'Westworld' season 2 release date, news and updates: renewal confirmed; second season coming in 2018

"Westworld" is shaping up to be another smash hit for HBO. The first season isn't even over, but the series has already been renewed for a second season. The catch is that the second season may very well debut in 2018.

According to an official statement released by HBO, President of HBO Programming Casey Bloys said, "I am thrilled to announce the pickup of our three fall series, all of which have distinctive, original voices. Critics and viewers alike have welcomed 'Westworld' and 'Insecure,' as well as the return of Sarah Jessica Parker to the network after 12 years with 'Divorce.'"

In an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, Bloys also talked about the future of "Westworld" specifically, and he said that the next season of the show will most likely land by fall 2017 or maybe even 2018. This is because "Westworld" is such a "big endeavor" and it looks to be a very ambitious series. Though he said that the show may arrive in 2018, he is still open to the possibility that it could arrive earlier. He added, "We're a year away so let's see how it goes."

On its first season, "Westworld" has already managed to gain 11.7 million viewers per episode. That's more than "Game of Thrones" and "True Detective" had when their series first rolled out on the network. Only time will tell how popular the show will get over the years. Though "True Detective" was highly praised for its first season, it still saw a significant drop in ratings for season 2.

As of now, fans are waiting for the eighth episode in the series. The new promo video for the episode seems to show Maeve (Thandie Newton) getting more and more manipulative with the "butchers" in the lower level of the park.

'Westworld's" eighth episode is titled "Trace Decay" and it airs on Sunday, Nov. 20 at 9 p.m. EST.