Westworld is an American science fiction western thriller television series created by Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy for HBO. It is based on the 1973 film of the same name, which was written and directed by American novelist Michael Crichton, and to a lesser extent on the 1976 sequel Futureworld. It is the second TV series based on the two films, the first being the short-lived 1980 series Beyond Westworld. Nolan and Joy serve as executive producers along with J. J. Abrams, Jerry Weintraub and Bryan Burk, with Nolan directing the pilot. The first season premiered on October 2, 2016, and consists of ten episodes. In November 2016, HBO renewed the show for a 10-episode second season.
The program takes place in fictional Westworld, a technologically advanced, Western-themed amusement park populated completely by synthetic androids dubbed "hosts". Westworld caters to high-paying visitors dubbed "newcomers" (or just "guests"), who can do whatever they wish within the park, without fear of retaliation from the hosts.
The series' debut on HBO garnered the network's highest viewership ratings for a premiere since the first episode of True Detective in 2014. Westworld has received positive reviews by critics, with particular praise for the visuals, story, and acting.