Westworld season 2 filming has been temporarily suspended. This may raise a red flag for viewers, as the show’s first season was significantly delayed.

The pilot was greenlit in 2013 with a series order the following year, putting it on track for a 2015 debut. But by the beginning of 2016, it was still in the midst of production, and executive producers Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy announced they’d be taking a two-month hiatus to catch up on the final four scripts. Eventually, it premiered in October 2016, and for many, it was worth the wait. Westworld broke ratings records for HBO throughout its first season, amassing critical acclaim and a rabid fan base along the way.


When it came to crafting season 2, Nolan and Joy made clear they’d be taking their time, just not as much time as the first go-round. It’s too ambitious a project to be writing, shooting, and cutting all at once, so they decided to break from the usual one-year format for television. Currently, Westworld is slated to return in 2018.


But those setbacks were due to the creative process behind scenes, and this time, that isn’t the case. As reported by EW, Westworld has been suspended due to a recurring actor’s unspecified “medical emergency.” Currently, the identity of the performer is unknown. HBO provided the outlet the following statement in regard to the incident:

“Due to a medical emergency involving a performer in a recurring role on season 2 of Westworld, filming on one of the two units has been temporarily suspended. The cast member was not on set when this occurred, and out of respect for the performer’s privacy, we have no additional details to share, other than that everyone at Westworld sincerely hopes for a quick recovery.”


Initially, this might resurface fear about on-set safety, as both Deadpool 2 and The Walking Dead lost cast members (in their case, stunt people) to accidents earlier this year. But given that HBO explicitly states the actor was not on set at the time, that doesn’t seem to apply here.


Of course, the main concern is for the performer’s health, but depending on downtime, this could mean extended delays, reshoots, or, in the worst case scenario, recasting, that could significantly affect Westworld‘s premiere date. Hopefully, it won’t come to that and the actor will make a full and speedy recovery.