Westworld Returns
Androids Revolt!
Westworld took us all by surprise when it launched on HBO back in 2016. Its high-concept science fiction premise was loosely based on the movie by novelist Michael Chichton, but expanded to include full-blown cyberpunk pathos, with inhuman androids with burgeoning sentience being subjugated by soulless humans for the sake of tourists’ amusement.
It’s heavy stuff; according to producer Jonathan Nolan, the team were inspired by classic sci-fi like Blade Runner and Bioshock when crafting this modern masterpiece.
After the first season ended in December 2016, showrunners Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan took their time developing the story and visuals for season two, and their attention to detail is on full display with the first trailer for the new batch of episodes. The clip, which debuted during the Super Bowl, features a stampede of animatronic bulls storming through the walls of Westworld, goring security guards and absolutely wrecking the behind-the-scenes workplace of the park.
The androids, called “Hosts” in the show, are at war, fighting for their right to exist independent of any programming the humans are trying to enforce on them. Phillip K. Dick would be proud.
Evan Rachel Wood, Thandie Newton, Ed Harris, and Jeffrey Wright star in the series, and we expect season two to significantly raise the stakes and operate on a whole new level from season one. The show can go anywhere from here; there are no limits to the madness which can unfold in Westworld.
Westworld returns for season two April 22 on HBO.
