Though a certain Song of Ice and Fire is currently stealing all the headlines over on HBO, series architects Lisa Joy, Jonathan Nolan, and executive producer J.J. Abrams are beginning to assemble the necessary pieces for Westworld season 2.
On the mechanized heels of its SDCC showcase, which brought forth a sneak peek at the full-blown conflict simmering between the humans and the hosts, the release window for Westworld‘s return has now been narrowed to spring 2018. Said to be “twice as ambitious” as the first (!), season 2 is all set to dive deep into the history of the park itself, including Ford’s (Anthony Hopkins) relentless pursuit of totally sentient artificial intelligence. Those of you who have already viewed Westworld season 1 in its entirety will know that Ford’s quest ended in bloodshed, as the Hosts, led by Thandie Newton’s no-nonsense Maeve, staged an uprising against their oppressors.
Delos HQ lies in ruin, then, and it’ll be fascinating to see how Joy and Nolan and the rest of the creative team pick up where things left off. Fan-favorite android Dolores (Evan Rachel Wood) will surely be at the forefront of the story, having seized control of her own destiny in epic fashion, while a blood-smeared Man in Black (Ed Harris) can only portend danger for those around him.
And though a spring 2018 release window is the current target, with the exception of Katja Herbers, HBO is yet to announce the full cast for Westworld‘s second season. What we do know is that James Marsden, Jeffrey Wright, Tessa Thompson (Thor: Ragnarok), Sidse Babett Knudsen, Jimmi Simpson, Rodrigo Santoro, Shannon Woodward, Luke Hemsworth, Clifton Collins, Jr., Talulah Riley and Louis Herthum are all expected to return in some capacity.
Westworld‘s second season is expected to stage its premiere sometime between March and May of 2018.
