Claim: Evan Rachel Wood has worked with a director.

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 , concluded on December 4 , 2016 , and consists of ten episodes . In November 2016 , HBO renewed the show for a 10-episode second season , planned for a 2018 debut .   The story takes place in the fictional Westworld , a technologically advanced Wild West -- themed amusement park populated by android hosts . Westworld caters to high-paying guests , who may indulge in 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 and Westworld ranks as the most-watched first season of an HBO original series ever . Westworld has received positive reviews by critics , with particular praise for the visuals , story , and acting .