Talulah Riley to Play Bigger Role in 'Westworld' Season 2

Eager for the second season of Westworld to begin? You probably should relax a little, because the next season of the hit HBO series won't be ready until sometime next year. This week, however, we got some news that can at least give you something to look forward to.

Deadline reported this week that Talulah Riley, the actress who played a host named Angela in the series' first season, will be promoted to a series regular cast member for the second season. Although Riley appeared in the majority of episodes in the first season, her role was relatively small, and she didn't have regular status.

Riley's promotion hints at some intriguing possibilities for an expanded storyline. Angela had functioned as both a greeter who prepared guests for their adventures in the park and, in the series' future timeline, an in-world host who seemed to have some knowledge of the upheaval that was going to take place at the season's climax. With Angela playing a bigger role, she could become a host that determines the fate of many guests in-world.

There's no definite premiere date for Westworld's season two, but creators Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy have said they want to take their time with the new episodes. In order to do that, they've pushed the premiere date to sometime in 2018.