With Game of Thrones now on the back-burner until 2019, all eyes are beginning to turn toward HBO’s other big-budget drama in anticipation of season 2.
We are, of course, referring to Westworld, Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy’s whip-smart adaptation of the 1973 cult movie classic. Initially released in October of 2016, the HBO genre mash-up – Westworld fused sci-fi and Western drama together like few others have – blindsided TV critics with a smart, deftly crafted story of high-paying tourists and their robotic hosts.
Dig beneath the show’s immaculate surface, though, and you’ll begin to uncover a taut thriller that touched on many of the genre’s biggest themes – namely artificial intelligence and its ensuing moral dilemmas – so it’s small wonder why Westworld was given the go-ahead for a 10-episode second season while the first season was still on air.
Story details are still few and far between, of course, but thanks to HBO’s newly-unveiled 2018 preview, we do have a fleeting glimpse of what to expect from the show’s sophomore outing. And yes, Evan Rachel Wood is back, back, back as Dolores Abernathy.
You’ll also notice that there’s nary a mention of Game of Thrones. That’s largely because HBO’s fantasy flagship only began filming its eighth and final season in October, and with the network taking extra steps to combat leaks and spoilers, don’t expect to see any footage of Thrones‘ swan song until late 2018.
Undeterred by recent delays, season 2 of Westworld is expected to boot online via HBO early next year, and if early reports hold true, it’ll herald a bloodbath of epic proportions, as the Hosts begin to seize control of the Wild West. And that’s before you even consider the other parks incubating within the bowels of Delos. A trip to the Samurai/Shogun world, perhaps? Or how about a Medieval realm? So many questions, so few answers.
