HBO had another hit on their hands when Westworld debuted back in 2016. With its cinematic visuals, ambitious, twisty-turny storyline and talented ensemble cast of A-listers, season 1 practically had it all. Somehow, though, we’ve been promised that the upcoming sophomore outing will be even bigger, and in multiple ways.
The promise comes from James Marsden, who plays Teddy, the android Host usually programmed as a nice guy cowboy and the love interest of Evan Rachel Wood’s Dolores. The former X-Men actor was speaking to EW when he made the bold claim, declaring that fans will “not be disappointed” by what lies ahead for the sci-fi/western mash-up.
“You will not be disappointed. The world that we created will be completely expanded upon, and the themes and the philosophies will all be taken to the next degree. The one thing I can say is that it just feels so much bigger this year. There’s a bigger cast, we’re shooting sometimes three units at once, whereas the first season it was always just one unit so the scope of the whole thing has definitely grown.”
Considering the already lofty scope and scale of season 1, it’s tough to believe Marsden’s comments. Then again, previous updates we’ve gotten about season 2 do back up his points. For one, we know that the world of the series will be expanded, as showrunners Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy have previously teased the introduction of other parks this year, following on from the appearance of Samurai World in the season 1 finale.
We also know that some new players will be joining the cast. For one, The Leftovers‘ Katja Herbers is set to portray Grace, described as “a seasoned guest in Westworld whose latest visit comes at the park’s darkest hour.” Said darkest hour likely refers to the insurrection of the Hosts, as led by Dolores in her murderous Wyatt personality, who are seen to have taken over the park in the season 2 trailer.
Westworld will return to HBO at some point this spring. We don’t have an exact premiere date just yet, but as always, watch this space for more.