Westworld (HBO/Sky Atlantic) [** Spoilers **]

Richard Dower

http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2013/08/30/westworld-adaptation-from-j-j-abrams-coming-to-hbo/200187/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Tvbythenumbers+%28TVbytheNumbers%29


In one of the biggest commitments ever for HBO, the pay cable network has nabbed Westwood, a drama series inspired by Michael Crichton’s 1973 sci-fi movie. The project, from J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot, Person Of Interest creator Jonathan Nolan, producer Jerry Weintraub and Warner Bros. TV, has received a pilot production commitment. Written by Nolan and Lisa Joy (Burn Notice), Westworld is described as a dark odyssey about the dawn of artificial consciousness and the future of sin. Nolan is set to direct the pilot, which he and Joy will executive produce with Abrams, Weintraub and Bryan Burk. Kathy Lingg is co-executive producing, while Athena Wickam serves as a producer. Warner Bros. TV is producing with Bad Robot, Jerry Weintraub Prods. and Kilter Films.

http://www.http//m.deadline.com/2013/08/westworld-hbo-series-jj-abrams-pilot/

DubTony

Richard Dower wrote: »

http://www.deadline.com/2013/08/westworld-hbo-series-jj-abrams-pilot//

Fixed Your Link

pixelburp

Writers from Burn Notice eh? I'm watching the last season at the moment, and arguably it's one of the strongest, most tightly written shows on TV at the moment. It's not high brow, so will get ignored by most, but its quality has me keen to see what its writers come up with next. There's never enough sci-fi for my liking anyway, and it's heartening to see HBO take on a little speculative fiction (I'm guessing the success of GoT has potentially influenced this decision).

Honestly though? They picked a good jumping off point because film Westworld has a reputation that far outstrips the quality of the film itself so they're not working under an overly-large shadow. It's a near-dreadful film, horrendously baggy (it was directed by author Michael Crichton) and is really only famous for Yul Brynner riffing on his cowboy roles....

Skerries

Arnie was interested in doing a remake at one stage

pixelburp

pixelburp wrote: »

Writers from Burn Notice eh? I'm watching the last season at the moment, and arguably it's one of the strongest, most tightly written shows on TV at the moment. It's not high brow, so will get ignored by most, but its quality has me keen to see what its writers come up with next.

I'd go so far as to say that Burn Notice is the best show on atm. The quality of the writing has been superb and episode 7 is the best episode of TV this year and puts Homeland, Dexter, etc to shame.

don ramo

another interesting show from HBO, but i must say it take AAAAGGGGGGGEEEEESSSSSS for the shows to air, probably wont see this till late next year or early 2015:(

nice to see their investing more of fantasy/sci-fi stuff, im just waiting for the space based show from them,

Richard Dower

waiting for incursion on starz........

don ramo

Richard Dower wrote: »

waiting for incursion on starz........

if they ever get the damn thing off the ground, last i heard they were polishing off the scripts for season 1, no casting annoucment just 3-4 guys writing and stuff, that was about a month ago, i have faith that Starz and DeKnight will do a good job, but imagine a HBO show

The Black Oil

How is this going to work? It's odd to think about Abrams dealing with HBO's usual levels of swearing, violence and sex.

Richard Dower

don ramo wrote: »

if they ever get the damn thing off the ground, last i heard they were polishing off the scripts for season 1, no casting annoucment just 3-4 guys writing and stuff, that was about a month ago, i have faith that Starz and DeKnight will do a good job, but imagine a HBO show

i posted updates on the show in the upcoming shows sticky recently....female lead ala ripley. halo meets band of brothers. scripts for season 1 are done, its hugely expensive so there is alot of pre production work going on.

meoklmrk91

I'll definitely give this a watch it sounds interesting, but if this was on any other network I would be giving it a miss, I am not an Abrams fan, haven't liked anything he has done really, I'll give anything HBO does the time of day though.

don ramo

meoklmrk91 wrote: »

I'll definitely give this a watch it sounds interesting, but if this was on any other network I would be giving it a miss, I am not an Abrams fan, haven't liked anything he has done really, I'll give anything HBO does the time of day though.

well his attention is fully on star wars, its just his company is probably making it, he will obviously give some advice towards it, but id say it might be johnathan nolan that will have the greater influence here, nolan has done a great job with person of interest since abrams gave him the show, just like carlton cuse and damon lindeloff did also with lost, abrams is just the flash to get interested, but in all honesty all most people will need to hear is HBO,

JP Liz V1

Lisa Joy is aka Mrs. Jonathan Nolan

Thrill

Anthony Hopkins & Evan Rachel Wood To Star In HBO Pilot ‘Westworld’

James Marsden also in talks about a lead role.

In his first TV series role, Hopkins will play Dr. Robert Ford, the brilliant, taciturn and complicated creative director, chief programmer and chairman of the board of Westworld who has an uncompromising creative vision for the park — and unorthodox methods of achieving it.

Wood plays the provincial, beautiful and kind Dolores Abernathy, the quintessential farm girl of the frontier West — who is about to discover that her entire idyllic existence is an elaborately constructed lie.

http://www.deadline.com/2014/07/anthony-hopkins-evan-rachel-wood-to-star-in-westworld-pilot-from-j-j-abrams-jonathan-nolan-hbo/

JP Liz V1

http://tvline.com/2014/08/08/james-marsden-westworld-cast-hbo/


James Marsden, Jeffrey Wright, Rodrigo Santoro and Shannon Woodward join

JP Liz V1

Ed Harris in to play the villain

Agent Coulson

JP Liz V1 wrote: »

Ed Harris in to play the villain

Always great to Ed in anything.

The cast they are puting together for this show is making this look like a very exciting prospect. Lets just hope they can match the cast with a script.

Agent Coulson

Thandie Newton added to the cast.

http://variety.com/2014/tv/news/thandie-newton-westworld-hbo-1201282260/

Unearthly

Without getting ahead of myself, I think this could be the greatest tv show ever created.

In all seriousness it looks very promising. Hopefully we get news on when it's airing soon.

Agent Coulson

I have to say I am really really excited about this!

Already considered a slam-dunk for a series order, HBO’s‘s star-studded drama pilot Westworld was showcased in a major way during Time Warner’s Investors Day, given thumbs-up by top executives who made it seem a series pickup is indeed a foregone conclusion.

http://deadline.com/2014/10/westworld-series-order-hbo-852005/

Agent Coulson

First images released.

Jonathan Nolan

"What we can tell you is that we intend to make the most ambitious, subversive, f–ked-up television series... The things that keep you up at night, any of those things that trouble you—that is exactly what the show is about."

Agent Coulson

HBO’s Westworld Delayed to 2016.

http://hbowatch.com/hbos-westworld-delayed-to-2016/

JP Liz V1

Eion Bailey, Jimmi Simpson and Clifton Collins Jr join while Miranda Otto exits http://tvline.com/2015/07/13/westworld-season-1-cast-eion-bailey-hbo/

Agent Coulson

As it hasn't leaked it looks like fans did as they were asked and didn't film the trailer on there phones at comic con.

At the very end of the Person of Interest Comic-Con panel this past weekend, series creator and Dark Knight scribe Jonathan Nolan previewed 60 seconds of his new HBO series, Westworld - based on the 1973 Michael Crichton sci-fi classic - for the crowd on hand.

Nolan politely asked that everyone put their phones away and that no one film the footage being shown since it was intended just for those who took the time to attend the Q&A panel. And as far as we can tell, people abided. So we'll just briefly describe the screened footage for you.

http://ie.ign.com/articles/2015/07/14/comic-con-westworld-footage-description-and-new-photos

Agent Coulson

Teaser is out.

smilerf

As far as I'm aware everything he's done since Lost has been cancelled after a few seasons. I was a big Revolution fan though so I might give this a look

Agent Coulson

smilerf wrote: »

As far as I'm aware everything he's done since Lost has been cancelled after a few seasons. I was a big Revolution fan though so I might give this a look

Person of Interest is a huge hit for both JJ and Jonathan Nolan who are the main guys behind this.

TheDoc

Agent Coulson wrote: »

Person of Interest is a huge hit for both JJ and Jonathan Nolan who are the main guys behind this.

I dropped Person of interest about half way into season 1 I think. Not sure why, think other things took my interest.

Must get back to it.

Really looking forward to this. Is it going to be totally Western focused, or any sort of look into the Roman and MEdival worlds the film depicted?

pixelburp

TheDoc wrote: »

I dropped Person of interest about half way into season 1 I think. Not sure why, think other things took my interest.

Like a lot of these types of shows, Person of Interest needed time to shake off its 'Case of the Week' formula so its truer form could take over. It's now arguably the strongest Sci-Fi show on TV at the moment, maybe even of the last few years, but it definitely didn't give that impression for the first half of season 1. The dialogue's still pretty ropey, but the charisma and chemistry between the main cast is second to none.

As for Westworld, I'm getting quite excited by what I'm seeing, and the new trailer looks like it might have some decent weight behind it. Definitely keeping this fella on my radar.

Adamocovic

Just watched the film this show is based on and I really liked it. The general idea or premise they will be using is very good and I can't wait to see it done with a big budget, some actors I love and of course JJ and Nolan!

I have a feeling this will be one of my favorite shows on tv.

Agent Coulson

I just want to see a CGI'ed Yul Brynner cowboy even if he is just in a glass box as a model in some show room.

Skerries

Arnie was supposed to do a remake of this years ago and was going to be the Yul Brynner character, I think he has some practice in quiet, malevolent robots down

Harry Palmr

This is going to be crap - Westworld was a nifty 90 minute diversion which didn't hang about or try to be any better/bigger than it was. Attempting to turn such genre pulp material into a long running tv series full of its own budgetary importance will result in excess portentousness and needless "back story" and "story arc" bulimia.

I'll reckon this will last 6 episodes before the plug is pulled.

Adamocovic

Harry Palmr wrote: »

This is going to be crap - Westworld was a nifty 90 minute diversion which didn't hang about or try to be any better/bigger than it was. Attempting to turn such genre pulp material into a long running tv series full of its own budgetary importance will result in excess portentousness and needless "back story" and "story arc" bulimia.

I'll reckon this will last 6 episodes before the plug is pulled.

That's a very pessimistic view.

With the staff involved and actors too this could be awesome. I personally quite like back stories and story arcs. The general concept is a good one and it could become very successful.

You haven't even seen a minute of the show yet and you seem adamant it will fail. With the budget, staff, actors and network it is more than likely going to succeed. Can't say for definite but all the initial ingredients for the show point towards that.

pixelburp

Harry Palmr wrote: »

This is going to be crap - Westworld was a nifty 90 minute diversion which didn't hang about or try to be any better/bigger than it was. Attempting to turn such genre pulp material into a long running tv series full of its own budgetary importance will result in excess portentousness and needless "back story" and "story arc" bulimia.

I'll reckon this will last 6 episodes before the plug is pulled.

You got all that from one teaser trailer? Seems like there's not enough info about this show to make bold predictions about its actual format.

Westworld is a z-movie for sure, but one with a great concept underpinning it, think about it: it's set in a world where any number of your sexual, adventure, roleplay fantasies can come true, without consequence, thanks to a set of apparently unfeeling AIs. There's loads of storytelling potential right there, for both the human patrons and the AIs, who will no doubt be more than just a bunch of sexbots.

Agent Coulson

I wonder will this lead to more delays.


Westworld Extras Must Agree to Genital-to-Genital Touching

Background players on HBO’s Westworld have had to sign consent forms agreeing to participate in “graphic sexual situations,” including “genital-to-genital touching” and posing “on all fours while others who are fully nude ride on your back.” SAG-AFTRA said it will have a representative on the set today to monitor the situation when the sex
scene is being shot


The consent agreement was given to an unknown number of extras by Central Casting, which is casting the show’s background players. It states: “This document serves to inform you that this project will require you to be fully nude and/or witness others fully nude and
participate in graphic sexual situations. By accepting this Project assignment, you may be required to do any of the following: appear fully nude; wear a pubic hair patch; perform genital-to-genital touching; have your genitals painted; simulate oral sex with hand-to-genital touching; contort to form a table-like shape while being fully nude; pose on all fours while others who are fully nude ride on your back; ride on someone’s back while you are both fully nude; and other assorted acts the Project may require. The Project will also include language and sexual situations that some may consider personally objectionable or uncomfortable.”

SAG-AFTRA is telling its member that the agreement may be unenforceable if it conflicts with the terms of the union’s Television Agreement, which provides that consent to appear in scenes requiring nudity or sex acts may be withdrawn at any time; that the set must be closed to anyone not having business with the production, and that no still photography may be authorized without the consent of the background actor.

The union said that it will a representative on the set Wednesday “to answer any questions.”

http://deadline.com/2015/09/westworld-extras-must-agree-to-genital-to-genital-touching-1201560056/

weemcd

Agent Coulson wrote: »

I wonder will this lead to more delays.


Westworld Extras Must Agree to Genital-to-Genital Touching



http://deadline.com/2015/09/westworld-extras-must-agree-to-genital-to-genital-touching-1201560056/

Sounds saucy.

In all seriousness this is the most I've been excited about a series since the original True Detective. The teaser is only a minute but looks incredible.

Psychedelic

Uggh, are HBO capable of making a show that doesn't include pointless nudity & sex scenes? Highbrow shows spoiled by cheap smut.

Skerries

production has stalled for a while

http://variety.com/2016/tv/news/westworld-production-shut-down-1201681678/

DMcL1971

New Westworld teaser trailer.

Agent Coulson

Just coming on to post that its due to air in October.

pixelburp

Ha, was just about to post that; good to finally see it on the way, considering the thread was started back in 2013! One of those shows that seemed to get lost in production limbo.

Still looks like it might be good though, do we know how many episodes will be in the season?

Frank O. Pinion

pixelburp wrote: »

do we know how many episodes will be in the season?

10.

Duggy747

Westworld is an absolute favourite film of mine, the first film I ever saw on satelitte TV (The TNT channel :pac:)

Very interested to see what they do with this and if it lives up to the long wait.

Harry Palmr

Harry Palmr wrote: »

This is going to be crap - Westworld was a nifty 90 minute diversion which didn't hang about or try to be any better/bigger than it was. Attempting to turn such genre pulp material into a long running tv series full of its own budgetary importance will result in excess portentousness and needless "back story" and "story arc" bulimia.

I'll reckon this will last 6 episodes before the plug is pulled.

DMcL1971 wrote: »

New Westworld teaser trailer.

Like I said....:p Load of doomy pretentious ballcocks

Whats Abrams involvement in this ??

Haven't checked on news of this show for a while so new to me he is involved, and makes me a little less excited for this to be honest :mad:

DubTony

Abrams is the 21st century's Aaron Spelling or Leonard Goldberg. If it's on TV, he's involved at some level. Usually as an Executive Producer. It's really just about the money.

DubTony

DubTony wrote: »

Abrams is the 21st century's Aaron Spelling or Leonard Goldberg. If it's on TV, he's involved at some level. Usually as an Executive Producer. It's really just about the money.

Ha ha ha well put.

don ramo

johnathan nolan is the show-runner/creator for this, so hes gonna be the man for this show, abrams is just attached, i dunno why they push his name so much, i cant stand him, he has little of no input into the show and he put me off more than anything, i wanna know whos making the show, not whos getting paid most for it,

nolan is a very creative person and was the show-runner for person of interest for 5 years, and that was a great show, which is finishing up tonight, which is why this has taken so long to make, id say he was busy finishing POI, and i think POI only finished cause he wanted to make this,

the fact that nolan is making this is probably the number one reason im gonna watch it, HBO have been very hit and miss with all these big name actors and whatnot, so the fact nolan is making this and HBO were fighting him on certain elements of the show i think it a great thing, and i really look forward to it,

DMcL1971

Release date of Sunday 02/10/2016 announced for Westworld.

http://variety.com/2016/tv/news/westworld-premiere-date-divorce-insecure-hbo-1201827128/

Mr E

Hopkins best role in years, I'd say...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuS5huqOND4