they absolutely got shafted. Because you can’t even actually see the show on HBO anymore. It’s all kind of mucky. People love the show, and now they can’t see it. And it’s more about money than anything. And unfortunately, that’s the business of show business. So it’s just so refreshing to be on one of these shows that’s telling a human truth, that’s offering something. I love to do work that offers something to the viewer, but it’s also really fun.”

Jimmi Simpson Hopes Dark Matter Is ‘Allowed to Exist’ Amid Cancelations

Dark Matter (2024)

Release Date May 8, 2024

Seasons 1

Writers Blake Crouch

Streaming Service(s) Apple TV+

Directors Jakob Verbruggen

Such actions from studios like HBO are concerning for actors like Simpson, who hopes that Dark Matter will be “allowed to exist.” Based on Blake Crouch’s international bestseller, Dark Matter follows Jason Dessen as he is abducted into an alternate version of his life. To get back to his true family, he embarks on a harrowing journey to save them from the most terrifying foe imaginable: himself.

“We’re all doing [Dark Matter] because we love what we’re talking about. And so because of that, I really have a deep hope that it’s not going to get lost in some kind of like network hierarchy. It’s actually going to be allowed to exist, and I honestly think this is one of those stories that means a lot. And it’s going to help kind of allay some fears and some of like, ‘Oh did I do the right thing?’ And it can align people with like, ‘This is where you are.’ Tend to the garden at your own feet, is one of my favorite pieces of advice and you never know what’s gonna flourish.”

Related Apple TV+’s Upcoming Sci-Fi Adaptation Already Spoiled the Book’s Biggest Twist When Apple TV+ dropped the trailer for Dark Matter, fans of Blake Crouch’s book couldn’t help but notice that a major twist had been revealed.

Led by Joel Edgerton and Jennifer Connelly,
Dark Matter
is due to premiere on Apple TV+ on May 8, 2024.

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