Westworld has closed its doors for a spell of unscheduled maintenance – or at least part of it has.
Per Deadline, HBO has confirmed that one of two units filming season 2 of the hit Western series has temporarily suspended production in the wake of a “medical emergency.” The incident reportedly involved an actor in a recurring role, who suffered the injury between takes. Details are few and far between at this stage, and it’s unclear if this unfortunate “emergency” will have much of an effect on season 2’s release date.
Westworld is said to be targeting a spring 2018 premiere, though HBO didn’t allude to any form of delay within its official statement, which reads as so:
Due to a medical emergency involving a performer in a recurring role on season 2 of Westworld, filming on one of the two units has been temporarily suspended. The cast member was not on set when this occurred, and out of respect for the performer’s privacy, we have no additional details to share, other than that everyone at Westworld sincerely hopes for a quick recovery.
HBO also stopped short of identifying the actor involved, so it’s impossible to know for sure how big of an impact this will have on the network’s scheduling.
Nevertheless, season 2 of Westworld heralds the return of Evan Rachel Wood, Thandie Newton (Solo: A Star Wars Story), James Marsden, Jeffrey Wright and Ed Harris, and it’s shaping up to be even crazier than the first. Indeed, if showrunners Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan spent the entirety of Westworld‘s first season moseying around a Western-themed park, then 2018 could see HBO’s sci-fi series expand into entirely new worlds.
As things stand, Westworld season 2 has been slated for a premiere in the spring, and we wish those affected a safe and speedy recovery.