'Westworld' filming begins in northern Catalonia

The medieval town of Besalú, in Catalonia's northern Girona province, hosted the first day of filming for the third season of HBO's hit TV series, 'Westworld', on Wednesday.

HBO confirmed the presence of actors in the series, such as Simon Quarterman, Rodrigo Santoro and Thandie Newton, for the filming that will go on until Friday.

The filming in Besalú, which is known for its picturesque medieval old quarter, will mostly take place around the Llibertat and Prat de Sant Pere squares and Pont street.

Historic center closed off

On Wednesday, the town's historic center was closed off to the public, while staff were stationed all around to inform people of the restricted access while filming takes place.

In fact, this led to some complaints from locals and tourists, who were unaware that the filming was going on and that movement around the town would be restricted.

Yet, the local authority said that the intention to film in the town had been widely reported and assured those affected that they would be compensated for any inconvenience.

100 locals as extras

However, among those looking forward to the filming are some 100 local people (with Nordic features) who were chosen as extras in casting sessions held in Girona two weeks ago.

The Wild-West-themed science fiction series based on the 1973 film of the same name first aired on HBO in 2016, with its success leading to a second season shown in 2018.

Ranked as the the most-watched first season of any HBO original series, the third season of 'Westworld' now being filmed in Besalú is scheduled to be screened some time in 2020.