Support NeoGAF

[RatskyWatsky]

My name is Westworld. For 3 years I was stranded in development hell with only one goal: survive. Now I will fulfill Michael Lombardo's dying wish - to use the list of names he left me and save my channel. But the old approach wasn't enough. I had to become someone else. I had to become something else. I had to become...a show featuring genital-to-genital touching.

Inspired by the 1973 motion picture “Westworld,” written and directed by Michael Crichton, this one-hour drama series is a dark odyssey about the dawn of artificial consciousness and the evolution of sin. Set at the intersection of the near future and the reimagined past, it explores a world in which every human appetite, no matter how noble or depraved, can be indulged.

The 10-episode first season will premiere on Sunday, October 2nd at 9/8c on HBO in the US and Tuesday, October 4th at 9pm on Sky Atlantic in the UK.

Cast

• Anthony Hopkins as Dr. Robert Ford
• Ed Harris as The Man in Black
• Evan Rachel Wood as Dolores Abernathy
• James Marsden as Teddy Flood
• Thandie Newton as Maeve Millay
• Jeffrey Wright as Bernard Lowe
• Tessa Thompson as Charlotte Hale
• Sidse Babett Knudsen as Theresa Cullen
• Jimmi Simpson as William
• Rodrigo Santoro as Hector Escaton
• Shannon Woodward as Elsie Hughes
• Ingrid Bolsø Berdal as Armistice
• Ben Barnes as Logan
• Simon Quarterman as Lee Sizemore
• Angela Sarafyan as Clementine Pennyfeather
• Luke Hemsworth as Stubbs
• Clifton Collins Jr. as Lawrence

Videos and Links

Westworld Trailer - NSFW
Westworld Teaser Trailer
Chaos Teaser
Dreams Trailer
An Entire World Trailer
Classic Western Meets Science Fiction Film | Invitation to the Set

Atlantic - Sympathy for the Robot
Entertainment Weekly - Westworld has already figured out the next 5 seasons
Popular Mechanics - Why "Westworld" Matters
Deadline - ‘Westworld’ Extras Must Agree To Genital-to-Genital Touching
Wired - The Couple Behind HBO’s Westworld Want to Know What Is Wrong With Us All
Wall Street Journal - The 1973 Precursor to HBO’s ‘Westworld’

Reviews

The series — with a solid logical foundation and world-building — is lovingly crafted, marrying its Wild West aesthetic with cold sci-fi elements of the labs that run the park in a way that feels believably connected … The series even broaches philosophical musings, à la Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, as to whether it would be better to live a safe life where our pain is erased, or a life of free will with all of its mistakes and hurt. The choice is not always clear. Like Game of Thrones, Westworld is a sprawling story, but it’s never as disparate as the world of Westeros and what lies beyond the Narrow Sea. What matters here is the notion that everything is contained, intimate, and carefully crafted, and fans of Crichton will immediately feel the familiarity with his most famous stories’ themes: where what we overly-confident Homo sapiens create and try and control quickly spirals out beyond our abilities. We are not gods, only tinkerers, and the characters of Westworld are starting to learn that trying to control what we don’t understand can lead to catastrophic effects.

What would happen if or when the day came that humankind created an intelligence so powerful that it turned against us? It’s a scenario that’s been visualized a thousand ways… But the scenario has rarely been developed with the sophistication and ingenuity on display in HBO’s upcoming series Westworld …. The series doesn’t merely present androids as protagonists or victims. It grants them the defining victory of the outsider: the right at last to tell—haltingly, given their emergent capacities—their stories for themselves.

After a lot of build-up and some much-discussed production delays, would it deliver? The answer is a big yes, as those high expectations were met with a terrific, gripping premiere episode that quickly draws you in… its standout cast to its excellent visuals to one hell of a hummable score by the great Ramin Djawadi, this is top-notch television in every respect. The juxtaposition of life inside Westworld and life for those who are creating Westworld allows for an excellent entry point into the show, allowing us to invest with these artificial life forms from the start, while getting to also see the motivations of those behind-the-scenes.

We’re thrust into a complex, visionary world that is pleasingly in no rush to rapidly churn out its storyline. Like the on-screen robots, its pieces are meticulously put together, its capacity to unleash hell brimming beneath the surface. And it’s beautiful to watch. Utah’s tourist industry best be ready for the swell in numbers this series is likely to create, for its dry, epic spectacle of a backdrop has been rendered to almost as jaw dropping effect as seeing it in real life.

For all its brutal violence and sex the series is a gorgeous exercise in profound melancholy. What horrors has humankind wreaked with a mass devotion to perfection, personal satisfaction and entertainment? At times terrifying bleak and cynical, Westworld is lugubrious. It can have characters announcing, “Hell is empty and all the devils are here,” and set out to illustrate that.

Smart and emotional, gorgeously shot and (mostly) beautifully acted, this A.I. drama computes.

 

[wanderingprostheyltite]

Very excited for this, esp after seeing those reviews. Might be series of the year for me.

 

[N7 MRP Weasel]

Can't wait!

 

[Burt]

It's gonna be good. It's gonna be so good.

Spoiler

Then it's gonna drop off super hard for seasons 4-5 and come back strong in season 6

 

[SCULLIBUNDO]

Am I blind or is the OP missing an air date?

Anyway, very excited.

Edit: It's in the banner. Damn mobile.

 

[RatskyWatsky]

Am I blind or is the OP missing an air date?

Anyway, very excited.

Edit: It's in the banner. Damn mobile.

I added it to the text just for you <3

 

[mariachi507]

I'm so incredibly excited for this.

 

[TheOddOne]

It's happening.

 

[Hellraider]

With how Person of interest turned out I can't even describe how hyped I am for anything that has Nolan's name in it. Every single frame that we have seen looking absolutely amazing also helps. Is it October yet?

 

[dc89]

It's gonna be good.
I think it airs Tues 4th October on Sky Atlantic for U.K.-GAF

 

[BeeDog]

Super-hyped for this, especially after seeing those reviews. I just hope the show isn't too front-loaded quality-wise, and that it contains its quality throughout.

 

[RastaMentality]

In.

 

[-Plasma Reus-]

I reckon the first episode will probably be a retelling of the movie.
I hope there is more than that in the episode.

 

[Funky Papa]

Subbed with haste.

Good job, Ratsky.

 

[Joni]

I hope they take it slow, like first episode ends on the twist of the robots going crazy.

 

[Sevenfold]

In.
Subbed.
Excited.

 

[DieH@rd]

I have high hopes for this.

 

[Transhuman]

I reckon the first episode will probably be a retelling of the movie.
I hope there is more than that in the episode.

The show is not going to be that fast.

 

[WhiteRabbitEXE]

I literally just got HBO for the first time ever earlier today, for free from Cox for who the fuck knows what reason. Never even had someone to borrow a password from or anything. Such perfect timing, been so stoked for this since the day it was announced. Big Jonah Nolan fan, big Crichton fan, loved the hell out of POI, so another Jonah/Bad Robot production, this time based on a Crichton movie (a movie that shares DNA with my favorite Crichton novel and all-time favorite movie), tackling one of my favorite subject matters had me instantly.

 

[nabil2199]

After person of interest I'm pretty much on board with everything Jonathan Nolan.
Also Ramin Djawadi is providing the soundtrack. Brilliant!

 

[fierrotlepou]

Dammit, this thread made me think this was coming out tonight. I'm way too hyped.

 

[jett]

Will watch.

 

[Beefy]

UK air date.

Time: 9pm
Date: Tuesday 4th Oct
Channel: Sky Alantic

 

[AngmarsKing701]

Subbed

Looking forward to this one!

 

[afternoon delight]

I just hope it's good after all this time. I hope they didn't add flash and fucking to hide lack of depth.

 

[Sober]

I am excited for this.

Subbed.

 

[Cornballer]

Thread looks great, Ratsky. Thanks for putting it together.

Fingers crossed that the show turns out well - looking forward to it though I do have some concerns.

 

[120v]

please don't suck. i need something to watch

 

[Plissken]

I am so hyped for this. Westerns and Sci-Fi are my two favorite genres, and it's not often we get anything combining the two, so I really want this to be good.

 

[cLOUDo]

Is this just 1 season or they will expand the movie's story in more season?

 

[Haloid1177]

Shit I forgot OTs can go up in off topic a week early still thought this premiered tonight.

 

[Nobility]

My most anticipated show this year.

After PoI, Nolan has free reign to set my expectations on whatever he wants to do.

I cannot wait to see this epic and my hype is reaching an all-time high.

Hoping for multiple seasons matching what we are getting with GoT.

Also, Ramin Djawadi da gawd.

 

[Blade30]

My most anticipated show (next to Star Trek Discovery), I'm happy it's finally coming and only a week left.

 

[Cipherr]

Lets GOOOOOOOO!

 

[Inferno313]

Time to renew my HBO Now!.

 

[darkwing-buck]

I can't believe they finally finished this. Dat cast, Ed Harris never fails to deliver.

 

[Fuzzy]

Is this just 1 season or they will expand the movie's story in more season?

This is not a 1 season show if HBO has their way. They're hoping this is a hit and can be a Game of Thrones replacement since that only has 2 seasons left.

 

[number11]

UK air date.

Time: 9pm
Date: Tuesday 4th Oct
Channel: Sky Alantic

Tuesday? Hopefully it's up on 'on demand' on Monday.

 

[More_Badass]

Is this just 1 season or they will expand the movie's story in more season?

I have a feeling that you shouldn't think of the movie much. This looks like it's going to lead to an AI uprising and creating their own society than just the robot rampage like in the movie. I bet future seasons might enter AniMatrix territory, where the AI/synthetic people are struggling to maintain their own way of life while the world at large struggles to adapt and figures out how to respond

 

[Blader]

Is this just 1 season or they will expand the movie's story in more season?

They're planning for 5+ seasons.

 

[afternoon delight]

They're planning for 5+ seasons.

MorganFreemanGoodLuck.gif

 

[Memento Mori]

MorganFreemanGoodLuck.gif

HBO doesn't have many shows left.

 

[WyndhamPrice]

I've watched the first 4 episodes, it's fucking awesome.

 

[afternoon delight]

HBO doesn't have many shows left.

Yeah and I wanted twenty seasons of True Detective after the first one. :|

 

[WadiumArcadium]

Can't wait. The response to the pilot was positive.

 

[Discotheque]

Finally. Very hyped for this. Glad the impressions are looking good

 

[RatskyWatsky]

Is this just 1 season or they will expand the movie's story in more season?

The info you're looking for is in the OP!

 

[EnlightenedMint]

So excited for this, especially after seeing some of the early impressions.

 

[Gabriel_Logan]

Very excited, love Crichton.

 

[Sotha Sil]

Cool thread! Can't wait.