10 Mind-Blowing Facts About Westworld

The popular HBO series, featuring a robot farm girl awakening to consciousness in a futuristic, artificial Old West, has returned for its second season. So grab your magnifying glass, brush up on Lewis Carroll and Shakespeare, and prepare for your mind to get twisted.

In the first season, Dolores (Evan Rachel Wood) and her robotic companions struggle to break free from their roles as playthings for a society that brutalizes them daily, only to be repaired and reset each night to entertain paying guests. The Maze. The Man in Black. Secrets hidden in cold storage and saloons. Wood referred to the first season as a prequel, so now the show is truly ready to hit the dusty trail.

Before you hop on the train and return to the park, here are 10 jaw-dropping facts about the brain-bending, sci-fi sensation. (Warning: spoilers for season one!)

1. THIS ISN’T THE FIRST TV REMAKE OF THE FILM.

Although the 1973 film Westworld, written and directed by Michael Crichton, was a hit, its 1976 follow-up Futureworld was a flop. Nonetheless, the name and premise had enough appeal for CBS to pursue a television version in 1980. Beyond Westworld starred Jim McMullan as Delos security chief John Moore, who faced off against the evil scientist Simon Quaid (James Wainwright), determined to use the park’s robots to, of course, take over the world. Think of it like if the HBO series had focused mostly on Luke Hemsworth’s Ashley Stubbs—a spinoff we might actually need.

2. THE ORIGINAL GUNSLINGER MAKES A CAMEO.

The HBO series pays tribute to the original film in several ways, including replicating parts of the iconic score to build its signature sense of dread. It also gives a nod to Yul Brynner’s unyielding gunslinger from the first movie by storing him with the other aging models in the basement.

3. QUENTIN TARANTINO, ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, AND OTHERS WERE ONCE IN THE RUNNING TO REBOOT IT.

Speaking of Brynner’s cold, relentless killing machine: His portrayal of the robotic gunslinger helped inspire Arnold Schwarzenegger’s iconic role as the Terminator. Nearly 20 years later, in 2002, Schwarzenegger signed on to produce and star in a reboot of the sci-fi classic from which he drew his early acting influence. However, Schwarzenegger couldn’t step into Brynner’s shoes because he was busy serving as Governor of California, and the reboot ultimately stalled in development hell.

Warner Bros. tried to recruit Quentin Tarantino, but he declined. They also secured director Tarsem Singh (whose Old West version would’ve been beautifully vibrant, no doubt), but that deal fell apart too. A few years later, J.J. Abrams—who had discussed a reboot with Crichton back in 1996—pitched the idea of turning it into a TV series to eventual co-creators Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy. HBO jumped on board, and the violent delights finally reached our screens.

4. A VISIT TO THE PARK WILL COST YOU $40,000 A DAY. (AND THAT’S FOR THE BASIC PACKAGE.)

In season one, Logan (Ben Barnes) reveals he’s spending $40,000 daily to experience Westworld. This mirrors the 1973 film, where visitors shelled out $1000 a day—around $38,000 when adjusted for inflation. Though, considering we're in 2052, that may still be expensive, but not absurd by 2018 standards. A sharp-eyed Redditor noticed that $40,000 is actually the bare minimum; according to the park’s official site, the Gold Package will cost you a whopping $200,000 per day.

5. BEN BARNES BROKE HIS FOOT AND KEPT IT A SECRET.

Once Upon a Time star Eion Bailey was initially cast as Logan but had to drop out due to a scheduling issue, leading to Ben Barnes taking over… only to break his foot. The actor kept the injury hidden, fearing it might cost him the role, which is why he incorporated a limp into his character. Barnes explained, “I’m kind of hobbling along with this cowboy-ish limp, which I then tried to keep up for the next year to pretend it was a character choice. But really, I had a very purple foot… So walking was the hardest part of shooting for me.”

6. THE CO-CREATORS TROLL THE SPOILER-OBSESSED FANS WITH A RICKROLL.

Eagle-eyed fans (especially on Reddit) managed to uncover nearly every major spoiler from season one early, which prompted Nolan and Joy to promise a spoiler video for anyone wanting to know all about season two before its premiere. They delivered, but instead of spilling secrets, the 25-minute video featured a classy performance of Rick Astley’s internet-infamous “Never Gonna Give You Up,” sung by Evan Rachel Wood, with Angela Sarafyan on piano, followed by 20 minutes of a dog. A perfect, trolling response to fans eagerly hunting for answers.

7. IT INCLUDES A CLASSICAL GREEK EASTER EGG.

Amid the alternative rock tunes played on the player piano and subtle nods to iconic westerns, Westworld also includes a reference to 5th century BCE Greece. The park, managed by Delos Incorporated, ensures that guests can never die. Interestingly, Delos is also the name of a Greek island where it was once forbidden for anyone to die (or be born) for religious reasons. But that's not the only Greek twist: Hector Escaton (Rodrigo Santoro), Sweetwater's main villain, gets his last name from the Greek term eschaton, meaning the ultimate event in the divine plan of the universe—perfect for a potentially sentient robot poised to bring about humanity's destruction.

8. JIMMI SIMPSON DISCOVERED HIS CHARACTER'S BIG TWIST BECAUSE OF HIS EYEBROWS.

In season one, the show kept many secrets from the cast until the very last moment. Jimmi Simpson, who plays the innocent newcomer William, started suspecting something was off about his character because of a small but noticeable change in his appearance.

“I was with an incredible makeup artist, Christian, and he was studying my face way too much,” Simpson told Vanity Fair. “He had me in the chair, just staring at my face, and then he mentioned something about my eyebrows. ‘Would you mind if we plucked a few hairs out, made them less arched?’” Suspecting they were trying to make him resemble The Man in Black, Simpson shared his thoughts with Joy, who confirmed his guess. “She looked a little shocked that I’d figured it out,” he recalled.

9. THE PLAYER PIANO COULD BE A nod TO KURT VONNEGUT.

One of the show’s signature features is its reimagined alternative rock tracks, including songs from Radiohead, The Cure, and Soundgarden, all played in an old Western style on the player piano. Besides adding an eerie sonic backdrop to the sinister vacation spot, these tunes might also reference Kurt Vonnegut’s first novel, Player Piano, which depicts a dystopian society where automation has taken over human labor, leading to a deep class divide. The show’s familiar themes are evident, but Westworld also presents a world outside the park where unemployment is nonexistent, and humans are left with little sense of purpose. Much like The Man in Black (Ed Harris), the protagonist of Player Piano yearns for meaningful stakes in life’s struggles.

10. THERE ARE TWO JESSE JAMES REFERENCES.

Dr. Robert Ford, portrayed by Anthony Hopkins, is a character created specifically for the series, and his name is a nod to the man who famously assassinated the notorious outlaw Jesse James (a fact you might recall from the film The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford). The first season’s finale cleverly twists this allusion when Ford is shot in the back of the head, mirroring the exact way the real-life Robert Ford killed James.