After huge ratings success and a lot of controversy, HBO has given the green light to a second season of Westworld.
The sci-fi series is based around a western theme park where people pay huge money to live out their cowboy fantasies with robotic 'hosts' slowly becoming aware of the world they live in.
![James Marsden and Evan Rachel Wood star as Teddy and Dolores in Westworld.](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/resizer/v2/3UXWRK3BXERYP46BVXU2MYIKPU.jpg?auth=a21919d59d04622cfbc693a94be36cc43ccd88f6cc015d983a4825bbe851a85f&width=16&height=11&quality=70&smart=true)
The series stars Evan Rachel Wood, Anthony Hopkins and Thandie Newton, and has quickly become a hit with critics and fans alike. The first episode was the channel's biggest debut since True Detective in 2014.
The show has not been without controversy. A casting call last year raised eyebrows when it asked for extras to engage in explicit acts on camera. Those scenes eventually aired in a lengthy orgy sequence in the fifth episode, which was slammed by critics as "boring".