In news that probably surprised no one HBO has confirmed that Westworld will return in 2020. Considering the gap between seasons 1 and 2 was almost two years it has long been speculated by fans that the show would also take its time with season 3.
With Game of Thrones ending in only a matter of weeks Westworld will become, in my mind, the de facto marquee show for HBO. The fact that it’s going to take another year however doesn’t seem to bother the higher ups.
In a recent interview, Casey Bloys, president of HBO programming, has pointed to shows like Succession, Sharp Objects, The Deuce, My Brilliant Friend, The Night Of, TheLeftovers, Barry, Veep, High Maintenance, and John Oliver’s and Bill Maher’s shows, which have already filled the extended gap between the seventh and eighth seasons of Game of Thrones. He says new series like Euphoria, Watchmen, The Nevers, and His Dark Materials will also continue to carry the network forward in a post-Westeros world.
PHOTO SOURCE: Westworld, HBO
WarnerMedia Entertainment chairman Bob Greenblatt added that “Networks often go through these periods when signature shows go away, and people speculate on what the future is. And there’s always something that comes along that you didn’t expect.”
As for Westworld itself we can now unofficially begin a countdown to its return. It’s likely they’ll need all the time they can get if they intend on expanding the show beyond the original park. In season 2 we got a good glimpse at Shogun world and a brief tease at The Raj. Creating these places and making them seem authentic is no small feat and if the show continues to grow then it will require more time and money. Possible new parks could be Roman world and Medieval world, which were featured in the original movie but we will probably spend a good chunk of time in the world outside of the parks. Anything beyond that would just be speculation.
