Westworld has saved us from the harsh and desolate winter that comes every time a Game of Thrones season ends. It’s been doing better in the ratings than that show’s first season (it’s averaging 11.7 million viewers) and has generated massive amounts of fan discussion and social media buzz, two things that have become a must for high-concept television nowadays. So you might have been surprised to learn that the show hadn’t been renewed for a second season—that is, until today.
As EW reports, HBO announced today that Westworld, along with Issa Rae’s fantastic Insecure and Sarah Jessica Parker’s Divorce, would be renewed for second seasons, each consisting of 10 episodes.
While Westworld creators Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy have laid out their plan for season two to HBO execs, apparently the scripts haven’t been written yet. That, combined with how long it takes to shoot a show of this scale, means we likely won’t be seeing more Westworld until 2018. While it’s disappointing that we won’t be seeing the show for a while after its Dec. 20 season finale, a large lead time means that the show’s quality is far less likely to drop between seasons.
HBO’s programming president Casey Bloys also revealed to EW that a Game of Thrones prequel is “still kind of [in] preliminary, ongoing talks.” Read that interview in its entirety here.
The next episodes of Westworld, Insecure and Divorce air on Nov. 20.