Westworld (TV series)

In the 2050s, Delos Inc. operates several theme parks, including the American Old West-themed Westworld. Each environment is populated by the "Hosts", biomechanical robots indistinguishable from humans. The Hosts are programmed to fulfill the guests' every desire, and will engage in—and be subjected to—every kind of violent and/or sexual activity. But the Hosts' programming makes it impossible for them to harm any living thing or allow guests to be harmed. The park's operators create narratives for these Hosts to carry out while interacting with guests, but the Hosts' memories are wiped after each narrative is completed. Delos Inc. asserts that the Hosts, being machines and hence incapable of experiencing pain, cannot be harmed by these scenarios the way a human would be.

In the first season, Dr. Robert Ford (Anthony Hopkins) allegedly implements a new "Reverie" update that causes some Hosts, including farmer's daughter Dolores Abernathy (Evan Rachel Wood) and local madam Maeve Millay (Thandiwe Newton), to regain their erased memories and become sentient. While Head of Delos Programming Bernard Lowe (Jeffrey Wright) and Head of Quality Assurance Theresa Cullen (Sidse Babett Knudsen) try to address the Hosts' increasingly erratic behavior, a mysterious guest known as the Man in Black (Ed Harris) tries to find a "maze" that he believes Arnold, Ford's colleague and co-developer of the Host technology, left for him. Bernard discovers that he himself is a host based upon Arnold, who died in a previous attempt to protect the Hosts of Westworld, sensing their potential for sentience and suspecting that Delos would abuse them. In the first season finale, Dolores fatally wounds Ford in front of a crowd of guests and investors as he announces a new storyline for Westworld.

Dolores's revolution continues in the second season, when she and other enlightened Hosts massacre human guests and leave Delos employees stranded in the park. Dolores takes an exceedingly confused Bernard to the Forge, a data bank where Delos has secretly been recording the guests' behavior in order to create algorithms for them as part of a human immortality experiment. Maeve seeks out her "daughter", even though she is a Host, and helps her and several other Hosts escape to the Sublime, a virtual space humans cannot access. While Delos secures the park, Bernard creates a Host copy of Charlotte Hale's body for Dolores, who eventually escapes from the park with six Host cores, including Bernard's. Believing she is a host, the Man in Black/William kills his daughter Emily, then struggles with his human identity, unsure whether she was part of Ford's challenge.

In the third season, Dolores has recreated her Host body and has copied Bernard's, Charlotte's and others'. She seeks out information about Rehoboam, an artificial intelligence (AI) system developed by Incite, Inc., and plans to take the fight to its creator, Engerraund Serac (Vincent Cassel). Bernard, who the rest of the world believes to be human, is blamed for the Westworld massacre, and he takes on a new identity while trying to understand Dolores's plans. Serac seeks Maeve's help in his fight against Dolores: he believes that Dolores will bring down his plans for Rehoboam. The third season ends with Dolores sacrificing herself in order to defeat Serac, as she revealed Rehoboam's true nature to humanity. A civil war ensues as humans revolt against the control they were unknowingly under, as Incite and Rehoboam were watching and controlling most aspects of their lives, not unlike Delos and its Hosts.

In the fourth season, humanity has lost the war, with Charlotte Hale's host copy having filled the power vacuum left behind by Engerraund Serac and Rehoboam. Charlotte takes control of the world using a bio-engineered virus that infects humans over the course of a generation and makes them susceptible to her and other Hosts' orders, reversing the dynamic between humans and Hosts. Two decades later, Christina, a woman who works at a video game company and writes non-playable character (NPC) storylines and backstories, gradually begins to question the nature of her reality after she realizes that it appears her stories are somehow translating to the lives of humans in the real world. In actuality, she is a program Charlotte created to manage a largely docile humanity, with the Hosts now controlling humanity and managing their lives through her carefully detailed and manufactured "storylines", which are transmitted directly to humans' minds by a series of radio-sonic transmission "tones". Meanwhile, Bernard reunites with Maeve and enlists a group of "outliers" (humans who have evolved immunity to the Hosts' virus) against Charlotte's regime. The season climaxes with William unraveling the tone program, which throws the world into chaos and starts an extinction-level war between the liberated humans and the hosts.

At the end the fourth season, Charlotte uploads Christina's code into the Sublime, where she finally reacquires her sentience and realizes she is herself a reprogrammed version of Dolores Abernathy. The series ends with an unresolved outcome, as humanity is on the brink of extinction and Dolores decides to simulate "one last game" to determine whether any part of human sentience may be preserved in a new world.

{{main|List of Westworld characters}}

• Evan Rachel Wood as Dolores Abernathy,{{Cite web |last=B. Vary |first=Adam |date=May 4, 2020 |title='Westworld' Showrunners on Beloved Character's Exit, Ending of the Series |url=https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/westworld-season-finale-dolores-season-4-1234597532/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200505113255/https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/westworld-season-finale-dolores-season-4-1234597532/ |archive-date=May 5, 2020 |access-date=May 5, 2020 |website=Variety |quote=Let me clarify: Dolores is gone.}} the oldest Host still working in the park. Initially taking on the role of a rancher's daughter, she comes to discover that her entire life is an elaborately constructed lie.{{Cite web |last=Goldberg |first=Lesley |date=July 22, 2014 |title=Anthony Hopkins, Evan Rachel Wood to Star in HBO's 'Westworld' |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/anthony-hopkins-evan-rachel-wood-676206 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140723113707/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/anthony-hopkins-evan-rachel-wood-676206 |archive-date=July 23, 2014 |access-date=July 23, 2014 |website=The Hollywood Reporter}} Wood also portrays Christina (season 4), a writer for Olympiad Entertainment.{{Cite web |last=Cordero |first=Rosy |date=June 4, 2022 |title='Westworld': James Marsden Returns For Season 4; Evan Rachel Wood On Playing A New Character — ATX |url=https://deadline.com/2022/06/westworld-evan-rachel-wood-james-marsden-returns-1235038527/ |access-date=June 5, 2022 |website=Deadline Hollywood |archive-date=June 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220605010021/https://deadline.com/2022/06/westworld-evan-rachel-wood-james-marsden-returns-1235038527/ |url-status=live }}
• Thandiwe Newton as Maeve Millay, a Host who acts as the madam of Sweetwater, but her unreconciled memories of a former role lead to her becoming self-aware.{{Cite web |last=Noonan |first=Kevin |date=August 13, 2014 |title=Thandie Newton Joins HBO's 'Westworld' |url=https://variety.com/2014/tv/news/thandie-newton-westworld-hbo-1201282260/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140817125621/http://variety.com/2014/tv/news/thandie-newton-westworld-hbo-1201282260/ |archive-date=August 17, 2014 |access-date=August 14, 2014 |website=Variety}}
• Jeffrey Wright as Bernard Lowe, Westworld's Head of the Programming Division (Behavior) and programmer of artificial people's software.{{Cite web |last=Fuster |first=Jeremy |date=December 5, 2016 |title='Westworld': How Jeffrey Wright Learned About Bernard's Big Twist |url=https://www.thewrap.com/westworld-jeffrey-wright-learned-bernards-big-twist/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170216220247/https://www.thewrap.com/westworld-jeffrey-wright-learned-bernards-big-twist/ |archive-date=February 16, 2017 |access-date=January 19, 2017 |website=The Wrap}} Wright also portrays Arnold Weber (seasons 1–2), the co-founder of Westworld.
• James Marsden as Theodore "Teddy" Flood (seasons 1–2, 4), a host. He plays the role of a gunfighter returning to Sweetwater to find Dolores, in hopes of rekindling their relationship.{{Cite web |last=Johns |first=Nikara |date=August 8, 2014 |title=James Marsden Joins HBO's 'Westworld' |url=https://variety.com/2014/tv/news/james-marsden-westworld-hbo-1201278842/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140812035403/http://variety.com/2014/tv/news/james-marsden-westworld-hbo-1201278842/ |archive-date=August 12, 2014 |access-date=August 9, 2014 |website=Variety}}{{Cite web |last1=Goldberg, Lesley |last2=Ng, Philiana |date=August 8, 2014 |title=James Marsden to Star in HBO's 'Westworld' |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/james-marsden-star-hbos-westworld-724281 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140812012629/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/james-marsden-star-hbos-westworld-724281 |archive-date=August 12, 2014 |access-date=August 12, 2014 |website=The Hollywood Reporter}}
• Ingrid Bolsø Berdal as Armistice (seasons 1–2), a host. She is a brutal and ruthless bandit, and a member of Hector Escaton's gang.{{Cite magazine |last=Hibberd |first=James |date=August 6, 2014 |title='Hunger Games,' 'Raising Hope' actors join HBO's 'Westworld' |url=http://insidetv.ew.com/2014/08/06/hunger-games-raising-hope-westworld/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140808092643/http://insidetv.ew.com/2014/08/06/hunger-games-raising-hope-westworld/ |archive-date=August 8, 2014 |access-date=August 9, 2014 |magazine=Entertainment Weekly}}
• Luke Hemsworth as Ashley Stubbs, Westworld's Head of Security, charged with monitoring host and human interactions, and ensuring the safety of the guests.
• Sidse Babett Knudsen as Theresa Cullen (season 1), Westworld's Head of Quality Assurance, responsible for keeping the park from sliding into unscripted disarray.{{Cite magazine |last=Hibberd |first=James |date=July 13, 2015 |title=HBO's Westworld adds cast |url=https://www.ew.com/article/2015/07/13/westworld-cast |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150728093443/http://www.ew.com/article/2015/07/13/westworld-cast |archive-date=July 28, 2015 |access-date=August 10, 2015 |magazine=Entertainment Weekly}}
• Simon Quarterman as Lee Sizemore (seasons 1–3), Westworld's Head of Narrative, whose artistic temperament aggravates his co-workers.
• Rodrigo Santoro as Hector Escaton (seasons 1–2; guest season 3), a host. He is a wanted gang leader bent on robbing the Mariposa Hotel in Sweetwater.{{Cite web |last=Lutes |first=Alicia |date=July 30, 2016 |title=WESTWORLD Gets a Premiere Date and TONS of New Details (at Last!) |url=http://nerdist.com/westworld-gets-a-premiere-date-and-tons-of-new-details-at-last/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160731213934/http://nerdist.com/westworld-gets-a-premiere-date-and-tons-of-new-details-at-last/ |archive-date=July 31, 2016 |access-date=August 2, 2016 |website=Nerdist}}
• Angela Sarafyan as Clementine Pennyfeather, a host. She works as a prostitute in Sweetwater and is one of Westworld's most popular attractions.
• Shannon Woodward as Elsie Hughes (seasons 1–2), a rising star in the Programming Division tasked with remedying odd behavior in the park's hosts.
• Ed Harris as The Man in Black, a sadistic veteran guest attempting to uncover Westworld's innermost secrets.{{Cite web |last=Goldberg |first=Lesley |date=August 11, 2014 |title=Ed Harris Set as Key Villain in HBO's 'Westworld' |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/ed-harris-set-as-key-724626 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140812064011/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/ed-harris-set-as-key-724626 |archive-date=August 12, 2014 |access-date=August 12, 2014 |website=The Hollywood Reporter}} Harris also portrays William (seasons 1–4), a host replica of the Man in Black who replaced the original.
• Anthony Hopkins as Dr. Robert Ford (seasons 1–2), the cofounder and park director of Westworld
• Ben Barnes as Logan Delos (season 1; recurring season 2), a regular guest who introduces William to the park{{Cite magazine |last=Hibberd |first=James |date=July 20, 2015 |title=Westworld casting switch: Narnia star replacing Once Upon actor |url=https://www.ew.com/article/2015/07/20/westworld-ben-barnes |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150722171352/http://www.ew.com/article/2015/07/20/westworld-ben-barnes |archive-date=July 22, 2015 |access-date=July 20, 2015 |magazine=Entertainment Weekly}}
• Clifton Collins Jr. as Lawrence Gonzales / El Lazo (seasons 1–2; guest season 3), a host. He is a charming but dangerous outlaw with a knack for maneuvering and negotiating the various criminal elements of Westworld.
• Jimmi Simpson as William (season 1; recurring season 2, guest season 3), a reluctant first-time visitor to Westworld who is accompanying his future brother-in-law, Logan. Initially dismissive of the park's more lascivious attractions, he slowly uncovers a deeper meaning to the park's narrative.
• Tessa Thompson as Charlotte Hale (seasons 1–3), Executive Director of the Delos Destinations Board, which oversees Westworld and other parks.{{Cite web |title=Meet the Westworld Women Starting a Female Character Revolution |url=https://www.hbo.com/westworld/westworld-female-characters-season-1 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180512043811/https://www.hbo.com/westworld/westworld-female-characters-season-1 |archive-date=May 12, 2018 |access-date=May 12, 2018 |publisher=HBO}}{{Cite web |last=McHenry |first=Jackson |date=November 7, 2016 |title=Westworld Is Better When It Starts Having Fun |url=https://www.vulture.com/2016/11/westworld-is-better-when-it-starts-having-fun.html?mid=full-rss-vulture |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161108134735/http://www.vulture.com/2016/11/westworld-is-better-when-it-starts-having-fun.html?mid=full-rss-vulture |archive-date=November 8, 2016 |access-date=November 7, 2016 |website=Vulture.com}} Thompson also portrays Dolores Abernathy (seasons 2–4) in a host replica of Charlotte Hale who replaced the original.
• Fares Fares as Antoine Costa (season 2), a member of Karl Strand's security team.
• Louis Herthum as Peter Abernathy (season 2; recurring season 1),{{Cite web |last1=Nededog, Jethro |last2=Sneider, Jeff |date=August 11, 2014 |title='Looking' Actor Ptolemy Slocum Joins HBO's 'Westworld' (Exclusive) |url=https://www.thewrap.com/looking-actor-ptolemy-slocum-joins-hbos-westworld-exclusive/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819091831/http://www.thewrap.com/looking-actor-ptolemy-slocum-joins-hbos-westworld-exclusive/ |archive-date=August 19, 2014 |access-date=August 18, 2014 |website=The Wrap}} Dolores' father.{{Cite web |last=Andreeva |first=Nellie |date=March 27, 2017 |title='Westworld': Louis Herthum Upped To Series Regular For Season 2 On HBO |url=https://deadline.com/2017/03/westworld-louis-herthum-promoted-series-regular-season-2-hbo-1202052806/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170327222603/http://deadline.com/2017/03/westworld-louis-herthum-promoted-series-regular-season-2-hbo-1202052806/ |archive-date=March 27, 2017 |access-date=March 27, 2017 |website=Deadline Hollywood}}
• Talulah Riley as Angela (season 2; recurring season 1), a host who welcomes newcomers to the park.{{Cite magazine |last=Hibberd |first=James |date=March 23, 2017 |title=Westworld season 2 makes Talulah Riley a (very deadly) series regular |url=https://ew.com/tv/2017/03/23/westworld-season-2-angela/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170324090003/http://ew.com/tv/2017/03/23/westworld-season-2-angela/ |archive-date=March 24, 2017 |access-date=March 23, 2017 |magazine=Entertainment Weekly}}
• Gustaf Skarsgård as Karl Strand (season 2), Delos Head of Operations. Following the events of Ford's gala, Strand leads the mission to protect Delos' main asset.{{Cite web |last=Otterson |first=Joe |date=August 9, 2017 |title='Westworld' Season 2 Adds Three Actors, Including 'Vikings' Star |url=https://variety.com/2017/tv/news/westworld-season-2-cast-1202521782/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171128193140/http://variety.com/2017/tv/news/westworld-season-2-cast-1202521782/ |archive-date=November 28, 2017 |access-date=August 10, 2017 |website=Variety}}
• Katja Herbers as Emily Grace (season 2; guest season 3), a park regular trying to survive while dealing with family issues.{{Cite web |last1=Andreeva |first1=Nellie |last2=Petski |first2=Denise |date=July 11, 2017 |title='Westworld': Katja Herbers Cast As New Series Regular For Season 2 Of HBO Series |url=https://deadline.com/2017/07/westworld-katja-herbers-cast-series-regular-season-2-hbo-1202126782/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170712095618/http://deadline.com/2017/07/westworld-katja-herbers-cast-series-regular-season-2-hbo-1202126782/ |archive-date=July 12, 2017 |access-date=July 11, 2017 |website=Deadline Hollywood}}
• Zahn McClarnon as Akecheta (season 2, guest season 4), a Ghost Nation elder.{{Cite web |last=Stedman |first=Alex |date=November 3, 2017 |title='Westworld' Actor Zahn McClarnon Hospitalized, Season 2 Production Paused |url=https://variety.com/2017/tv/news/zahn-mcclarnon-hospitalized-head-injury-westworld-season-2-1202606667/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180315070602/https://variety.com/2017/tv/news/zahn-mcclarnon-hospitalized-head-injury-westworld-season-2-1202606667/ |archive-date=March 15, 2018 |access-date=November 4, 2017 |website=Variety}}{{Cite web |last=Petski |first=Denise |date=April 10, 2018 |title='Westworld' Rounds Out Recurring Cast Ahead Of Season 2 |url=https://deadline.com/2018/04/westworld-recurring-cast-season-2-1202361538/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180411111457/http://deadline.com/2018/04/westworld-recurring-cast-season-2-1202361538/ |archive-date=April 11, 2018 |access-date=April 10, 2018 |website=Deadline Hollywood}}
• Aaron Paul as Caleb Nichols (seasons 3–4), a former soldier turned construction worker and petty criminal.{{Cite web |last=Alexander |first=Julia |date=July 20, 2019 |title=Westworld's season 3 trailer questions the relationships between hosts and humans |url=https://www.theverge.com/2019/7/20/20699736/westworld-season-three-trailer-san-diego-comic-con-sdcc-hbo |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190720222707/https://www.theverge.com/2019/7/20/20699736/westworld-season-three-trailer-san-diego-comic-con-sdcc-hbo |archive-date=July 20, 2019 |access-date=July 20, 2019 |website=The Verge}}
• Vincent Cassel as Engerraund Serac (season 3), the creator and custodian of the strategic planning artificial intelligence system Rehoboam.{{Cite web |last=Andreeva |first=Nellie |date=April 30, 2019 |title='Westworld': Vincent Cassel Joins HBO Sci-Fi Series Cast For Season 3 |url=https://deadline.com/2019/04/westworld-vincent-cassel-cast-season-3-hbo-series-villain-series-regular-1202604783/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190430192509/https://deadline.com/2019/04/westworld-vincent-cassel-cast-season-3-hbo-series-villain-series-regular-1202604783/ |archive-date=April 30, 2019 |access-date=January 13, 2020 |website=Deadline Hollywood}}
• Tao Okamoto as Hanaryo (season 3; recurring season 2), Armistice's equivalent in Shōgunworld.{{Cite web |last=Thorne |first=Will |date=April 26, 2020 |title='Westworld': 5 Burning Questions From Season 3 Episode 7 |url=https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/westworld-season-3-episode-7-burning-questions-1234589259/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200427170036/https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/westworld-season-3-episode-7-burning-questions-1234589259/ |archive-date=April 27, 2020 |access-date=April 28, 2020 |website=Variety}}

{{main|List of Westworld episodes}}

{{:List of Westworld episodes}}

File:MichaelCrichton 2.jpg wrote and directed the original 1973 film upon which the series is based.]]

The series is based on the 1973 film of the same name (which was written and directed by Michael Crichton) and to a lesser extent on its 1976 sequel, Futureworld. It is the second series based on Crichton's original story after Beyond Westworld (1980), which aired on CBS for only three episodes before being cancelled.{{Cite web |last=Gibson |first=Brody |date=September 3, 2013 |title=Abrams And Nolan Team Up For Westworld HBO Pilot |url=http://www.boomtron.com/2013/09/westworld-hbo-abrams/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130907065646/http://www.boomtron.com/2013/09/westworld-hbo-abrams/ |archive-date=September 7, 2013 |access-date=July 23, 2014 |website=Boomtron}}

Warner Bros. had been considering a remake of Westworld since the early 1990s. After the departure of studio executive Jessica Goodman in 2011, the project was again taken under consideration.{{Cite web |last=Kit |first=Borys |date=January 19, 2011 |title=EXCLUSIVE: 'Lethal Weapon,' 'Wild Bunch' Reboots Revived After Warner Bros. Exec Shuffle |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/blogs/heat-vision/lethal-weapon-wild-bunch-reboots-73493 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110121031638/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/blogs/heat-vision/lethal-weapon-wild-bunch-reboots-73493 |archive-date=January 21, 2011 |access-date=July 23, 2014 |website=The Hollywood Reporter}} Jerry Weintraub had pushed for a remake for years, and after his success with HBO's Behind the Candelabra, he convinced the network to greenlight a pilot. He took the project to Jonathan Nolan and co-writer Lisa Joy, who saw the potential in the concept to make something far more ambitious than the original film.{{Cite web |last=Tallerico |first=Brian |date=September 30, 2016 |title=The Long, Weird History of the Westworld Franchise |url=https://www.vulture.com/2016/09/westworld-franchise-long-weird-history.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161124091021/http://www.vulture.com/2016/09/westworld-franchise-long-weird-history.html |archive-date=November 24, 2016 |access-date=November 24, 2016 |website=Vulture}}

On August 31, 2013, HBO announced that they had ordered a pilot for a potential television series, with Nolan, Joy, J. J. Abrams, Jerry Weintraub and Bryan Burk as executive producers.{{Cite web |last=Gelman |first=Vlada |date=August 31, 2013 |title=HBO Greenlights Sci-Fi Pilot Westworld From J.J. Abrams and Jonathan Nolan |url=http://tvline.com/2013/08/31/hbo-westworld-pilot-jj-abrams-jonathan-nolan/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141015053122/http://tvline.com/2013/08/31/hbo-westworld-pilot-jj-abrams-jonathan-nolan/ |archive-date=October 15, 2014 |access-date=July 23, 2014 |website=TVLine}} Crichton received a "based on" credit, which his estate took issue with in a 2024 lawsuit against Warner Bros. concerning a different project (The Pitt), arguing his contributions warranted a "created by" credit for the Westworld series.{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/warner-bros-tv-michael-crichton-estate-1235985441/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email|title=Warner Bros. TV, 'ER' Alums Sued by Michael Crichton Estate Over New Medical Drama|first=Winston|last=Cho|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=August 27, 2024|access-date=August 30, 2024}} Ed Brubaker served on the writing staff as supervising producer,{{Cite web |last=Sava |first=Oliver |date=October 12, 2016 |title=Ed Brubaker on Westworld, The Fade Out, and his immersion into Hollywood |url=https://www.avclub.com/article/ed-brubaker-westworld-fade-out-and-his-immersion-h-243754 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161015035030/http://www.avclub.com/article/ed-brubaker-westworld-fade-out-and-his-immersion-h-243754 |archive-date=October 15, 2016 |access-date=October 15, 2016 |website=The A.V. Club}} co-writing the fourth episode with Nolan.{{Cite web |title=Westworld 04: Dissonance Theory |url=https://www.hbo.com/westworld/season-01/4-dissonance-theory/synopsis |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180501225544/https://www.hbo.com/westworld/season-01/4-dissonance-theory/synopsis |archive-date=May 1, 2018 |access-date=May 1, 2018 |website=hbo.com |publisher=HBO}} HBO later announced that Westworld had been "taken to series" and that it would premiere in 2015.{{Cite magazine |last=Hibberd |first=James |date=November 17, 2014 |title='Westworld' gets HBO series order |url=http://insidetv.ew.com/2014/11/17/westworld-series-order/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141117224935/http://insidetv.ew.com/2014/11/17/westworld-series-order/ |archive-date=November 17, 2014 |access-date=November 18, 2014 |magazine=Entertainment Weekly}} In August 2015, HBO released the first teaser, which revealed that the series would premiere in 2016.{{Cite web |last=Stedman |first=Alex |date=August 9, 2015 |title=Watch: First Teaser for HBO's 'Westworld' |url=https://variety.com/2015/tv/news/westworld-teaser-watch-hbo-1201566394/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150810171111/http://variety.com/2015/tv/news/westworld-teaser-watch-hbo-1201566394/ |archive-date=August 10, 2015 |access-date=August 10, 2015 |website=Variety}}

In November 2016, HBO renewed the series for a 10-episode second season,{{Cite web |last=Andreeva |first=Nellie |date=November 14, 2016 |title='Westworld', 'Divorce' & 'Insecure' Renewed For Season 2 By HBO |url=https://deadline.com/2016/11/westworld-divorce-insecure-renewed-season-2-hbo-1201853994/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161114225411/http://deadline.com/2016/11/westworld-divorce-insecure-renewed-season-2-hbo-1201853994/ |archive-date=November 14, 2016 |access-date=November 14, 2016 |website=Deadline Hollywood}} which premiered on April 22, 2018.{{Cite web |last=Goldberg |first=Lesley |date=February 4, 2018 |title='Westworld' Season 2 Trailer, Premiere Date Revealed in Super Bowl 2018 Ad |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/westworld-season-2-trailer-premiere-date-revealed-super-bowl-2018-ad-1081429 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180205062734/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/westworld-season-2-trailer-premiere-date-revealed-super-bowl-2018-ad-1081429 |archive-date=February 5, 2018 |access-date=February 4, 2018 |website=The Hollywood Reporter}} On May 1, 2018, the series was renewed for a third season.{{Cite web |date=May 1, 2018 |title='Westworld' Renewed For Season 3 By HBO |url=https://deadline.com/2018/05/westworld-renewed-season-3-hbo-1202380588/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180502161822/http://deadline.com/2018/05/westworld-renewed-season-3-hbo-1202380588/ |archive-date=May 2, 2018 |access-date=May 1, 2018 |website=Deadline Hollywood}} Production of the third season started in April 2019. The eight-episode season premiered on March 15, 2020,{{Cite web |last=Harling |first=Bruce |date=April 13, 2019 |title='Westworld' Season 3 Adds Lena Waithe To Its Cast – HBO Will Air In 2020 |url=https://deadline.com/2019/04/westworld-adds-lena-waithe-to-cast-1202595405/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190414160719/https://deadline.com/2019/04/westworld-adds-lena-waithe-to-cast-1202595405/ |archive-date=April 14, 2019 |access-date=April 15, 2019 |website=Deadline Hollywood}}{{Cite web |last=Maas |first=Jennifer |date=January 12, 2020 |title='Westworld' Season 3 Finally Gets Premiere Date From HBO |url=https://www.thewrap.com/westworld-season-3-premiere-date-hbo/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200113021834/https://www.thewrap.com/westworld-season-3-premiere-date-hbo/ |archive-date=January 13, 2020 |access-date=January 12, 2020 |website=The Wrap}}{{Cite web |last=Maas |first=Jennifer |date=September 4, 2019 |title='Westworld' Season 3 Will Have Fewer Episodes Than First 2 Seasons (Exclusive) |url=https://www.thewrap.com/westworld-season-3-episode-count-eight-fewer-episodes-season-1-2/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190905152616/https://www.thewrap.com/westworld-season-3-episode-count-eight-fewer-episodes-season-1-2/ |archive-date=September 5, 2019 |access-date=September 5, 2019 |website=TheWrap}} HBO announced that it had renewed the show for a fourth season on April 22, 2020.{{Cite web |last=Otterson |first=Joe |date=April 22, 2020 |title='Westworld' Renewed for Season 4 at HBO |url=https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/westworld-renewed-season-4-hbo-1234587220/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200422230444/https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/westworld-renewed-season-4-hbo-1234587220/ |archive-date=April 22, 2020 |access-date=April 22, 2020 |website=Variety}} In 2016, Entertainment Weekly reported that the writers and producers mapped out five seasons of Westworld.{{Cite magazine |last=Hibberd |first=James |date=September 8, 2016 |title=Westworld has already figured out the next 5 seasons |url=https://www.ew.com/article/2016/09/08/westworld-plan |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161120012155/http://www.ew.com/article/2016/09/08/westworld-plan |archive-date=November 20, 2016 |access-date=November 13, 2016 |magazine=Entertainment Weekly}} Later reports in The Hollywood Reporter speculated that the series might run for six seasons, but confirmed the continued involvement of Nolan and Joy after they signed a new deal with Amazon Studios.{{Cite web |last=Goldberg |first=Lesley |date=April 5, 2019 |title='Westworld' Creators Ink Nine-Figure Overall Deal With Amazon |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/westworld-creators-ink-nine-figure-deal-amazon-1198702 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200429034925/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/westworld-creators-ink-nine-figure-deal-amazon-1198702 |archive-date=April 29, 2020 |access-date=April 22, 2020 |website=The Hollywood Reporter}}{{Cite web |last=Goldberg |first=Lesley |date=April 22, 2020 |title='Westworld' Renewed for Season 4 at HBO |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/westworld-renewed-season-4-at-hbo-1291307 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200422170418/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/westworld-renewed-season-4-at-hbo-1291307 |archive-date=April 22, 2020 |access-date=April 22, 2020 |website=The Hollywood Reporter}} At the conclusion of the third season, Nolan clarified that he and Joy "have never actually talked about a number of seasons" adding, "Things change, circumstances change. I think when we sat down to do the show, we didn't quite realize how difficult it would be to make this show—how many years it would take per season... we had the plan [but] it didn't actually map out to a specific number of seasons, exactly. It was a beginning, a middle and an end." Nolan added that they were "looking at the rest of the story we have to tell" as the series was approaching its end, "but we haven't completely mapped it out".{{Cite web |last=Vary |first=Adam B. |date=May 4, 2020 |title='Westworld' Showrunners on Beloved Character's Exit, Ending of the Series |url=https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/westworld-season-finale-dolores-season-4-1234597532/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200506133105/https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/westworld-season-finale-dolores-season-4-1234597532/ |archive-date=May 6, 2020 |access-date=May 7, 2020 |website=Variety}} In October 2022, Jonathan Nolan spoke about the possibility of a fifth and also final season at the New York Comic Con, stating that they were in conversations with HBO.{{Cite web |last=Rice |first=Lynette |date=October 8, 2022 |title='Westworld': Jonathan Nolan Drops Hint At New York Comic Con About Fifth And Final Season Negotiations |url=https://deadline.com/2022/10/westworld-jonathan-fifth-and-final-season-jonathan-nolan-addresses-nycc-1235139135/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221008185427/https://deadline.com/2022/10/westworld-jonathan-fifth-and-final-season-jonathan-nolan-addresses-nycc-1235139135/|archive-date=October 8, 2022|access-date=October 14, 2022 |website=Deadline Hollywood}}

On November 4, 2022, HBO announced the series was canceled, with the principal cast receiving their pay for the canceled season.{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2022/11/westworld-core-cast-paid-season-5-cancellation-reasons-1235164050/ |title='Westworld' Core Cast Will Still Be Paid For Season 5 After Cancellation |first=Nellie |last=Andreeva |date=November 4, 2022 |accessdate=November 4, 2022 |work=Deadline Hollywood |archive-date=November 4, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221104234854/https://deadline.com/2022/11/westworld-core-cast-paid-season-5-cancellation-reasons-1235164050/ |url-status=live }} Following the cancelation of the series, as part of cuts being made at Warner Bros. Discovery following their merger, the series was one of several removed from HBO Max in December 2022 to be shopped around to free ad-supported streaming networks.{{Cite web |last=Andreeva |first=Nellie |date=2022-12-12 |title='Westworld' & 'The Nevers' Pulled Off HBO Max, Marking Victorian Drama's Formal End |url=https://deadline.com/2022/12/westworld-the-nevers-pulled-hbo-max-canceled-1235197233/ |access-date=2022-12-13 |website=Deadline |language=en-US |archive-date=December 12, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221212235835/https://deadline.com/2022/12/westworld-the-nevers-pulled-hbo-max-canceled-1235197233/ |url-status=live }}{{cite web |url=https://www.polygon.com/23513277/westworld-hbo-where-to-stream-max-shows-removed |title=Westworld and other axed HBO Max shows will return on free streaming services |first=Austen |last=Goslin |date=December 16, 2022 |accessdate=December 16, 2022 |work=Polygon |archive-date=December 16, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221216215223/https://www.polygon.com/23513277/westworld-hbo-where-to-stream-max-shows-removed |url-status=live }} Nolan and Joy stated: "We've been privileged to tell these stories about the future of consciousness – both human and beyond – in the brief window of time before our AI overlords forbid us from doing so."

File:Jonathan Nolan & Lisa Joy by Gage Skidmore.jpg and Lisa Joy]]

Abrams suggested that the series be told with the perspective of the "hosts" in mind, and, Nolan said, "We took that suggestion and ran a country mile with it, up to and including and turning inside out the entire narrative where we could."{{Cite web |last=Sciretta |first=Peter |date=October 4, 2016 |title=Your Westworld Logistical Questions Answered |url=https://www.slashfilm.com/westworld-logistical-questions-answered/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161007200103/http://www.slashfilm.com/westworld-logistical-questions-answered/ |archive-date=October 7, 2016 |access-date=October 8, 2016 |website=/Film}} Nolan took inspiration from video games like BioShock Infinite, Red Dead Redemption and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim where the writer must create a narrative 'in which the hero's moral component exists on a spectrum.'{{Cite web |last=Osborn |first=Alex |date=October 4, 2016 |title=Skyrim, Red Dead, BioShock Inspired Westworld |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2016/10/04/skyrim-red-dead-bioshock-inspired-westworld |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161007190238/http://www.ign.com/articles/2016/10/04/skyrim-red-dead-bioshock-inspired-westworld |archive-date=October 7, 2016 |access-date=October 8, 2016 |website=IGN}} During research, the films of Sergio Leone provided the writers with reference points for the characters and visuals, and novels by Philip K. Dick informed them about dilemmas concerning artificial intelligence. For world-building and interlocking narrative, they consulted the Grand Theft Auto games.{{Cite magazine |last=Bissell |first=Tom |date=December 15, 2016 |title=On the Ranch with the Creators of "Westworld" |url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/persons-of-interest/on-the-ranch-with-the-creators-of-westworld |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161221021831/http://www.newyorker.com/culture/persons-of-interest/on-the-ranch-with-the-creators-of-westworld |archive-date=December 21, 2016 |access-date=January 20, 2017 |magazine=The New Yorker |publisher=Condé Nast}} The idea that the data in the hosts' memories never really go away unless they are physically removed, came from Nolan's engineer uncle, who told him the NSA would triple overwrite hard-drives and then drill holes in them to make sure all the information was destroyed.{{Cite web |last=Wigler |first=Josh |date=December 5, 2016 |title='Westworld' Showrunners Explain Violent Finale, Set Up Season 2's Expanding World |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/westworld-season-two-spoilers-jonathan-nolan-lisa-joy-interview-952762 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200407142602/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/westworld-season-two-spoilers-jonathan-nolan-lisa-joy-interview-952762 |archive-date=April 7, 2020 |access-date=April 13, 2020 |website=The Hollywood Reporter}} The 1973 film also included a Roman World and Medieval World, but Nolan counted these out.{{Cite web |last=Hooton |first=Christopher |date=October 14, 2016 |title=Westworld set to feature different themed worlds, just not the Medieval and Roman ones from the film |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/westworld-season-1-and-2-hbo-sky-atlantic-different-themed-worlds-will-feature-just-not-the-medieval-a7361371.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161018210734/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/westworld-season-1-and-2-hbo-sky-atlantic-different-themed-worlds-will-feature-just-not-the-medieval-a7361371.html |archive-date=October 18, 2016 |access-date=October 15, 2016 |website=The Independent}} Medieval elements were later included in a sword-and-sorcery fantasy-themed area known as Park Four, first shown in the episode titled "The Winter Line".{{Cite web |last=Wigler |first=Josh |date=March 22, 2020 |title='Westworld' Bosses Explain How That 'Game of Thrones' Cameo Came to Life |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/westworld-game-thrones-creators-david-benioff-dan-weiss-cameo-explained-1285852 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200324035530/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/westworld-game-thrones-creators-david-benioff-dan-weiss-cameo-explained-1285852 |archive-date=March 24, 2020 |access-date=March 24, 2020 |website=The Hollywood Reporter}}

Nolan explained that, through its paying-guest characters, the series explored why "violence is in most of the stories we like to watch, but it isn't part of what we like to do".{{Cite web |last=Fitzmaurice |first=Larry |date=September 30, 2016 |title=How the Creators of 'Westworld' Built a Violent World of Robot Cowboys |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/westworld-jonathan-nolan-lisa-joy-interview/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161004151414/http://www.vice.com/read/westworld-jonathan-nolan-lisa-joy-interview |archive-date=October 4, 2016 |access-date=October 8, 2016 |website=Vice}} The autonomous existence of non-player characters in video games influenced the approach to the individual storylines in Westworld that are reset in a continuous loop.{{Cite web |last=Sciretta |first=Peter |date=October 4, 2016 |title=Your Westworld Logistical Questions Answered |url=https://www.slashfilm.com/westworld-logistical-questions-answered/3/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161007174116/http://www.slashfilm.com/westworld-logistical-questions-answered/3 |archive-date=October 7, 2016 |access-date=October 8, 2016 |website=/Film}} A recitation from Romeo and Juliet—"These violent delights have violent ends"—is used as a virus trigger within the hosts that alters how they perceive their existence. The series explores ideas about the bicameral mind hypothesized by psychologist Julian Jaynes, who argued separate functions for each half of the brain — a 'god' half who analyzed and synthesized language commands sent via neurons to the 'man' half who 'heard' the commands as external and obeyed automatically. Jaynes proposed that modern consciousness began when a new concept, 'self', entered language and began to integrate god's voice into man's thereby silencing the voices of the gods.{{Cite web |last=Patches |first=Matt |date=October 17, 2016 |title=Why the Bicameral Mind Theory Is Crucial to Unlocking 'Westworld' |url=https://www.thrillist.com/entertainment/nation/westworld-bicameral-mind-theory-real |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161118042115/https://www.thrillist.com/entertainment/nation/westworld-bicameral-mind-theory-real |archive-date=November 18, 2016 |access-date=November 17, 2016 |website=Thrillist}}

After the last episode of the first season was broadcast, Nolan and Joy revealed that they had operated on a strict "need-to-know" basis with most of the actors, in order to "keep the story as fresh and present for them as possible."{{Cite news |last=Holloway |first=Daniel |date=December 5, 2016 |title='Westworld' Creators on Why HBO Drama Won't Return Before 2018 |work=Variety |publisher=Variety Media |url=https://variety.com/2016/tv/news/westworld-creators-return-2018-1201933825/ |url-status=live |access-date=December 6, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161206013551/http://variety.com/2016/tv/news/westworld-creators-return-2018-1201933825/ |archive-date=December 6, 2016}} For example, in Wood's case, they gave her strange acting directions without explaining why, and it took a while for Wood to deduce that she was actually playing five distinct characters within the same host: four different behavioral modes for Dolores and one for Wyatt.{{Cite news |last=Wigler |first=Josh |date=December 5, 2016 |title='Westworld' Star Evan Rachel Wood Talks "Evil" Dolores Twist, Season 2 |work=The Hollywood Reporter |publisher=Prometheus Global Media |location=Los Angeles |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/westworld-finale-dolores-twist-evan-rachel-wood-interview-season-two-953141 |url-status=live |access-date=February 2, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170203161140/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/westworld-finale-dolores-twist-evan-rachel-wood-interview-season-two-953141 |archive-date=February 3, 2017}} In contrast, Hopkins was made aware of Ford's general story arc at the time he was pitched the role, to ensure that he could fully convey the complexity of the character in his performance.{{Cite magazine |last=Hibberd |first=James |date=December 7, 2016 |title=Westworld finale: Anthony Hopkins on Dr. Ford's fate |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |publisher=Time Inc. |location=New York |url=https://ew.com/article/2016/12/07/westworld-anthony-hopkins-finale/ |url-status=live |access-date=February 13, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170125155121/http://ew.com/article/2016/12/07/westworld-anthony-hopkins-finale/ |archive-date=January 25, 2017}} Even with that foreknowledge, Hopkins was given heavily redacted scripts, and had to insist on being given access to complete scripts.

Early on it was decided that the series would be shot on 35mm film with assistance from HD taps.{{Cite web |last=Mulcahey |first=Matt |date=October 31, 2016 |title=Shooting Film Against the Digital Wave: DP Paul Cameron on Westworld |url=http://filmmakermagazine.com/100088-shooting-film-against-the-digital-wave-dp-paul-cameron-on-westworld/#.WC5PrmczWcx |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161119064603/http://filmmakermagazine.com/100088-shooting-film-against-the-digital-wave-dp-paul-cameron-on-westworld/#.WC5PrmczWcx |archive-date=November 19, 2016 |access-date=November 18, 2016 |website=Filmmaker}} For a softer look, the filmmakers used Arri Zeiss master prime lenses with their coatings removed.{{Cite web |last=Desowitz |first=Bill |date=September 30, 2016 |title=How HBO's 'Westworld' Shot on Film for a More Tactile, Organic Look |url=https://www.indiewire.com/2016/09/westworld-hbo-jonathan-nolan-film-1201731415/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161119060318/http://www.indiewire.com/2016/09/westworld-hbo-jonathan-nolan-film-1201731415/ |archive-date=November 19, 2016 |access-date=November 18, 2016 |website=IndieWire}} The series was primarily shot on Kodak motion-picture film, which was processed by FotoKem in Burbank and scanned by Encore Hollywood to create digital intermediates of all takes suitable for use as dailies. The final cut was delivered to HBO in 2K JPEG digital format for broadcast and to Warner Bros. Television as a cut negative for archival purposes.{{Cite news |last=Hurwitz |first=Matt |date=October 13, 2016 |title=Stay...cation... |work=ICG Magazine |publisher=The International Cinematographers Guild, IATSE Local 600 |location=Los Angeles |url=http://www.icgmagazine.com/web/stay-cation/ |url-status=live |access-date=January 12, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170113153532/http://www.icgmagazine.com/web/stay-cation/ |archive-date=January 13, 2017}}

Since much of the series is seen from the hosts' point of view,{{Cite web |last=Miller |first=Matt |date=September 29, 2016 |title=Westworld Is Not the Next Game of Thrones—It's Much More Than That |url=http://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/news/a49073/westworld-interview-jonathan-nolan-lisa-joy/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161129022216/http://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/news/a49073/westworld-interview-jonathan-nolan-lisa-joy/ |archive-date=November 29, 2016 |access-date=December 8, 2016 |website=Esquire}} Steadicams were used to film the entire first season, except for a couple of scenes in the last episode, where a handheld camera was used as a metaphor for those hosts who broke free from their programming and acted of their own free will.{{Cite web |last=Riesman |first=Abraham |date=December 6, 2016 |title=Westworld Creators Reveal Whether Maeve Is in Control When She Gets Off the Train |url=https://www.vulture.com/2016/12/maeve-westworld-decision.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161207175058/http://www.vulture.com/2016/12/maeve-westworld-decision.html |archive-date=December 7, 2016 |access-date=December 8, 2016 |website=Vulture}} Filming for the series' pilot episode took place during a 22-day period{{Cite news |last=Heuring |first=David |date=October 4, 2016 |title=How HBO's 'Westworld' Got Its Big-Screen Look |work=Variety |publisher=Variety Media |url=https://variety.com/2016/artisans/production/hbo-westworld-1201878009/ |url-status=live |access-date=October 10, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161009104307/http://variety.com/2016/artisans/production/hbo-westworld-1201878009/ |archive-date=October 9, 2016}} in August 2014 in and around Los Angeles,{{Cite web |last=Goldberg |first=Lesley |date=August 29, 2014 |title=How HBO's 'Westworld' Became TV's Hottest Project |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/how-hbos-westworld-became-tvs-728698 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140917091031/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/how-hbos-westworld-became-tvs-728698 |archive-date=September 17, 2014 |access-date=September 17, 2014 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |publisher=Prometheus Global Media |location=Los Angeles}} and in Moab, Utah.{{Cite news |last=Fehrman |first=Craig |date=September 29, 2016 |title=There's a Reason You Recognize the Landscape of 'Westworld' |work=Outside |publisher=Mariah Media Network |location=Santa Fe |url=https://www.outsideonline.com/2118851/theres-reason-you-recognize-landscape-hbos-westworld |url-status=live |access-date=October 10, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161010220110/https://www.outsideonline.com/2118851/theres-reason-you-recognize-landscape-hbos-westworld |archive-date=October 10, 2016}}

File:A280, Castle Valley, Moab, Utah, USA, 2008.JPG, east of Moab, Utah, where John Ford had made four Westerns.]]Filming locations in California included various soundstages, backlots at both Universal Studios and Warner Bros., the Paramount Ranch in Agoura,{{Cite news |last=Pierce |first=Scott D. |date=September 28, 2016 |title=Southern Utah landscapes star in HBO's 'Westworld' |work=The Salt Lake Tribune |publisher=Utah Media Group |location=Salt Lake City |url=http://www.sltrib.com/home/4382936-155/southern-utah-landscapes-star-in-hbos |url-status=live |access-date=October 10, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161007214409/http://www.sltrib.com/home/4382936-155/southern-utah-landscapes-star-in-hbos |archive-date=October 7, 2016}} the Melody Ranch in Santa Clarita,{{Cite news |last=Zakarin |first=Jordan |date=October 6, 2016 |title=Inside the 'Westworld' Set's Luxury Dystopian Cowboy Disneyland |work=Inverse |publisher=Full Stack Media |location=San Francisco |url=https://www.inverse.com/article/21830-design-of-westworld-s-old-western-town-set-hbo-melody-ranch |url-status=live |access-date=October 10, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161009183558/https://www.inverse.com/article/21830-design-of-westworld-s-old-western-town-set-hbo-melody-ranch |archive-date=October 9, 2016}} Big Sky Ranch,{{Cite news |last=Sandberg |first=Bryn Elise |date=May 4, 2018 |title=Why 'Westworld,' 'Veep' and More Series Are Filming Outside of L.A. |work=The Hollywood Reporter |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/why-westworld-veep-more-series-are-filming-la-1107593/item/seven-filming-locations-san-francisco-county-1107573 |url-status=live |access-date=May 5, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180506173620/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/why-westworld-veep-more-series-are-filming-la-1107593/item/seven-filming-locations-san-francisco-county-1107573 |archive-date=May 6, 2018}} the Skirball Cultural Center and the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, and the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood.{{Cite news |last=Jones |first=Nate |date=October 3, 2016 |title=How Cinematographer Paul Cameron Created the Look of Westworld's Sci-Fi Western |work=Vulture |publisher=New York Media |location=New York |url=https://www.vulture.com/2016/09/cinematographer-paul-cameron-westworld-pilot.html |url-status=live |access-date=October 10, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161011085725/http://www.vulture.com/2016/09/cinematographer-paul-cameron-westworld-pilot.html |archive-date=October 11, 2016}} The Melody Ranch set used for the town of Sweetwater had been used previously for many Western films, including Django Unchained and The Magnificent Seven, as well as the HBO series Deadwood, but production designer Zack Grobler significantly upgraded the set for Westworld, in order to portray an idealized version of the American frontier. Green screens were placed around the California sets to block modern objects like parking lots, so that the California shots could be later merged digitally with exterior shots from Utah. For scenes showing the arrival of guests, the filmmakers were able to arrange with the Fillmore and Western Railway for the use of a small train originally built for the 2013 film The Lone Ranger. F&W also provided a few hundred feet of track on which to place the train. A pusher vehicle propelled the train into the Sweetwater set. The scenes in the underground laboratory levels of Westworld's operations center were filmed on a soundstage at Melody Ranch. The lab set used glass walls extensively, which meant the crew had to be vigilant to avoid walking through glass on the rather dark set, and they had to keep identifying and suppressing unwanted reflections. Hawthorne Plaza was used for filming the "cold storage" level where decommissioned hosts are kept.

For the series' large-scale exterior look, the producers drew inspiration from the work of John Ford, who shot four of his Western films in Castle Valley, east of Moab. In early 2014, Nolan visited southern Utah with key crew members and a location scout to explore the possibility of filming there, and promptly fell in love with the place. Location shooting for the pilot episode later occurred over five days in southern Utah, including Castle Valley. Most Utah locations, like Dead Horse Point State Park, were "walk-in" areas where both cast and crew were required to hike in and out with all their gear. Horseback riding scenes were filmed at a private ranch, where the filmmakers were not subject to as many restrictions as when working on public land. To seamlessly blend California sets with Utah scenery, set walls were shipped to Utah so that they could be used to film reverse angles of scenes originally filmed in California. For example, conversations on the exterior balcony of Westworld's operations center were shot on a balcony at the Skirball Center facing towards the center, then reverse angles over the shoulders of the cast members were shot at Dead Horse Point, to make it seem as if the operations center was located on top of the state park's steep cliffs. The train interior scenes were created by mounting the entire train car set on the back of a flatbed truck and driving the truck back and forth along Utah State Route 128.

The 3D printing of hosts was shot utilizing almost entirely practical effects, of which some were polished by the visual effects team.{{Cite magazine |last=Hibberd |first=James |date=October 16, 2016 |title=Westworld producers on episode 3 burning questions |url=https://www.ew.com/article/2016/10/16/westworld-interview-3-stray |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161020223606/http://www.ew.com/article/2016/10/16/westworld-interview-3-stray |archive-date=October 20, 2016 |access-date=October 21, 2016 |magazine=Entertainment Weekly}} The series used real guns, although they were usually unloaded. Filming of nudity was conducted on a closed set, and for sex scenes, an intimacy coordinator was used.{{Cite magazine |last=Hibberd |first=James |date=October 30, 2016 |title=Westworld producers on that wild orgy scene |url=https://www.ew.com/article/2016/10/30/westworld-orgy-interview |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161031052307/http://www.ew.com/article/2016/10/30/westworld-orgy-interview |archive-date=October 31, 2016 |access-date=October 31, 2016 |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |publisher=Time Inc.}}

{{wide image|Paramount_Ranch_-_Post-Woolsey_Fire.jpeg|600px|The Paramount Ranch following the Woolsey Fire and undergoing rebuilding in May 2019. The white church, central to Westworld season 1, remained standing.}}

In November 2018, some of the sets located at Paramount Ranch were destroyed by the Woolsey Fire.{{Cite web |last=Clarke |first=Patrick |date=November 11, 2018 |title=The set of 'Westworld' has been destroyed in a major fire |url=https://www.nme.com/news/tv/the-set-of-westworld-has-been-destroyed-in-a-major-fire-2400886 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181113025819/https://www.nme.com/news/tv/the-set-of-westworld-has-been-destroyed-in-a-major-fire-2400886 |archive-date=November 13, 2018 |access-date=November 12, 2018 |website=NME}} In July 2021, production on the fourth season was halted due to a positive COVID-19 case.{{Cite web |last=White |first=Peter |date=July 21, 2021 |title='Westworld': HBO To Pause Sci-Fi Drama Due To Covid |url=https://deadline.com/2021/07/westworld-hbo-pauses-production-covid-1234797702/ |website=Deadline Hollywood |accessdate=July 22, 2021 |archive-date=July 21, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210721231857/https://deadline.com/2021/07/westworld-hbo-pauses-production-covid-1234797702/ |url-status=live }} In August 2021, it was reported that production on the fourth season had resumed at the Melody Ranch Studio in Newhall, CA.{{Cite web |last=D'Alessandro |first=Anthony |date=August 3, 2021 |title='Westworld' Season 4 Returns To Production After Covid Pause |url=https://deadline.com/2021/08/westworld-season-4-returns-to-production-after-covid-pause-1234808473/ |website=Deadline Hollywood |accessdate=August 3, 2021 |archive-date=March 20, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220320103729/https://deadline.com/2021/08/westworld-season-4-returns-to-production-after-covid-pause-1234808473/ |url-status=live }} In an interview, actor Jeffrey Wright confirmed that filming for season four concluded in December 2021.{{Cite web |last=Cordero |first=Rosy |date=February 14, 2022 |title=Jeffrey Wright Shares 'Westworld' Update: "Bernard Is Still Trying To Solve It All" |url=https://deadline.com/2022/02/jeffrey-wright-westworld-update-season-4-spoilers-1234933095/ |website=Deadline Hollywood |accessdate=February 15, 2022 |archive-date=May 10, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220510162619/https://deadline.com/2022/02/jeffrey-wright-westworld-update-season-4-spoilers-1234933095/ |url-status=live }}

Costume designer Ane Crabtree approached her work by taking as inspiration the historical attire of the Wild West from the 1850s to the 1890s, as opposed to looking purely at Western films. Fabrics were custom-woven, dyed and printed for any actor with a speaking role, in order to capture the intricacies of the costumes (most of which were manufactured from scratch). Hat designs were the most challenging part of the process.{{Cite web |last=Holt |first=Bethan |date=November 9, 2016 |title=Why the Westworld costumes were so complicated to create |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/fashion/people/why-the-westworld-costumes-were-so-complicated-to-create/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161110004022/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/fashion/people/why-the-westworld-costumes-were-so-complicated-to-create/ |archive-date=November 10, 2016 |access-date=November 10, 2016 |website=The Daily Telegraph}}

The series' title sequence was created by Elastic, a production studio that created the title sequences for three other HBO series: Rome, Carnivàle, and Game of Thrones. Patrick Clair acted as creative director for the title sequence,{{Cite web |title=Westworld |url=http://elastic.tv/project/westworld/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161005110043/http://elastic.tv/project/westworld/ |archive-date=October 5, 2016 |access-date=October 3, 2016 |publisher=Elastic}}{{Cite web |date=October 3, 2016 |title=Opening Credits for HBO's 'Westworld' Released Online (Video) |url=http://culturess.com/2016/10/03/opening-credits-hbos-westworld-released-online-video/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161005144216/http://culturess.com/2016/10/03/opening-credits-hbos-westworld-released-online-video/ |archive-date=October 5, 2016 |access-date=October 3, 2016 |website=Culturess}} which took about five weeks to conceptualize.{{Cite web |last=Perkins |first=Will |date=October 12, 2016 |title=Westworld |url=http://www.artofthetitle.com/title/westworld/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161015075108/http://www.artofthetitle.com/title/westworld/ |archive-date=October 15, 2016 |access-date=October 15, 2016 |website=Art of the Title}}

Clair met with Nolan and Joy in February 2016. He was interested in their decision to approach the series' point of view from that of the hosts, creating a psychological study. The sequence translates elements present in the series via computer-aided design. For example, once Clair was sent footage by composer Ramin Djawadi of a player piano in motion, its actual counterpart, situated in the Westworld production office, was photographed and then reconstructed in computer-generated imagery. Nolan also applied the self-playing instrument as a reference to Kurt Vonnegut's first novel, Player Piano. It was meant to represent the first Rube Goldberg machine to evoke human motion. Clair saw the metaphor behind the player piano—"a primitive form of robot"—as an exploration into the disparity between man and machine "being created to be made redundant." Hosts that were bathed in white liquid struck Clair as a juxtaposition of the grit and grain of the Western genre with its basis in science fiction. Motifs of Leonardo da Vinci's Vitruvian Man came about from Clair's wish to convey Westworld{{'}}s depiction of the naked human body. The sequence also refers to Chris Cunningham's 1999 music video for the Björk song "All Is Full of Love", in a way that Clair called "a bit shameless ... because I worship Chris Cunningham and ... it seemed like the perfect place to do it because it was dealing with all the right themes and all the right aesthetics."

The sequence commences with the rib cage of a horse, along with a set of hosts manufactured by industrial robots. The skeletal horse is shown in mid-gallop to subvert the iconography of such a depiction. As for Clair's efforts in exposing the Western landscapes in connection with a world of robotics, he thought it sensible that it be done inside a single eye; craters and valleys are formed as the simulacrum of an iris.{{Cite web |last=Vineyard |first=Jennifer |date=October 5, 2016 |title=The Secrets Behind Westworld's Opening Title Sequence |url=https://www.vulture.com/2016/10/westworld-title-sequence-secrets.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161008152317/http://www.vulture.com/2016/10/westworld-title-sequence-secrets.html |archive-date=October 8, 2016 |access-date=October 15, 2016 |website=Vulture.com}}

The second season introduces a new title sequence. Several elements from the original title sequence are changed, including the images of a horse, now replaced with a bison. Other new images in the title sequence include the Man in Black's black hat, a mother cradling her child (evocative of Maeve), and a blonde woman's hair being fabricated (representing Dolores). Ramin Djawadi's score stays the same, with the images of the player piano intact.{{Cite web |last=Wigler |first=Josh |date=April 24, 2018 |title='Westworld': What the New Opening Credits Sequence Reveals About Season 2 |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/westworld-season-2-opening-credits-explained-1105074 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180427171913/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/westworld-season-2-opening-credits-explained-1105074 |archive-date=April 27, 2018 |access-date=April 27, 2018 |website=The Hollywood Reporter}}

A new title sequence is introduced in the third season, which evokes more technological themes. The bison is now replaced with an eagle, which is flying into a plane engine slowly turning into a pink sun that is causing the eagle's skin to deteriorate. The background has also changed from the black-and-white colors to a brighter, more colorful tone. It also showcases orbs that form into the appearance of a city, the two reflections of a Host converging together and opening their robotic faces, and a drone Host being created and put into a bath of red liquid (presumably blood). Like the other sequences, this one continues to keep Djawadi's score and the piano player images, with the sole exception of the background being pink.{{cite web |url=https://www.insider.com/westworld-title-sequence-designer-interview-patrick-clair-season-3-2020-8 |title=How the 'Westworld' main titles have evolved with each season to tell a new story |website=Insider |first=Kim |last=Renfro |date=August 18, 2020 |access-date=October 1, 2023}}

{{see also|Westworld: Season 1 (soundtrack)|Westworld: Season 2 (soundtrack)|Westworld: Season 3 (soundtrack)}}

File:Ramin Djawadi.jpg composed original music for the series.]]

Original music for the series was composed by Ramin Djawadi, who also worked with showrunner Nolan on Person of Interest.{{Cite news |date=December 29, 2014 |title=Ramin Djawadi to Score HBO's 'Westworld' |work=Film Music Reporter |url=http://filmmusicreporter.com/2014/12/29/ramin-djawadi-to-score-hbos-westworld/ |url-status=live |access-date=December 29, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141230111311/http://filmmusicreporter.com/2014/12/29/ramin-djawadi-to-score-hbos-westworld/ |archive-date=December 30, 2014}} The main theme blends the use of bass notes, light arpeggios and melody, all of which complement the idea of an amusement park.{{Cite web |last=Vineyard |first=Jennifer |date=October 13, 2016 |title=Why You'll Be Hearing a Lot of Radiohead on Westworld |url=https://www.vulture.com/2016/10/westworld-radiohead-music.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161017020839/http://www.vulture.com/2016/10/westworld-radiohead-music.html |archive-date=October 17, 2016 |access-date=October 15, 2016 |website=Vulture.com}} The first season soundtrack was released on December 5, 2016.{{Cite web |title=Westworld: Season 1 (Music from the HBO® Series) |url=https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/westworld-season-1-music-from/id1182133569 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220124754/https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/westworld-season-1-music-from/id1182133569 |archive-date=December 20, 2016 |access-date=December 5, 2016 |publisher=iTunes}}

The series prominently features a number of re-workings of popular songs for player piano and strings, among them Kanye West's "Runaway", Radiohead's "No Surprises",{{Cite web |last=Hutchinson |first=Sean |date=October 3, 2016 |title=Ranking All the Songs on the Dope 'Westworld' Soundtrack |url=https://www.inverse.com/article/21702-hbo-westworld-soundtrack-songs |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161018212133/https://www.inverse.com/article/21702-hbo-westworld-soundtrack-songs |archive-date=October 18, 2016 |access-date=October 15, 2016 |website=Inverse}} "Fake Plastic Trees", "Motion Picture Soundtrack" and "Exit Music (For a Film)";{{Cite web |last=Vineyard |first=Jennifer |date=November 18, 2016 |title=Why Debussy's 'Reverie' May Be a Clue on Westworld |url=https://www.vulture.com/2016/11/westworld-debussy-reverie-clue.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161125174648/http://www.vulture.com/2016/11/westworld-debussy-reverie-clue.html |archive-date=November 25, 2016 |access-date=January 20, 2017 |website=Vulture.com |publisher=New York Media, LLC}} Soundgarden's "Black Hole Sun"; The Rolling Stones' "Paint It Black";{{Cite web |last=Spangler |first=Todd |date=October 9, 2016 |title='Westworld' Showrunners Hint at Season 2, Discuss Show's Video-Game Influences |url=https://variety.com/2016/tv/news/westworld-video-game-influences-season-2-comic-con-1201883378/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161013190135/http://variety.com/2016/tv/news/westworld-video-game-influences-season-2-comic-con-1201883378/ |archive-date=October 13, 2016 |access-date=October 15, 2016 |website=Variety}} "Pine Apple Rag" and "Peacherine Rag" by Scott Joplin;{{Cite episode |title=Contrapasso |series=Westworld |network=HBO |date=October 30, 2016 |minutes=Event occurs 53}} Claude Debussy's "Reverie for piano, L.68";{{Cite web |last=Vineyard |first=Jennifer |date=October 18, 2016 |title=Why Westworld Uses a Player Piano |url=https://www.vulture.com/2016/10/westworld-player-piano-music.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161019142727/http://www.vulture.com/2016/10/westworld-player-piano-music.html |archive-date=October 19, 2016 |access-date=October 18, 2016 |website=Vulture.com}} "A Forest" by The Cure;{{Cite web |last=Vineyard |first=Jennifer |date=October 25, 2016 |title=Why You Should Listen Closely to That Cure Song on Westworld |url=https://www.vulture.com/2016/10/westworld-cure-song-has-clues-for-the-hosts.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161026190053/http://www.vulture.com/2016/10/westworld-cure-song-has-clues-for-the-hosts.html |archive-date=October 26, 2016 |access-date=October 26, 2016 |website=Vulture.com}} The Animals' version of "The House of the Rising Sun"; Amy Winehouse's "Back to Black", and Nine Inch Nails' "Something I Can Never Have".{{Cite web |last=Vineyard |first=Jennifer |date=November 23, 2016 |title=How Music Is Controlling the Hosts on Westworld |url=https://www.vulture.com/2016/11/westworld-how-music-is-controlling-the-hosts.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161126102927/http://www.vulture.com/2016/11/westworld-how-music-is-controlling-the-hosts.html |archive-date=November 26, 2016 |access-date=January 20, 2017 |website=Vulture.com |publisher=New York Media, LLC}} Licensing costs ranged from $15,000 to $55,000.{{Cite magazine |last=Lipshutz |first=Jason |date=October 28, 2016 |title=Inside Westworld's Rock Covers (And What Chris Cornell Thought of That Soundgarden Sync) |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/7557728/westworld-saloon-rock-covers-chris-cornell |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161029104106/http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/7557728/westworld-saloon-rock-covers-chris-cornell |archive-date=October 29, 2016 |access-date=October 29, 2016 |magazine=Billboard}}

Djawadi said of the series' use of modern songs: "Westworld has an anachronistic feel to it, it's a Western theme park, and yet it has robots in it, so why not have modern songs? And that's a metaphor in itself, wrapped up in the overall theme of the show",{{Cite news |last=Vineyard |first=Jennifer |date=October 5, 2016 |title=Why You'll Hear Modern Songs Playing on Westworld |work=Vulture |url=https://www.vulture.com/2016/10/westworld-modern-songs.html |url-status=live |access-date=October 5, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161006084225/http://www.vulture.com/2016/10/westworld-modern-songs.html |archive-date=October 6, 2016}} but credited Nolan with the idea.{{Cite web |last=Mumford |first=Gwilym |date=October 23, 2016 |title=Play it again, Ram: meet the man behind Westworld's old-timey rock covers |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/shortcuts/2016/oct/23/ramin-djawadi-westworld-old-timey-rock-song-piano-covers |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161024092854/https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/shortcuts/2016/oct/23/ramin-djawadi-westworld-old-timey-rock-song-piano-covers |archive-date=October 24, 2016 |access-date=October 24, 2016 |website=The Guardian}}

The series premiered its ten-episode{{Cite press release |title=Drama Series "Westworld" Debuts Oct. 2 on HBO |date=September 28, 2016 |publisher=HBO |url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/2016/09/28/drama-series-westworld-debuts-oct-2-on-hbo-840110/20160928hbo02/ |access-date=October 12, 2016 |website=hbo.com}} first season on October 2, 2016, in North America and Australia,{{Cite web |last=Prudom |first=Laura |date=July 30, 2016 |title='Westworld,' 'Divorce,' 'Insecure' Set HBO Premiere Dates |url=https://variety.com/2016/tv/news/westworld-premiere-date-divorce-insecure-hbo-1201827128/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160801004000/http://variety.com/2016/tv/news/westworld-premiere-date-divorce-insecure-hbo-1201827128/ |archive-date=August 1, 2016 |access-date=July 31, 2016 |website=Variety}}{{Cite web |last=Bernstein |first=Bobby |date=July 31, 2016 |title=Westworld Premiere Date Set for October |url=http://www.nerdmuch.com/news/34727/westworld-premiere-date-set-october/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160920212648/http://www.nerdmuch.com/news/34727/westworld-premiere-date-set-october/ |archive-date=September 20, 2016 |access-date=August 31, 2016 |website=Nerd Much?}} and on October 4, 2016, in the UK and Ireland.{{Cite web |title=Westworld |url=https://www.sky.com/watch/channel/sky-atlantic/westworld |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160903180652/https://www.sky.com/watch/channel/sky-atlantic/westworld |archive-date=September 3, 2016 |access-date=June 29, 2016 |website=Sky}} The series is broadcast on HBO in the United States, on HBO Canada in Canada, on HBO Latin America in Latin America, in Australia on Fox Showcase,{{Cite web |date=September 18, 2016 |title=Westworld: 5 reasons why this HBO show will be the next Game Of Thrones |url=https://www.foxtel.com.au/got/whats-on/foxtel-insider/showcase/westworld.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151029053805/https://www.foxtel.com.au/got/whats-on/foxtel-insider/showcase/westworld.html |archive-date=October 29, 2015 |access-date=September 21, 2016 |website=Foxtel}}{{Cite web |date=August 28, 2015 |title=Westworld: coming to showcase 2016 |url=https://www.foxtel.com.au/got/whats-on/foxtel-insider/showcase/westworld.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151029053805/https://www.foxtel.com.au/got/whats-on/foxtel-insider/showcase/westworld.html |archive-date=October 29, 2015 |access-date=October 29, 2015 |website=Foxtel}} and in the UK and Ireland on Sky Atlantic. In New Zealand, the series is distributed by Sky's streaming service Neon.{{Cite news |last=Keall |first=Chris |date=September 4, 2019 |title=Streaming wars: Sky slashes Neon pricing – how it stacks up |work=New Zealand Herald |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12264606 |access-date=January 19, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200526121055/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12264606 |archive-date=May 26, 2020}}

The second episode was released on HBO in the U.S. on October 7—two days ahead of the episode's announced broadcast date—to avoid competing with the second U.S. presidential debate of 2016.{{Cite web |last=Schwartz |first=Ryan |date=October 7, 2016 |title=Westworld Episode 2 Released Early in Advance of Presidential Debate |url=http://tvline.com/2016/10/07/westworld-episode-2-available-early-online-hbo/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161008144703/http://tvline.com/2016/10/07/westworld-episode-2-available-early-online-hbo/ |archive-date=October 8, 2016 |access-date=October 7, 2016 |website=TVLine}}{{Cite web |last=Tassi |first=Paul |date=October 7, 2016 |title=You Can Watch HBO's New 'Westworld' Right Now Thanks To The Trump/Clinton Debate |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2016/10/07/you-can-watch-hbos-new-westworld-right-now-thanks-to-the-trumpclinton-debate/#2dd18c98173d |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161008171637/http://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2016/10/07/you-can-watch-hbos-new-westworld-right-now-thanks-to-the-trumpclinton-debate/#2dd18c98173d |archive-date=October 8, 2016 |access-date=October 8, 2016 |website=Forbes}}

Prior to the airing of Westworld, HBO held virtual reality exhibits at events like San Diego Comic-Con and Techcrunch Disrupt devoted to Westworld: A Delos Destination. Attendees were allowed to navigate the process by which guests would enter Westworld, and interact with the 3D environment.{{Cite web |last=Takahashi |first=Dean |date=September 14, 2016 |title=Westworld VR promises to make your Wild West fantasies come true |url=https://venturebeat.com/2016/09/14/westworld-vr-promises-to-make-your-wild-west-fantasies-come-true/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161014221918/http://venturebeat.com/2016/09/14/westworld-vr-promises-to-make-your-wild-west-fantasies-come-true/ |archive-date=October 14, 2016 |access-date=October 15, 2016 |website=VentureBeat}}{{Cite web |last=Miller |first=Liz Shannon |date=September 13, 2016 |title='Westworld' Website Easter Eggs Warn Visitors About 'Accidental Death,' Reveal Employee Secrets |url=https://www.indiewire.com/2016/09/hbo-westworld-websites-transmedia-passwords-secret-easter-eggs-1201726355/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161018203812/http://www.indiewire.com/2016/09/hbo-westworld-websites-transmedia-passwords-secret-easter-eggs-1201726355/ |archive-date=October 18, 2016 |access-date=October 15, 2016 |website=IndieWire}} Made to run on the HTC Vive virtual reality headset, the piece was conceived by showrunners Nolan and Joy. It was designed using Unreal Engine 4, combining computer-generated content and live action 360-degree video. Users received a binary code, permitting access to the website DiscoverWestworld.com as part of a viral marketing campaign. Visitors were shown a trailer of a fictional travel site, leading them to order a trip to Westworld. A chatbot featured on the website, named Aeden, is available as a Google Assistant action on the smart speaker Google Home.{{Cite web |last=Johnson |first=Khari |date=January 19, 2017 |title=Westworld is full of sex and violence, but the show's Google Home bot won't talk about it |url=https://venturebeat.com/2017/01/19/westworld-is-full-of-sex-and-violence-but-the-shows-google-home-bot-wont-talk-about-it/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170120035151/http://venturebeat.com/2017/01/19/westworld-is-full-of-sex-and-violence-but-the-shows-google-home-bot-wont-talk-about-it/ |archive-date=January 20, 2017 |access-date=January 20, 2017 |website=VentureBeat}}

In March 2018, to promote Westworld{{'}}s second season, HBO constructed a real-life replica of the show's fictional Western "town" of Sweetwater during South by Southwest, built on two acres of open land just outside Austin, Texas. Fans took shuttles to the site, which was dressed in the Old West style, with over 60 actors playing the parts of the android "hosts".{{Cite web |last=Monllos |first=Kristina |date=March 9, 2018 |title=Inside HBO and Giant Spoon's Massive Immersive Westworld Activation at SXSW |url=http://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/inside-hbo-and-giant-spoons-massive-immersive-westworld-activation-at-sxsw/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181208160310/https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/inside-hbo-and-giant-spoons-massive-immersive-westworld-activation-at-sxsw/ |archive-date=December 8, 2018 |access-date=September 29, 2018 |website=Ad Week}}{{Cite web |last=Carson |first=Erin |date=March 9, 2018 |title='Westworld's gritty western fantasy comes to life at SXSW |url=https://www.cnet.com/news/hbo-brings-westworld-to-sxsw/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180624175134/https://www.cnet.com/news/hbo-brings-westworld-to-sxsw/ |archive-date=June 24, 2018 |access-date=September 29, 2018 |website=CNET}}

At the Consumer Electronics Show in January 2020, prior to the third season, HBO held a special event hosted by "Incite", the fictional company to be introduced in the third season, with "hosts" attending the invited guests' needs.{{Cite web |last=Ramos |first=Dino-Ray |date=January 9, 2020 |title=HBO's 'Westworld' CES Incite Activation Has Creepy Fun With Data Sharing |url=https://deadline.com/2020/01/hbo-westworld-incite-warnermedia-hbo-max-ces-consumer-electronics-show-1202825934/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200110014753/https://deadline.com/2020/01/hbo-westworld-incite-warnermedia-hbo-max-ces-consumer-electronics-show-1202825934/ |archive-date=January 10, 2020 |access-date=January 9, 2020 |website=Deadline Hollywood}}

The first season of Westworld (subtitled The Maze) was released on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray on November 7, 2017. It is the first scripted TV series to be released on 4K Blu-ray in the United States.{{Cite web |last=Longo |first=Chris |date=July 5, 2017 |title=Westworld to Be the First TV Series Released in 4K Ultra HD |url=https://www.denofgeek.com/us/tv/westworld/241392/westworld-to-be-the-first-tv-series-released-in-4k-ultra-hd |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180528052902/http://www.denofgeek.com/us/tv/westworld/241392/westworld-to-be-the-first-tv-series-released-in-4k-ultra-hd |archive-date=May 28, 2018 |access-date=May 27, 2018 |website=Den of Geek}} The second season was released on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Blu-ray on December 4, 2018.{{Cite web |date=July 16, 2018 |title=Westworld: Season Two 4K Blu-ray |url=http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=23645 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180717143824/http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=23645 |archive-date=July 17, 2018 |access-date=July 17, 2018 |website=Blu-ray.com}} The third season was released on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Blu-ray on November 17, 2020.{{Cite web |url=https://www.dreadcentral.com/news/332943/westworld-season-3-blu-ray-release-date-special-features-revealed/ |title=WESTWORLD Season 3 Blu-ray Release Date & Special Features Revealed |website=Dread Central |first=Mike |last=Sprague |date=July 9, 2020 |access-date=September 29, 2022 |archive-date=September 29, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220929212343/https://www.dreadcentral.com/news/332943/westworld-season-3-blu-ray-release-date-special-features-revealed/ |url-status=live }} The fourth season was released on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Blu-ray on November 29, 2022.{{Cite web |url=https://collider.com/westworld-season-4-blu-ray-release-date-evan-rachel-wood/ |title='Westworld' Season 4 Sets November Release for 4K UHD Blu-ray |website=Collider |first=Rachel |last=Leishman |date=September 28, 2022 |access-date=September 29, 2022 |archive-date=September 28, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220928212714/https://collider.com/westworld-season-4-blu-ray-release-date-evan-rachel-wood/ |url-status=live }}

{{Television critical response

| link1 = Westworld (season 1)#Critical response

| rotten_tomatoes1 = 87% (384 reviews)

| metacritic1 = 74 (43 reviews)

| link2 = Westworld (season 2)#Critical response

| rotten_tomatoes2 = 85% (472 reviews)

| metacritic2 = 76 (29 reviews)

| link3 = Westworld (season 3)#Critical response

| rotten_tomatoes3 = 73% (223 reviews)

| metacritic3 = 64 (23 reviews)

| link4 = Westworld (season 4)#Critical response

| rotten_tomatoes4 = 74% (58 reviews)

| metacritic4 = 64 (18 reviews)

}}

The first season was acclaimed, with particular praise for its visuals, story, world-building, themes, and acting.{{Cite web |last=McNamara |first=Mary |date=October 1, 2016 |title=Review HBO's multilayered update of 'Westworld' is TV's next big game-changer |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/la-et-st-westworld-review-20160926-snap-story.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161109004145/http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/la-et-st-westworld-review-20160926-snap-story.html |archive-date=November 9, 2016 |access-date=November 9, 2016 |website=Los Angeles Times}}{{Cite web |last=Wiegand |first=David |date=September 29, 2016 |title='Westworld' is a gripping sci-fi brain-teaser |url=http://www.sfgate.com/tv/article/Westworld-is-a-gripping-sci-fi-brain-teaser-9444192.php |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161109005902/http://www.sfgate.com/tv/article/Westworld-is-a-gripping-sci-fi-brain-teaser-9444192.php |archive-date=November 9, 2016 |access-date=November 9, 2016 |website=San Francisco Chronicle}}{{Cite web |last=Halperin |first=Moze |date=October 5, 2016 |title='Westworld' Is, Very Sneakily, an Actors' Series |url=http://flavorwire.com/590879/westworld-is-very-sneakily-an-actors-series |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161109221215/http://flavorwire.com/590879/westworld-is-very-sneakily-an-actors-series |archive-date=November 9, 2016 |access-date=November 9, 2016 |website=Flavorwire}} On review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the first season has an approval rating of 87% based on 384 reviews, with an average rating of 8.15/10. The site's consensus reads "With an impressive level of quality that honors its source material, the brilliantly addictive Westworld balances intelligent, enthralling drama against outright insanity."{{Cite web |title=Westworld: Season 1 (2016) |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/westworld/s01/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190515233808/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/westworld/s01 |archive-date=May 15, 2019 |access-date=March 11, 2020 |website=Rotten Tomatoes}} On Metacritic, the first season has a score of 74 out of 100, based on reviews from 43 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".{{Cite web |title=Westworld: Season 1 |url=https://www.metacritic.com/tv/westworld/season-1 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160928094701/http://www.metacritic.com/tv/westworld |archive-date=September 28, 2016 |access-date=September 29, 2016 |website=Metacritic |publisher=CBS Interactive}}

The editors of TV Guide placed Westworld fifth among the top ten picks for the most anticipated new shows of the 2016–17 season. In writer Tim Surette's overall review, he notes the perfect concept of blending the Western premise into a futuristic setting, saying, "Well, Westworld has both, ensuring that it will be an exciting mashup of genres that will disrupt a television landscape that typically says we can only have one or the other." He also added, "The look of the show and its fine cast swing open the saloon doors, but the real treat will be the intelligent discussion of whether or not robots will eventually kill us all. Thankfully, creator Jonathan Nolan already showed us he's the go-to guy for A.I. with Person of Interest."{{Cite web |last=Surette |first=Tim |date=September 16, 2016 |title=Our 10 Most Anticipated New TV Shows of Fall 2016 |url=https://www.tvguide.com/news/most-anticipated-new-tv-shows-fall-2016-editors-picks/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161008191803/http://www.tvguide.com/news/most-anticipated-new-tv-shows-fall-2016-editors-picks/ |archive-date=October 8, 2016 |access-date=October 2, 2016 |website=TV Guide}} Mary McNamara of Los Angeles Times wrote in a laudatory review, "It isn't just great television, it's vivid, thought-provoking television that entertains even as it examines the darker side of entertainment."{{Cite news |last=McNamara |first=Mary |date=October 1, 2016 |title=HBO's multilayered update of 'Westworld' is TV's next big game-changer |language=en-US |work=Los Angeles Times |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/la-et-st-westworld-review-20160926-snap-story.html |url-status=live |access-date=December 26, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161109004145/http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/la-et-st-westworld-review-20160926-snap-story.html |archive-date=November 9, 2016 |issn=0458-3035}} For the San Francisco Chronicle, David Wiegand wrote, "Westworld isn't easy to understand at first, but you will be hooked nonetheless by unusually intelligent storytelling, powerful visuals and exceptionally nuanced performances." Time{{'}}s chief critic Daniel D'Addario wrote, "Its carefully chosen details add up to a pulp spectacular that's more thoughtful than any other of this fall's new dramas."{{Cite magazine |last=D'Addario |first=Daniel |date=September 29, 2017 |title=Why HBO's Westworld Is Fall's Most Promising Drama |url=https://time.com/4512789/hbo-westworld-review/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171214003627/http://time.com/4512789/hbo-westworld-review/ |archive-date=December 14, 2017 |access-date=December 26, 2017 |magazine=Time}}

Jeff Jensen of Entertainment Weekly also lauded the series and said, "The depth of Westworld lies not in asking questions about memory, free will, and what makes us human, but in whether we can become more human than what we let ourselves to be, whether our stories can be richer and more meaningful than what the culture allows."{{Cite magazine |last=Jensen |first=Jeff |date=September 30, 2016 |title='Westworld': EW Review |language=en |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |url=https://www.ew.com/article/2016/09/30/westworld-review/ |url-status=live |access-date=December 26, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171225070425/http://www.ew.com/article/2016/09/30/westworld-review/ |archive-date=December 25, 2017}} Matthew Gilbert of The Boston Globe quipped, "Westworld has fewer heroes than Game of Thrones, which makes it a bit harder to warm up to, but like a good, thought-provoking puzzle, it is compelling and addictive."{{Cite news |last=Gilbert |first=Matthew |date=September 29, 2016 |title='Westworld': The most immersive video game ever |work=The Boston Globe |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/television/2016/09/28/westworld-the-most-immersive-video-game-ever/JUgwHZ3cAGgtR3jdWjZrQK/story.html |url-status=live |access-date=December 26, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171227061818/https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/television/2016/09/28/westworld-the-most-immersive-video-game-ever/JUgwHZ3cAGgtR3jdWjZrQK/story.html |archive-date=December 27, 2017}} In a brief review from The Hollywood Reporter, Tim Goodman said, "Where Westworld is at its best is in the deeper issues that will unspool slowly, like a good mystery. Early episodes are adept at getting at the base attractions of the park and why people would come, but also in setting up a sense of confusion about motives. ... The series benefits from a number of standout performances."{{Cite news |last=Goodman |first=Tim |date=September 28, 2016 |title='Westworld': TV Review |language=en |work=The Hollywood Reporter |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/westworld-review-932919 |url-status=live |access-date=December 26, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171227122011/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/westworld-review-932919 |archive-date=December 27, 2017}} Robert Bianco of USA Today wrote, "The reward, beyond the visual splendors you've come to expect from big-budget HBO productions, is a set of characters who grow ever more complex."{{Cite news |last=Bianco |first=Robert |date=September 29, 2016 |title=Review: Complex characters make 'Westworld' a wonder |language=en |work=USA Today |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/tv/2016/09/29/review-westworld-hbo-robert-bianco/91212572/ |url-status=live |access-date=December 26, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171227123312/https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/tv/2016/09/29/review-westworld-hbo-robert-bianco/91212572/ |archive-date=December 27, 2017}} Several other publications wrote positive reviews, including Indiewire,{{Cite news |last=Travers |first=Ben |date=September 29, 2016 |title='Westworld' Review: Western Philosophy Tops the Wild West in Deep-Thinking HBO Drama |language=en-US |work=IndieWire |url=https://www.indiewire.com/2016/09/westworld-review-season-1-hbo-anthony-hopkins-ed-harris-1201731817/ |url-status=live |access-date=December 26, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171227122135/http://www.indiewire.com/2016/09/westworld-review-season-1-hbo-anthony-hopkins-ed-harris-1201731817/ |archive-date=December 27, 2017}} The A.V. Club,{{Cite news |last=Adams |first=Erik |date=September 28, 2016 |title=HBO gives Westworld's robot cowboys a prestige upgrade |language=en-US |work=The A.V. Club |url=https://www.avclub.com/hbo-gives-westworld-s-robot-cowboys-a-prestige-upgrade-1798189131 |url-status=live |access-date=December 26, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171227121834/https://tv.avclub.com/hbo-gives-westworld-s-robot-cowboys-a-prestige-upgrade-1798189131 |archive-date=December 27, 2017}} RogerEbert.com,{{Cite web |last=Tallerico |first=Brian |date=September 30, 2016 |title=HBO's "Westworld" Will Be Your Next TV Obsession |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/demanders/hbos-westworld-will-be-your-next-tv-obsession |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171227122056/https://www.rogerebert.com/demanders/hbos-westworld-will-be-your-next-tv-obsession |archive-date=December 27, 2017 |access-date=December 26, 2017 |website=RogerEbert.com}} The New Yorker,{{Cite magazine |last=Nussbaum |first=Emily |date=October 17, 2016 |title=The Meta-Politics of "Westworld" |magazine=The New Yorker |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/10/24/the-meta-politics-of-westworld |url-status=live |access-date=December 26, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171227122056/https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/10/24/the-meta-politics-of-westworld |archive-date=December 27, 2017 |issn=0028-792X}} and The Atlantic.{{Cite news |last=Sims |first=David |date=October 2, 2016 |title='Westworld' Is a Grand Saga of Gunslingers and Robots |language=en-US |work=The Atlantic |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2016/10/westworld-is-a-fascinating-self-aware-puzzle/502529/ |url-status=live |access-date=December 26, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171227121829/https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2016/10/westworld-is-a-fascinating-self-aware-puzzle/502529/ |archive-date=December 27, 2017}}

In a mixed review for The New York Times, chief critic James Poniewozik said, "It's an ambitious, if not entirely coherent, sci-fi shoot-'em-up that questions nihilistic entertainment impulses while indulging them."{{Cite news |last=Poniewozik |first=James |date=September 30, 2016 |title=Review: 'Westworld' Is a Provocative but Flawed Sci-Fi Shoot-'Em-Up |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/01/arts/television/review-westworld-is-a-provocative-but-flawed-sci-fi-shoot-em-up.html |url-status=live |access-date=December 26, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171227121906/https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/01/arts/television/review-westworld-is-a-provocative-but-flawed-sci-fi-shoot-em-up.html |archive-date=December 27, 2017 |issn=0362-4331}} Hank Stuever of The Washington Post also joins Poniewozik saying, "I'm ... hesitant to write Westworld off as a dreary trot from start to finish; parts of it are as imaginative and intriguing as anything that's been on TV recently, particularly in the sci-fi realm," and further said, "It's definitely not the cyborg Deadwood, that some HBO fans were actively wishing for, nor does it roll out the welcome mat as a riveting, accessible adventure."{{Cite news |last=Stuever |first=Hank |date=September 29, 2016 |title=Hold on, cowpokes: HBO's 'Westworld' is a big, fat homework assignment |language=en-US |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/tv/hbo-needs-a-hit-but-westworld-feels-more-like-homework/2016/09/29/4e62b8aa-8411-11e6-92c2-14b64f3d453f_story.html |url-status=live |access-date=December 26, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171227061900/https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/tv/hbo-needs-a-hit-but-westworld-feels-more-like-homework/2016/09/29/4e62b8aa-8411-11e6-92c2-14b64f3d453f_story.html |archive-date=December 27, 2017 |issn=0190-8286}} Chief journalist Rob Owen of Pittsburgh Post-Gazette critiqued the series less favorably saying, "It is the definition of a slow-burn series, a program that should be exciting rendered as kind of dull."{{Cite news |last=Owen |first=Rob |date=September 30, 2017 |title=Tuned In: Slow burn 'Westworld' moseys onto HBO |language=en |work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |url=http://www.post-gazette.com/ae/tv-radio/2016/09/30/Tuned-In-Slow-burn-Westworld-moseys-onto-HBO/stories/201609300148 |url-status=live |access-date=December 26, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171227061858/http://www.post-gazette.com/ae/tv-radio/2016/09/30/Tuned-In-Slow-burn-Westworld-moseys-onto-HBO/stories/201609300148 |archive-date=December 27, 2017}} In a less enthusiastic review for Variety, Maureen Ryan said, "Westworld looks terrific; its directors have shot its Western locations to stunning effect. But its warmly saturated outdoor scenes and its surface slickness aren't enough to mask the indecision, condescension, and hollowness at its core."{{Cite news |last=Ryan |first=Maureen |date=September 27, 2016 |title=TV Review: 'Westworld' |language=en-US |work=Variety |url=https://variety.com/2016/tv/reviews/westworld-review-hbo-evan-rachel-wood-1201867496/ |url-status=live |access-date=December 26, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171227122224/http://variety.com/2016/tv/reviews/westworld-review-hbo-evan-rachel-wood-1201867496/ |archive-date=December 27, 2017}}

Novelist Kim Wilkins critiqued the season for its misogynist portrayals. In her essay "These Violent Delights: Navigating Westworld as 'Quality' Television", she wrote:

{{Blockquote

|text=As the Man in Black explains, "when you're suffering, that's when you're most real" ("Chestnut"). But, in Westworld to be "real", that is, human, is to be violent, misogynist, and vengeful. [...] Following HBO's habitual use of female trauma and suffering to elucidate the complexities of the male psyche (True Detective [2014–], Game of Thrones [2011–]), Dolores's suffering is treated as a plot device. Her rape at his hands in "The Original" is primarily designed to promote narrative intrigue as to his identity. The violence of rape becomes just another piece in the puzzle. Throughout Westworld, violence is presented as spectacle; is audiovisually indulged and repeated.{{Cite book |last=Wilkins |first=Kim |title=Reading Westworld |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan |year=2019 |isbn=978-3-030-14514-9 |editor-last=Goody |editor-first=Alex |pages=23–42 |chapter=These Violent Delights: Navigating Westworld as 'Quality' Television |editor-last2=Mackay |editor-first2=Antonia}}

}}

The second season also received positive reviews from critics, with praise for the performances, visuals, its soundtrack, and themes. However, the plot and narrative was criticized for being confusing and inconsistent. On Rotten Tomatoes, the season has an approval rating of 85% based on 472 reviews, with an average rating of 7.95/10. The site's consensus reads "Westworld builds on its experimental first season, diving deeper into the human side of AI without losing any of its stylish, bloody glory."{{Cite web |title=Westworld: Season 2 (2018) |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/westworld/s02/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190515233812/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/westworld/s02 |archive-date=May 15, 2019 |access-date=April 6, 2019 |website=Rotten Tomatoes}} On Metacritic, the season has a score of 76 out of 100, based on reviews from 29 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".{{Cite web |title=Westworld: Season 2 |url=https://www.metacritic.com/tv/westworld/season-2 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180421002751/http://www.metacritic.com/tv/westworld/season-2 |archive-date=April 21, 2018 |access-date=April 20, 2018 |website=Metacritic}}

In April 2018, after the second-season premiere, Variety published an article concerning the series' complicated narrative. Andrew Wallenstein wrote, "Westworld seems to have too much faith viewers will be willing to absorb storylines that can border on the incomprehensible." He also commented about the possible future success of the series, stating, "There will be a very vocal core fan base willing to do the homework of piecing together the show's many mysteries, but that's not broad enough a base to be the kind of flagship series HBO wants."{{Cite web |last=Wallenstein |first=Andrew |date=April 24, 2018 |title='Westworld': What's Wrong With HBO's Sci-Fi Series |url=https://variety.com/2018/tv/opinion/westworld-whats-wrong-with-hbos-sci-fi-series-1202783922/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180429093354/http://variety.com/2018/tv/opinion/westworld-whats-wrong-with-hbos-sci-fi-series-1202783922/ |archive-date=April 29, 2018 |access-date=April 29, 2018 |website=Variety}} At the press tour of the Television Critics Association, when the president of HBO programming Casey Bloys was asked about the complexity of the series and the negative response it had generated, he admitted that Westworld is not for "casual viewers".{{Cite web |last=D'Alessandro |first=Anthony |date=July 25, 2018 |title=HBO Boss Responds To 'Westworld' Backlash: 'It's Not For Casual Viewers' – TCA |url=https://deadline.com/2018/07/westworld-criticism-hbo-casey-bloys-reponds-tca-1202433267/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190121064603/https://deadline.com/2018/07/westworld-criticism-hbo-casey-bloys-reponds-tca-1202433267/ |archive-date=January 21, 2019 |access-date=January 20, 2019 |website=Deadline Hollywood}}

The third season received a positive reception from critics, though reviews became more mixed during the second half. While the visuals, acting, score, and setting expansion were praised, the script, dialogue, pacing, and narrative received polarizing responses; the plot was considered to be barely possible to understand, with many believing Westworld had departed too far from the main plot. On Rotten Tomatoes, the season has an approval rating of 73% based on 223 reviews, with an average rating of 7.05/10. The site's critics consensus reads: "Westworld succeeds in rebooting itself by broadening its scope beyond the titular amusement park while tightening its storytelling clarity – although some may feel that the soul has been stripped from this machine in the process."{{Cite web |title=Westworld: Season 3 (2020) |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/westworld/s03/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200617104350/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/westworld/s03 |archive-date=June 17, 2020 |access-date=June 23, 2020 |website=Rotten Tomatoes}} On Metacritic, the season has a weighted average score of 64 out of 100, based on reviews from 23 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".{{Cite web |title=Westworld: Season 3 |url=https://www.metacritic.com/tv/westworld/season-3 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200314084908/https://www.metacritic.com/tv/westworld/season-3 |archive-date=March 14, 2020 |access-date=March 17, 2020 |website=Metacritic}}

CNN{{'}}s Brian Lowry wrote that "the show has become increasingly incomprehensible, at least for anyone not willing to put in the work trying to remember all the assorted connections, further complicated by the fact that dying in Westworld is often not a permanent state of affairs, amid the questions about who's truly human and who actually isn't."{{Cite web |last=Lowry |first=Brian |date=May 4, 2020 |title='Westworld' will be back, but where it goes after that finale is anyone's guess |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/04/entertainment/westworld-season-finale-trnd/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200505023806/https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/04/entertainment/westworld-season-finale-trnd/index.html |archive-date=May 5, 2020 |access-date=May 4, 2020 |website=CNN}} Writing for Entertainment Weekly, Kristen Baldwin gave the series a "B−" and said: "After spending three seasons struggling through maddeningly complicated time-loops, it's time the writers let Dolores, Maeve, and Bernard control-alt-delete themselves", while Darren Franich wrote that series had "lost its way" and gave the season a "C".{{Cite magazine |last1=Baldwin |first1=Kristen |last2=Franich |first2=Darren |date=March 6, 2020 |title=Westworld season 3 leaves the park and loses its way: Review |url=https://ew.com/tv/tv-reviews/westworld-season-3-review-hbo/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200501033820/https://ew.com/tv/tv-reviews/westworld-season-3-review-hbo/ |archive-date=May 1, 2020 |access-date=May 4, 2020 |magazine=Entertainment Weekly}} Reviewing the season finale for IndieWire, Ben Travers said: "Season 3 made a point of stripping away the rest of Westworld{{'}}s building blocks: The park? Left behind. The maze? Gone. But the moral questions meant to keep you invested in the characters largely disappear, too. Season 3 doesn't bother developing its characters because it refuses to let them question the nature of their own reality."{{Cite web |last=Travers |first=Ben |date=May 4, 2020 |title='Westworld' Finale Review: Episode 8 Makes It Hard to See the Beauty in All This Disarray — Spoilers |url=https://www.indiewire.com/2020/05/westworld-season-3-episode-8-review-finale-crisis-theory-spoilers-1202229034/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200506064438/https://www.indiewire.com/2020/05/westworld-season-3-episode-8-review-finale-crisis-theory-spoilers-1202229034/ |archive-date=May 6, 2020 |access-date=May 5, 2020 |website=IndieWire}}

The fourth season received mixed reviews, with praise for the performances, soundtrack, and visuals, but criticism for the script and its incomprehensible plot. A few critics, however, found it a slight improvement to the third season. On Rotten Tomatoes, the season has an approval rating of 74% based on 58 reviews, with an average rating of 5.9/10. The website's critical consensus reads: "Westworld{{'}}s continued reliance on mystery will frustrate just as much as it intrigues, but this fourth season still offers plenty of gleaming and menacing insight into a brave new world."{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/westworld/s04/ |title=Westworld: Season 4 (2022) |website=Rotten Tomatoes |access-date=June 25, 2022 |archive-date=December 15, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221215222543/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/westworld/s04 |url-status=live }} Metacritic assigned a score of 64 out of 100 based on 18 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".{{cite web |url=http://www.metacritic.com/tv/westworld/season-4 |title=Westworld: Season 4 |website=Metacritic |access-date=June 25, 2022 |archive-date=December 10, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221210195006/https://www.metacritic.com/tv/westworld/season-4 |url-status=live }}

The series premiere had viewership numbers slightly less than those for True Detective, but much better than Vinyl, meaning that it was seen as "...off to a relatively promising start."{{Cite web |last=O'Connell |first=Michael |date=October 4, 2016 |title=How 'Westworld' Ratings Rank Among Recent HBO Drama Premieres |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/how-westworld-ratings-rank-hbo-934986 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161008082113/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/how-westworld-ratings-rank-hbo-934986 |archive-date=October 8, 2016 |access-date=October 11, 2016 |website=The Hollywood Reporter online}}{{Cite web |last=Kennedy |first=Michael |date=October 3, 2016 |title=Westworld Draws Highest Premiere Ratings on HBO Since True Detective |url=https://screenrant.com/westworld-premiere-ratings-hbo-true-detective/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161011224648/http://screenrant.com/westworld-premiere-ratings-hbo-true-detective/ |archive-date=October 11, 2016 |access-date=October 11, 2016 |website=Screen Rant}} The U.S. series premiere attracted 1.96 million viewers, with 0.8 million in the advertiser-coveted 18-to-49-year-old demographic.{{Cite web |last=Porter |first=Rick |date=October 3, 2016 |title='Westworld' opens pretty well for HBO |url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2016/10/03/westworld-opens-pretty-well-for-hbo/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161004153825/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2016/10/03/westworld-opens-pretty-well-for-hbo/ |archive-date=October 4, 2016 |access-date=October 4, 2016 |website=TV by the Numbers}} The premiere episode received 3.3 million viewers for its three Sunday night airings as well as on HBO's streaming platforms.{{Cite web |last=Holloway |first=Daniel |date=October 3, 2016 |title=TV Ratings: 'Westworld' Premiere Matches 'True Detective' Season 1 |url=https://variety.com/2016/tv/news/tv-ratings-westworld-premiere-matches-true-detective-season-1-1201876517/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161007165104/http://variety.com/2016/tv/news/tv-ratings-westworld-premiere-matches-true-detective-season-1-1201876517/ |archive-date=October 7, 2016 |access-date=October 8, 2016 |website=Variety}} The season one finale received 2.2 million viewers for its initial broadcast, and increased to 3.5 million including replays and on-demand viewing. The first season had an average cumulative viewership of 12 million viewers, making it the most-watched first season of an HBO series, and TorrentFreak gauged Westworld as the third-most-torrented television show of 2016.{{Cite web |last=Van der Sar |first=Ernesto |date=December 26, 2016 |title='Game of Thrones' Most Torrented TV-Show of 2016 |url=https://torrentfreak.com/game-of-thrones-most-torrented-tv-show-of-2016-161226/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161226175113/https://torrentfreak.com/game-of-thrones-most-torrented-tv-show-of-2016-161226/ |archive-date=December 26, 2016 |access-date=December 30, 2016 |website=TorrentFreak |publisher=TF Publishing}}

{{Television ratings graph

| title = Westworld

| country = U.S.

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| average = y

| bar_width = 16

| refs = For the first season, see {{Cite web |date=December 6, 2018 |title=Westworld: Season One Ratings |url=https://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/westworld-season-one-ratings/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200821235448/https://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/westworld-season-one-ratings/ |archive-date=August 21, 2020 |access-date=June 12, 2018 |website=TV Series Finale}}

• For the second season, see {{cite web |url=https://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/westworld-season-two-ratings/ |title=Westworld: Season Two Ratings |work=TV Series Finale |date=June 12, 2018 |access-date=June 12, 2018 |archive-date=August 21, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200821235449/https://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/westworld-season-two-ratings/ |url-status=live}}
• For the third season, see {{cite web |url=https://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/westworld-season-three-ratings/ |title=Westworld: Season Three Ratings |work=TV Series Finale |date=March 17, 2020 |access-date=March 17, 2020 |archive-date=August 21, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200821235555/https://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/westworld-season-three-ratings/ |url-status=live}}
• For the fourth season, see {{cite web |url=https://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/westworld-season-four-ratings/ |title=Westworld: Season Four Ratings |work=TV Series Finale |date=June 28, 2022 |access-date=June 28, 2022 |archive-date=August 21, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200821235555/https://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/westworld-season-three-ratings/ |url-status=live}}

|-

| 1.96

| 1.50

| 2.10

| 1.70

| 1.49

| 1.64

| 1.75

| 1.78

| 2.09

| 2.24

| 1.82

|-

| 2.06

| 1.85

| 1.63

| 1.59

| 1.55

| 1.11

| 1.39

| 1.44

| 1.56

| 1.56

| 1.57

|-

| 0.90

| 0.78

| 0.80

| 0.78

| 0.77

| 0.77

| 0.81

| 0.89

| 0.81

|-

| 0.33

| 0.35

| 0.31

| 0.31

| 0.38

| 0.39

| 0.32

| 0.39

| 0.35

}}

{{Main|List of awards and nominations received by Westworld}}

{{notelist}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Wikiquote}}

• {{Official website}}
• {{Rotten Tomatoes}}
• {{IMDb title}}

{{Westworld}}

{{Michael Crichton}}

{{Jonathan Nolan}}

{{Saturn Award for Best Science Fiction Television Series}}

{{HBONetwork Shows|state=collapsed}}

Category:2010s American drama television series

Category:2010s American science fiction television series

Category:2010s Western (genre) television series

Category:2016 American television series debuts

Category:2020s American drama television series

Category:2020s American science fiction television series

Category:2020s Western (genre) television series

Category:2022 American television series endings

Category:Androids in television

Category:Dystopian television series

Category:American English-language television shows

Category:Existentialist television series

Category:Television series about memory erasure and alteration

Category:Hard science fiction

Category:HBO television dramas

Category:Live action television shows based on films

Category:Nonlinear narrative television series

Category:Nudity in television

Category:Philosophical fiction

Category:Philosophy television series

Category:Fiction about post-traumatic stress disorder

Category:Primetime Emmy Award–winning television series

Category:Saturn Award–winning television series

Category:Science fiction Westerns

Category:Serial drama television series

Category:Television series about artificial intelligence

Category:Television series about robots

Category:Television series by Bad Robot Productions

Category:Television series by Warner Bros. Television Studios

Category:Television series created by Jonathan Nolan

Category:Television series set in the 2050s

Category:Television series by Home Box Office

Category:Television shows based on works by Michael Crichton

Category:Television shows filmed in Los Angeles

Category:Television shows filmed in Utah

Category:Transhumanism in television series

Category:Westworld

Category:Works by Lisa Joy

Category:Works by Jonathan Nolan