In a development that no one could see coming, HBO has canceled Westworld a mere season before the show was supposed to reach its explosive final chapter. As sci-fi fans brace for this devastating blow to one of the most prized television shows in recent memory, Netflix is doubling down on its commitment to the Stranger Things franchise by holding a sizeable festival on Sunday.
Now, there might be some debate as to whether Star Wars is truly sci-fi and not a strange amalgamation of space soap opera and fantasy, but when it comes to the TV industry, the galaxy far, far away is singlehandedly championing the genre. The latest example of this is Andor, absolutely sticking the landing even though it wasn’t quite on the heels of Rogue One, another one of Disney’s Star Wars hits, which have been few and far between. The spinoff prequel show is concluding soon, but Tony Gilroy and his team are immediately jumping to film the second season.
We review all of these developments and more in today’s sci-fi roundup below.
Westworld canceled just a season short of reaching the finish line
How ironic for a series that constantly preached to fans that “these violent delights have violent ends” to not even get the opportunity to show us those violent ends. In a move that no one saw coming, HBO has canned Westworld following the lackluster premiere of its fourth season.
The sci-fi mind-bender obviously had its ups and downs over the years, with season 3 widely considered the lowest low in terms of storytelling quality and season 4 the redemption to that convoluted plotline, even if the audience wasn’t there for it any longer. Now, despite Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy claiming that they only needed one more season to wrap up their ambitious tale, HBO, or rather Warner Bros., is cutting down on expenses by axing the show.
And thus endeth the story of Dolores Abernathy, the sentient robot who didn’t seem to be able to catch a break.
Netflix unveils extensive plans for this Stranger Things Day
Stranger Things is returning for one final season in a few years, but Netflix realizes just how much you love this sci-fi horror set in the ’80s, so to make the wait more stomachable, the company is coming to Stranger Things Day with full hands. This Sunday, on Nov. 6, the streaming juggernaut is holding a mouth-watering festival to celebrate its biggest show, encouraging fans to come cosplaying as their favorite characters in the story to make the experience all the more immersive.
What’s more, there’ll be some announcements and development updates on the forthcoming season 5, including a photo drop and a super-secret showcase. In summary, be prepared to run up that hill and bask in even more sweet Stranger Things awesomeness on the weekend.
Andor season 2 will start filming this November
You heard it, folks. Even though Andor has yet to conclude its first season, Tony Gilroy and his crew are already putting a dent in the second and final run, which will also consist of 12 episodes and burn through four more years in the chronological timeline. The show has been an absolute treat as far as Star Wars fans are concerned —an oddity in itself because the galaxy far, far away fandom is hardly ever in accord— and it’s certainly a delight to learn the crew will get back to filming from Nov. 21.
Does that mean Andor will return to your small screens in late 2023? Well, Gilroy expects principal photography to last until August next year, and the showrunner wants another year to work his editing magic, so even though they aren’t losing a second, don’t expect a swift conclusion to this story.
Star Wars fans think this sequel trilogy character was a wasted opportunity
Another day, another thread in the Star Wars community ranting about the extent of Disney’s failure involving the sequel trilogy. To be fair, the Mouse House really did drop the ball with the final three movies in the Skywalker Saga, and the fact that they remain a hot topic of debate even years after their conclusion is a testament to just how much they unnerve the fandom.
Believe it or not, the latest conversation seems to center around Captain Phasma, a hugely underutilized character in the sequels whose fate remained ambiguous thanks to J.J. Abrams’ rushed make-shift script for The Rise of Skywalker. But when you think about it, she wasn’t the only character to receive that treatment, eh?