Westworld (TV series)
Westworld | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Genre | |
Created by | |
Based on | Westworld by Michael Crichton |
Starring | |
Theme music composer | Ramin Djawadi |
Composer | Ramin Djawadi |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
No. of seasons | 1 |
No. of episodes | 10 (list of episodes) |
Production | |
Executive producers |
|
Producer | Athena Wickham |
Production locations | |
Cinematography |
|
Editors |
|
Running time | 57–91 minutes[1][2] |
Production companies |
|
Original release | |
Network | HBO |
Release | October 2, 2016 present | –
Westworld is an American science fiction western thriller television series created by Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy for HBO. It is based on the 1973 film of the same name, which was written and directed by American novelist Michael Crichton, and to a lesser extent on the 1976 sequel Futureworld. It is the second TV series based on the two films, the first being the short-lived 1980 series Beyond Westworld. Nolan and Joy serve as executive producers along with J. J. Abrams, Jerry Weintraub, and Bryan Burk, with Nolan directing the pilot. The first season premiered on October 2, 2016, concluded on December 4, 2016, and consists of ten episodes.[3] In November 2016, HBO renewed the show for a 10-episode second season,[4] planned for a 2018 debut.[5]
The story takes place in the fictional Westworld, a technologically advanced, Western-themed amusement park populated completely by synthetic androids dubbed "hosts". Westworld caters to high-paying visitors dubbed "newcomers" (or just "guests"), who can do whatever they wish within the park, without fear of retaliation from the hosts.
The series' debut on HBO garnered the network's highest viewership ratings for a premiere since the first episode of True Detective in 2014. Westworld has received positive reviews by critics, with particular praise for the visuals, story, and acting.
Cast and characters
Main cast
- Evan Rachel Wood as Dolores Abernathy, the oldest host still working in the park; she is a Western girl who discovers her entire life is an elaborately constructed lie.[6]
- Thandie Newton as Maeve Millay, a host; she is the madam of Westworld. Like Dolores, she also discovered that her life is an elaborate lie.[7]
- Jeffrey Wright as Bernard Lowe, Head of the Westworld Programming Division and creator of artificial people.
- James Marsden as Teddy Flood, a host; he is a newly arrived gunslinger who is looking for Dolores to rekindle their relationship.[8][9]
- Ingrid Bolsø Berdal as Armistice, a host; she is a brutal and ruthless bandit, and a member of Hector Escaton's gang.[10]
- Luke Hemsworth as Ashley Stubbs, the head of Westworld security, charged with monitoring host and human interactions and ensuring the safety of the guests.[11]
- Sidse Babett Knudsen as Theresa Cullen, Westworld's terse operations leader, responsible for keeping the park from sliding into unscripted disarray.[12]
- Simon Quarterman as Lee Sizemore, Westworld's narrative director, whose artistic temperament aggravates his co-workers.[10]
- Rodrigo Santoro as Hector Escaton, a host; he is a wanted gang leader bent on survival.[11]
- Angela Sarafyan as Clementine Pennyfeather, a host; she works for Maeve and is one of Westworld's most popular attractions.[10] Lili Simmons portrays another host fulfilling the same role when the original Clementine is decommissioned.[13]
- Shannon Woodward as Elsie Hughes, a rising star in the Programming Division tasked with remedying odd behavior in the park's hosts.[11]
- Ed Harris as William, the Man in Black; a rich, sadistic veteran guest of Westworld.[14]
- Jimmi Simpson plays William, a reluctant first-time visitor to Westworld, joining his future brother-in-law, Logan. Initially dismissive of the park's more lascivious attractions, he slowly uncovers a deeper meaning to the park's narrative.[12]
- Anthony Hopkins as Robert Ford, the founder and creative director of Westworld.[6]
- Ben Barnes as Logan, a long-time guest. His hedonistic romp through Westworld is equally motivated by self-indulgence and a desire to help his friend and future brother-in-law, William.[15]
- Clifton Collins Jr. as Lawrence / El Lazo, a host; he is a charming but lethal outlaw, with a knack for maneuvering and negotiating the various criminal elements of Westworld.[12]
- Tessa Thompson as Charlotte Hale, Delos' executive director of the board overseeing Westworld, seeking to enforce the board's control on Ford.[16]
Recurring cast
- Louis Herthum and Bradford Tatum as Peter Abernathy,[17] Dolores' father.
- Ptolemy Slocum as Sylvester, a lab tech working in Delos.[17]
- Leonardo Nam as Felix Lutz, a lab tech working in Delos who has a major connection with Maeve.
- Talulah Riley as Angela, a host that welcomes newcomers to the park, later reassigned to be a follower of Wyatt's.
- Oliver Bell as Young Robert Ford,[17] a host made by Arnold Weber to resemble Ford when he was a child.
Guest cast
- Lena Georgas as Lori[17]
- Currie Graham as Craig[14]
- Steven Ogg as Rebus, a host, a bandit programmed to kill Dolores' father.
- Michael Wincott as Old Bill, one of the original hosts that Ford regularly converses with.[18]
- Eddie Rouse as Kissy
- Brian Howe as Pickett, a host, sheriff of Sweetwater.[19]
- Demetrius Grosse as Foss, a host, a deputy in town.
- Kyle Bornheimer as Clarence
- Timothy Lee DePriest as Walter
- Gina Torres as Lauren[20]
- Bojana Novakovic as Marti[21]
Episodes
No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code | U.S. viewers (millions) | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | "The Original" | Jonathan Nolan | Story by : Jonathan Nolan & Lisa Joy and Michael Crichton Teleplay by : Jonathan Nolan & Lisa Joy | October 2, 2016 | 276083 | 1.96[22] | ||
Teddy and Dolores, two romantically-linked robotic hosts of theme park Westworld, are attacked by the Man in Black, a mysterious human guest who is searching for a maze. When the hosts begin behaving strangely, Bernard traces the problem to errors in Dr. Ford's reverie code. Cullen orders Hector and Armistice's attack on the town brought forward to cover for the removal of all the affected hosts. Dolores' father Peter finds a photograph that a newcomer left behind and malfunctions. When Dr. Ford interrogates him, Peter quotes Shakespeare and vows revenge upon his creator. Peter is retired from service. Dolores is interrogated and found to be functioning normally. She is wiped and relives her day with a new father, but unknown to management breaks her programming to casually kill a fly. | ||||||||
2 | "Chestnut" | Richard J. Lewis | Jonathan Nolan & Lisa Joy | October 7, 2016(online) October 9, 2016 (HBO) | 4X6152 | 1.50[23] | ||
Logan and William come to Westworld for a good time, but the latter is reluctant to indulge. Though Bernard secretly questions Dolores to make sure nobody has tampered with her, Dolores' contact with procuring madame host Maeve results in her malfunction as well. Maeve is taken in for maintenance but unexpectedly awakes and witnesses damaged hosts, including Teddy, being hosed down. The Man in Black abducts outlaw Lawrence from his own hanging, demanding that he tells him the location of the maze. Lawrence's daughter gives him his next clue. Ford vetoes Sizemore's new narrative calling it cheap titillation that underestimates the guests. They will use Ford's narrative instead. | ||||||||
3 | "The Stray" | Neil Marshall | Daniel T. Thomsen & Lisa Joy | October 16, 2016 | 4X6153 | 2.10[24] | ||
William drags Logan off on a bounty hunt. Dolores asks Teddy to teach her to shoot, but her programming prevents her from firing a gun. Ford changes Teddy's backstory for his new narrative, in which he is pitted against rogue outlaw Wyatt. Ford also tells Bernard about his old partner Arnold who died in Westworld after trying to make the hosts conscious. Bernard is worried about the effect their conversations have had on Dolores but she promises to keep quiet and follow her loop. Elsie and Stubbs are sent to capture a stray host. They find him trapped in a ravine and when Stubbs tries to retrieve his head, he wakes up and attacks them before smashing his own head in with a rock. Dolores is attacked by bandits at the homestead, one of whom drags her into the barn to rape her. She steals his gun but is unable to shoot him until she sees him as the Man in Black. Dolores escapes, stumbles into William and Logan's campsite and collapses in William's arms. | ||||||||
4 | "Dissonance Theory" | Vincenzo Natali | Ed Brubaker & Jonathan Nolan | October 23, 2016 | 4X6154 | 1.70[25] | ||
Logan wants to finish the bounty hunt and mocks William for bringing Dolores along. Meanwhile, the Man in Black is hunting snakes and finds Armistice with her snake tattoo. He breaks Hector out of prison for her, and she tells him that the tattoo represents all the men she has killed in revenge for the massacre of her village, and that the last piece will be for Wyatt. The Man in Black sets off after Wyatt, rescuing a tortured Teddy. Theresa takes over the investigation into the stray, not trusting Elsie and Bernard. She meets Ford about his new narrative, but he flaunts his power over Westworld and warns her not to interfere. Maeve is having visions of wiped memories, and during Hector and Armistice's attack on the town she finds a bullet in her unscarred belly with Hector's assistance, proving that her visions are real. They kiss passionately as the sheriff bursts in and opens fire on them. | ||||||||
5 | "Contrapasso" | Jonny Campbell | Story by : Dominic Mitchell & Lisa Joy Teleplay by : Lisa Joy | October 30, 2016 | 4X6155 | 1.49[26] | ||
Elsie discovers that the stray has been transmitting information outside of the park to an unknown party. On his journey to find Wyatt, the Man in Black kills Lawrence. He is then confronted by Dr. Ford, who assures him that he will not stop his efforts to find the maze. Dolores, William, and Logan travel to the town of Pariah, where they meet criminal gang leader El Lazo, a.k.a. Lawrence, who tasks them with stealing a wagon of high explosives from the army, a mission they complete successfully. Dolores realizes El Lazo intends to keep the explosives for himself rather than selling them. The ex-Confederates realise this, and apprehend Logan while William and Dolores flee. Maeve awakens in the control center and tells a technician that she wants to talk. | ||||||||
6 | "The Adversary" | Frederick E. O. Toye | Halley Gross & Jonathan Nolan | November 6, 2016 | 4X6156 | 1.64[27] | ||
The Man in Black and Teddy continue their journey to find Wyatt. At a Union Army outpost, the soldiers recognize Teddy as an accomplice in Wyatt's massacre of his unit. Teddy escapes by killing all of the Union soldiers. Lee, distraught over Ford rejecting his narrative, drunkenly disrupts park operations by urinating in the control room. He is interrupted by Theresa, who introduces him to Charlotte Hale, a Board representative sent to observe park operations. Theresa breaks off her relationship with Bernard. Bernard finds out that Ford has secretly been keeping a family of hosts. Elsie continues to investigate the glitches and warns Bernard that Theresa has been smuggling data out of Westworld, and that the first generation hosts have been re-programmed by someone calling themselves Arnold. However, she is abducted by an unknown assailant. A child host kills his dog, telling Ford that Arnold told him to. Maeve threatens and bends Felix and Sylvester to her will and convinces them to change her programming. The duo set her awareness rating to its maximum limit. | ||||||||
7 | "Trompe L'Oeil" | Frederick E. O. Toye | Halley Gross & Jonathan Nolan | November 13, 2016 | 4X6157 | 1.75[28] | ||
It is revealed that Theresa and Charlotte are both secretly stealing Dr. Ford and Bernard's research for the board so that they can oust Dr. Ford from the park without fear of him destroying his work in retribution. They engineer an event to demonstrate that Dr. Ford's updates make the hosts violent and uncontrollable in their narratives. Bernard is blamed for the update of untested faulty code and is fired as result. William and Dolores grow closer; he realizes that the park is not meant to cater to a person's base desires, but to reveal their true character. The train is then attacked by the Confederados, forcing William, Dolores, and Lawrence to flee. They are saved when the Confederados are ambushed by the Ghost Nation. They reach a canyon and part ways with Lawrence. Meanwhile super-intelligent Maeve finds Clementine retired by the staff. Maeve decides to use the two technicians and escape the park. Bernard takes Theresa to Sector 17; inside a hidden lab she finds design plans that reveal Bernard is a host. Dr. Ford appears, reiterates to Theresa that he has complete control over the park, regardless of what the board thinks, and instructs Bernard to murder Theresa. | ||||||||
8 | "Trace Decay" | Stephen Williams | Charles Yu & Lisa Joy | November 20, 2016 | 4X6158 | 1.78[29] | ||
Dr. Ford has Bernard stage Theresa's death to look like an accident. With Theresa dead, Charlotte recruits Lee to help her smuggle data out of Westworld. Maeve convinces Felix to give her the ability to control other hosts, and slits Sylvester's throat as punishment for trying to kill her before having Felix save him. Maeve then suffers more visions of her past life with her daughter and reflexively kills another host, prompting the park staff to retrieve her for a diagnostic. William and Dolores finally reach their destination, where Dolores has more disturbing visions and realizes that Arnold wants her to remember something before they are captured by a band of Confederados led by Logan. Teddy receives a flashback of the Man in Black attacking Dolores and interrogates him. The Man in Black explains he came to Westworld to find purpose before he and Teddy are captured by Wyatt's cultists. | ||||||||
9 | "The Well-Tempered Clavier" | Michelle MacLaren | Dan Dietz & Katherine Lingenfelter | November 27, 2016 | 4X6159 | 2.09[30] | ||
Maeve reveals to Bernard that he is a host and convinces him to let her back into the park, where she meets Hector and convinces him to help her escape the park. Bernard confronts Ford and forces him to restore all of his memories, and discovers he is based on Arnold. Logan cuts open Dolores' belly to show William she is not real, and she cuts Logan in the face in response. She manages to escape him and run away, finding that the cut Logan made is suddenly gone. Logan makes amends with William, but then awakes to find that William slaughtered all of the Confederados; William threatens Logan into helping him find Dolores. Teddy receives a flashback of himself killing Angela before Angela kills him. Charlotte meets the Man in Black and tries to gain his assistance in removing Ford. Ashley investigates suspicious activity in the park and is ambushed by Ghost Nation warriors. Dolores returns to the abandoned town and has a vision where she realizes she killed Arnold. She then encounters the Man in Black. Bernard attempts to rebel against Ford, but Ford uses a backdoor in Bernard's code to force him to commit suicide. | ||||||||
10 | "The Bicameral Mind" | Jonathan Nolan | Lisa Joy & Jonathan Nolan | December 4, 2016 | 4X6160 | 2.24[31] | ||
|
Production
Conception and development
![Michael Crichton](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/af/MichaelCrichton_2.jpg/170px-MichaelCrichton_2.jpg)
Warner Bros. had been considering a remake of Westworld since the early 1990s and after the departure of studio executive Jessica Goodman in 2011, the project was again under consideration.[32] Jerry Weintraub had been pushing for a remake for years and, after his success with HBO's Behind the Candelabra, he convinced the network to greenlight a pilot. He took the project to Jonathan Nolan and co-writer Lisa Joy, who saw the potential in the concept to make something far more ambitious,[33] and on August 31, 2013, it was announced that premium cable channel HBO had ordered a pilot for a potential television series version of the story. Nolan, Joy, J. J. Abrams and Bryan Burk are executive producers.[34] HBO later announced that Westworld had been taken to series and that it would premiere in 2015.[35] In August 2015, HBO released the first teaser, which revealed it would premiere in 2016.[36] It is the second series based on Crichton's original story after the 1980s Beyond Westworld, which aired only three episodes on CBS before being cancelled.[37]
Abrams suggested that the show be told with the perspective of the "hosts" in mind.[38] Nolan took inspiration from video games like BioShock Infinite, Red Dead Redemption and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim to deal with the narrative's moral component on a spectrum.[39] He explained the show would explore why "violence is in most of the stories we like to watch, but it isn't part of what we like to do" through the characters known as guests, who give payment to satisfy those urges.[40] The autonomous existence of non-player characters in video games influenced the approach to the individual storylines in Westworld that are reset in a continuous loop.[41] A recitation from William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet – "These violent delights have violent ends"[42] – is made part of the show as a virus trigger within the hosts that alters how they perceive their existence.[43] The series explores ideas about the bicameral mind by Julian Jaynes, about the existence of two separate minds—one that gives instructions and another that performs them, and how consciousness comes from breaking down the wall between them by exposing the individual to new kinds of stimuli.[44] Asked whether the Roman Empire or Middle Ages-themed worlds from the original film would appear in the show, Nolan counted them out as possible new settings.[45] George R. R. Martin met with Nolan and Joy to pitch them the idea of a Westeros-themed setting featuring androids based on Game of Thrones characters.[46] Ed Brubaker served on the writing staff as supervising producer,[47] co-writing the fourth episode with Nolan.[48]
Costume designer Ane Crabtree approached her work focusing on the attire of the Wild West from the 1850s to 1890s, rather than drawing on Western films for inspiration. Fabrics were custom-woven, dyed and printed for any actor with a speaking role to capture the intricacies of the costumes, most of which were manufactured from scratch in Upstate New York and Los Angeles. Hat designs were described as the most challenging of the process.[49]
The story has been planned to last up to five seasons by the writers and producers.[50]
Financing
The ten episodes of the first season were reportedly produced on a budget of approximately $100 million, with per-episode budgets somewhere in the neighborhood of $8 million to $10 million. HBO and Warner Bros. Television shared the cost of producing the series; HBO reportedly also paid an undisclosed licensing fee to Warner Bros. Television for broadcast rights.[51]
Casting
Anthony Hopkins and Evan Rachel Wood were the first cast members formally announced, taking on the roles of Dr. Robert Ford and Dolores Abernathy, respectively.[6] Jeffrey Wright, Rodrigo Santoro, Shannon Woodward, Ingrid Bolsø Berdal, Angela Sarafyan, and Simon Quarterman were all announced as cast members in August 2014.[10] James Marsden and Eddie Rouse were also added to the cast.[8] Ed Harris was cast in a key villain role, known only as the Man in Black.[14] Other roles were filled by Demetrius Grosse, Kyle Bornheimer, Currie Graham, Lena Georgas, Steven Ogg, Timothy Lee DePriest, Ptolemy Slocum, Thandie Newton, and Miranda Otto.[7][17][9][52] In July 2015, it was announced that Otto had departed the show due to her commitments to the fifth season of Homeland and she was replaced by Sidse Babett Knudsen. Additionally, three others were cast; Eion Bailey, Jimmi Simpson and Clifton Collins Jr.[12] Bailey was later replaced by Ben Barnes.[15] Talulah Riley was revealed to have a role as one of the hosts after her ex-husband Elon Musk had stated so on Twitter.[53]
After the last episode of the first season was broadcast, Nolan and Joy revealed that they had operated on a strict need-to-know basis with most of the actors, in order to "keep the story as fresh and present for them as possible."[54] However, Hopkins was made aware of Ford's story arc up front to ensure he could fully convey the complexity of the character in his performance.[54]
Filming
Early on, it was decided that the series would be shot on 35 mm film, with assistance from HD taps, despite increasing difficulties in acquiring film stocks from the remaining manufacturers.[55] For a softer look, the filmmakers used Arri Zeiss master prime lenses with their coatings removed.[56]
Since much of the series is seen from the hosts' point of view,[57] Steadicams were used to film the whole first season, except for a couple of scenes in the last episode, where a handheld camera was used as a metaphor for hosts who broke free and acted on the will of their own and against their programming.[58]
Filming for the show's pilot episode took place during a 22-day period[59] in August 2014 in and around Los Angeles[60] as well as Moab, Utah.[61]
Filming locations in California included various soundstages, backlots at both Universal Studios and Warner Bros., the Paramount Ranch in Agoura,[62] the Melody Ranch in Santa Clarita,[59][63] and the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood.[64] The Melody Ranch set used for the town of Sweetwater had been used previously for many western films, such as Django Unchained and The Magnificent Seven, but was significantly upgraded for Westworld by production designer Zack Grobler to portray an idealized version of the American frontier.[63] Green screens were placed around the California sets to block modern objects like parking lots, so that the California shots could be later merged digitally with exterior shots from Utah.[63]
For the show's large-scale exterior look, the producers drew inspiration from the work of John Ford, who shot four of his Western films in Castle Valley, east of Moab.[62] In the spring of 2014, Nolan visited southern Utah with key crew members and a location scout to explore the possibility of filming there, and promptly fell in love with the place.[61] Location shooting for the pilot episode later occurred over five days in southern Utah,[61] including Castle Valley.[62] Most Utah locations, like Dead Horse Point State Park, were "walk-in" areas where both cast and crew were required to hike in and out with all their gear.[61] Horseback riding scenes were filmed at a private ranch, where the filmmakers were not subject to as many restrictions as when working on public land.[64] To seamlessly blend California sets with Utah scenery, set walls were shipped to Utah so that they could be used to film reverse angles of scenes originally filmed in California.[64] For example, conversations on the exterior balcony of Westworld's operations center were shot on a balcony at the Pacific Design Center facing towards the center, then reverse angles over the shoulders of the cast members were shot at Dead Horse Point, to make it seem as if the operations center was located on top of the state park's steep cliffs.[61][64] The train interior scenes were created by mounting the entire train car set on the back of a flatbed truck and driving the truck back and forth along Utah State Route 128.[61]
The 3D printing of hosts was shot utilizing almost entirely practical effects, of which some were polished by the visual effects team.[65] Out of respect for the actors and extras involved, filming of nudity is conducted on a closed set, and for sex scenes, a sex consultant is used.[66]
Production was temporarily halted for a couple of months in early 2016 so that showrunners Nolan and Joy could complete the scripts for the last four episodes of the first season.[67]
Title sequence
The series' title sequence was created by production studio Elastic, which had previously created the title sequences for Rome, Carnivàle and Game of Thrones for HBO. Patrick Clair acted as creative director for the title sequence,[68][69] which took about five weeks to conceptualize.[70] Clair met with Nolan and Joy in February 2016 to discuss its development. He was interested in their decision to approach the show's point of view from that of the hosts, deeming the result an inherent psychological study. Upon its inception, the sequence would translate elements present in the series via computer-aided design. For example, once Clair was sent footage by composer Ramin Djawadi of a player piano in motion, its actual counterpart, situated in the Westworld production office, was photographed and then reconstructed in computer-generated imagery.[70][42] Nolan also applied the self-playing instrument in reference to Kurt Vonnegut's first novel Player Piano. It was meant to represent the first Rube Goldberg machine to invoke an emotional response.[43] Clair saw the metaphor behind the player piano – "a primitive form of robot" – as an exploration into the disparity between man and machine, "...being created to be made redundant." Hosts that were bathed in white liquid struck him as a juxtaposition between the grit and grain of the Western genre and its basis in science fiction. Motifs of Leonardo da Vinci's Vitruvian Man came about from Clair's wish to convey Westworld's depiction of the naked human body.[42] The sequence commences with the ribcage of a horse along with a set of hosts manufactured by industrial robots. The skeletal horse is shown in gallop to subvert the iconography of such a depiction.[70] As for his efforts in exposing the Western landscapes in connection with a world of robotics, he thought it sensible that it be done inside a single eye; craters and valleys are formed as the simulacrum of an iris.[42]
Music
![Ramin Djawadi](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/24/Ramin_Djawadi.jpg/170px-Ramin_Djawadi.jpg)
The music is composed by Ramin Djawadi, who also worked with showrunner Nolan on the TV series Person of Interest.[71] The main theme blends the use of bass notes, light arpeggios and melody, all of which complement the idea of an amusement park.[72] The first season soundtrack was released on December 5, 2016.[73]
In an interview, Djawadi spoke about the modern songs used in the show. He stated, "The show has an anachronistic feel to it, It's a Western theme park, and yet it has robots in it, so why not have modern songs? And that's a metaphor in itself, wrapped up in the overall theme of the show."[74] The feature was invented by Nolan.[75] Player piano renditions featured in Westworld include Radiohead's "No Surprises",[76] "Fake Plastic Trees" and "Motion Picture Soundtrack",[77] Soundgarden's "Black Hole Sun", The Rolling Stones' "Paint It Black",[43] Scott Joplin's "Pine Apple Rag"[78] and "Peacherine Rag", Claude Debussy's "Reverie L.68",[79] The Cure's "A Forest",[80] The Animals' version of "The House of the Rising Sun" and Amy Winehouse's "Back to Black".[81] Licensing costs ranged from $15,000 to $55,000.[82]
Broadcast
In North America, the series is broadcast on HBO in the United States, on HBO Canada in Canada, and HBO Latin America in Mexico, starting October 2, 2016.[83][84] Internationally, the series was acquired in Australia by Showcase[85] with each episode screening at the same time as the U.S. broadcast.[86] In the UK and Ireland, Westworld is broadcast on Sky Atlantic beginning on October 4, 2016.[87] To avoid competing with the second U.S. presidential debate of 2016, HBO released the second episode to its subscribers via its online distribution channels on October 7, 2016, two days ahead of the episode's announced broadcast date.[88][89]
The series premiere had viewership numbers commensurate with another HBO series, True Detective.[90] Michael O'Connell of The Hollywood Reporter notes that sources put the grand total for the night (combining HBO Go and HBO Now streaming content) up at 3.3 million viewers. ScreenRant's Michael Kennedy concurs with this comparison, adding that HBO must be breathing a sigh of relief, considering that the heavily-promoted Vinyl "failed to resonate" with subscribers, despite both series containing recognizable names in front of and behind the camera, and each costing close to $100 million to produce.[91] Mandy Adams, of iTechPost notes that, "Emotional reactions on Twitter were estimated to be 545-percent greater compared to the debut of Vinyl and 326-percent higher than the latest The Leftovers season."[92]
Marketing
Prior to the airing of Westworld, HBO held virtual reality exhibits at events like San Diego Comic-Con and Techcrunch Disrupt devoted to Westworld: A Delos Destination. Attendees were allowed to navigate the process by which guests would enter Westworld, and interact with the 3D environment. Made to run on the HTC Vive virtual reality headset, the piece was conceived by showrunners Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy. It was designed using Unreal Engine 4, combining computer-generated content and live action 360-degree video. The subjects received a binary code whose function permitted the access of the website Discover Westworld as part of the viral marketing. Visitors were privy to the trailer of a fictional travel site leading them to order a trip to Westworld.[43][93][94]
Reception
Critical response
Initial reception of the series has been positive, with particular praise for the visuals, story, and acting.[95][96][97] After early reviews, the first season has a 88% approval rating based on 70 critics on the review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes, with an average score of 8.1 out of 10, and an average episode score of 94%. The site's consensus reads "With an impressive level of quality that honors its source material, the brilliantly addictive Westworld balances intelligent, enthralling drama against outright insanity."[98] On Metacritic, the first season has a score of 74 out of 100 based on 43 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[99]
The editors of TV Guide placed Westworld fifth among the top ten picks for the most anticipated new shows of the 2016–17 season. In writer Tim Surette's overall review, he notes the perfect concept of blending the western premise into a futuristic setting, saying, "Well, Westworld has both, ensuring that it will be an exciting mashup of genres that will disrupt a television landscape that typically says we can only have one or the other." He also added, "The look of the show and its fine cast swing open the saloon doors, but the real treat will be the intelligent discussion of whether or not robots will eventually kill us all. Thankfully, creator Jonathan Nolan already showed us he's the go-to guy for A.I. with Person of Interest."[100] Template:Westworld RT scores S1
Audience viewership
The U.S. series premiere attracted 1.96 million viewers, with 0.8 million in the advertiser-coveted 18-to-49-year-old demographic. The premiere episode received 3.3 million viewers for its three Sunday night airings as well as on HBO's streaming platforms.[101]
Awards and accolades
Westworld has been nominated for 2 Satellite Awards, 4 Critics' Choice Television Awards and 2 Writers Guild of America Awards.
References
- ^ "Westworld 05: Contrapasso". HBO. Retrieved September 11, 2016.
- ^ "Westworld 10: The Bicameral Mind". HBO. Retrieved October 14, 2016.
- ^ "Drama Series "Westworld" Debuts Oct. 2 on HBO" (Press release). HBO. September 28, 2016. Retrieved October 12, 2016.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (November 14, 2016). "'Westworld', 'Divorce' & 'Insecure' Renewed For Season 2 By HBO". Deadline.com. Retrieved November 14, 2016.
- ^ Hibberd, James (November 14, 2016). "Westworld renewed for second season, likely returning 2018". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved December 5, 2016.
- ^ a b c Goldberg, Lesley (July 22, 2014). "Anthony Hopkins, Evan Rachel Wood to Star in HBO's 'Westworld'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 23, 2014.
- ^ a b Noonan, Kevin (August 13, 2014). "Thandie Newton Joins HBO's 'Westworld'". Variety. Retrieved August 14, 2014.
- ^ a b Johns, Nikara (August 8, 2014). "James Marsden Joins HBO's 'Westworld'". Variety. Retrieved August 9, 2014.
- ^ a b Goldberg, Lesley; Ng, Philiana (August 8, 2014). "James Marsden to Star in HBO's 'Westworld'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 12, 2014.
- ^ a b c d Hibberd, James (August 6, 2014). "'Hunger Games,' 'Raising Hope' actors join HBO's 'Westworld'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved August 9, 2014.
- ^ a b c Lutes, Alicia (July 30, 2016). "WESTWORLD Gets a Premiere Date and TONS of New Details (at Last!)". Nerdist. Retrieved August 2, 2016.
- ^ a b c d Hibberd, James (July 13, 2015). "HBO's Westworld adds cast". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved August 10, 2015.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (April 6, 2016). "Lili Simmons Joins 'Westworld' As HBO Drama Series Resumes Production". Deadline. Retrieved November 27, 2016.
- ^ a b c Goldberg, Lesley (August 11, 2014). "Ed Harris Set as Key Villain in HBO's 'Westworld'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 12, 2014.
- ^ a b Hibberd, James (July 20, 2015). "Westworld casting switch: Narnia star replacing Once Upon actor". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved July 20, 2015.
- ^ McHenry, Jackson (November 7, 2016). "Westworld Is Better When It Starts Having Fun". Vulture.com. Retrieved November 7, 2016.
- ^ a b c d e Nededog, Jethro; Sneider, Jeff (August 11, 2014). "'Looking' Actor Ptolemy Slocum Joins HBO's 'Westworld' (Exclusive)". The Wrap. Retrieved August 18, 2014.
- ^ Hall, Jacob (October 3, 2016). "'Westworld' Spoiler Review: 10 Questions From "The Original"". /Film. Retrieved December 5, 2016.
- ^ "5 Ways to Get Ready for Westworld". HBO. Time Warner. September 29, 2016. Retrieved December 5, 2016.
- ^ Miller, Matt (October 16, 2016). "Now We Know How Dangerous Westworld Really Is". Esquire. Hearst. Retrieved December 5, 2016.
- ^ Hibberd, James (October 12, 2016). "Westworld updates: New photos, posters, news". Entertainment Weekly. Time Inc. Retrieved December 5, 2016.
- ^ Porter, Rick (October 3, 2016). "'Westworld' opens pretty well for HBO". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
- ^ Porter, Rick (October 11, 2016). "Sunday cable ratings: Debate pushes 'Westworld' and 'Shameless' down". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved October 11, 2016.
- ^ Porter, Rick (October 18, 2016). "Sunday cable ratings: 'Westworld' improves, Dodgers-Cubs leads". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved October 18, 2016.
- ^ Porter, Rick (October 25, 2016). "Sunday cable ratings: 'The Walking Dead' premiere kills it with second-highest ratings ever". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved October 25, 2016.
- ^ Porter, Rick (November 1, 2016). "Sunday cable ratings: 'The Walking Dead' takes a bigger-than-usual hit in episode 2". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved November 1, 2016.
- ^ Porter, Rick (November 8, 2016). "Sunday cable ratings: 'Walking Dead' down but stays on top, 'Real Housewives of Atlanta' returns lower". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved November 8, 2016.
- ^ Porter, Rick (November 15, 2016). "Sunday cable ratings: 'Westworld' ticks up as 'Walking Dead' slips a little more". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved November 15, 2016.
- ^ Porter, Rick (November 22, 2016). "Sunday cable ratings: 'The Librarians' returns slightly lower, 'Walking Dead' dips a bit more". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved November 22, 2016.
- ^ Porter, Rick (November 30, 2016). "Sunday cable ratings: 'The Walking Dead' hits a 4-year low". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved November 30, 2016.
- ^ Porter, Rick (December 6, 2016). "Sunday cable ratings: 'Westworld' ends with season highs, 'Walking Dead' stops 5-week slide". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved December 6, 2016.
- ^ Kit, Borys (January 19, 2011). "EXCLUSIVE: 'Lethal Weapon,' 'Wild Bunch' Reboots Revived After Warner Bros. Exec Shuffle". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 23, 2014.
- ^ Tallerico, Brian (September 30, 2016). "The Long, Weird History of the Westworld Franchise". Vulture. Retrieved November 24, 2016.
- ^ Gelman, Vlada (August 31, 2013). "HBO Greenlights Sci-Fi Pilot Westworld From J.J. Abrams and Jonathan Nolan". TVLine. Retrieved July 23, 2014.
- ^ Hibberd, James (November 17, 2014). "'Westworld' gets HBO series order". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved November 18, 2014.
- ^ Stedman, Alex (August 9, 2015). "Watch: First Teaser for HBO's 'Westworld'". Variety. Retrieved August 10, 2015.
- ^ Gibson, Brody (September 3, 2013). "Abrams And Nolan Team Up For Westworld HBO Pilot". Boomtron. Retrieved July 23, 2014.
- ^ Sciretta, Peter (October 4, 2016). "Your Westworld Logistical Questions Answered". /Film. Retrieved October 8, 2016.
- ^ Osborn, Alex (October 4, 2016). "Skyrim, Red Dead, BioShock Inspired Westworld". IGN. Retrieved October 8, 2016.
- ^ Fitzmaurice, Larry (September 30, 2016). "How the Creators of 'Westworld' Built a Violent World of Robot Cowboys". Vice. Retrieved October 8, 2016.
- ^ Sciretta, Peter (October 4, 2016). "Your Westworld Logistical Questions Answered". /Film. Retrieved October 8, 2016.
- ^ a b c d Vineyard, Jennifer (October 5, 2016). "The Secrets Behind Westworld's Opening Title Sequence". Vulture.com. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
- ^ a b c d Spangler, Todd (October 9, 2016). "'Westworld' Showrunners Hint at Season 2, Discuss Show's Video-Game Influences". Variety. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
- ^ Patches, Matt (October 17, 2016). "Why the Bicameral Mind Theory Is Crucial to Unlocking 'Westworld'". Thrillist. Retrieved November 17, 2016.
- ^ Hooton, Christopher (October 14, 2016). "Westworld set to feature different themed worlds, just not the Medieval and Roman ones from the film". The Independent. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
- ^ Murthi, Vikram (October 20, 2016). "'Game of Thrones' and 'Westworld' Crossover: George R. R. Martin Pitched Idea To Showrunners". IndieWire. Retrieved October 21, 2016.
{{cite web}}
: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=
(help) - ^ Sava, Oliver (October 12, 2016). "Ed Brubaker on Westworld, The Fade Out, and his immersion into Hollywood". The A.V. Club. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
- ^ "Westworld 04: Dissonance Theory". HBO. Retrieved September 11, 2016.
- ^ Holt, Bethan (November 9, 2016). "Why the Westworld costumes were so complicated to create". The Daily Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group. Retrieved November 10, 2016.
- ^ Hibberd, James (September 8, 2016). "Westworld has already figured out the next 5 seasons". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved November 13, 2016.
- ^ Goldberg, Lesley (October 1, 2016). "HBO's 'Westworld,' With $100 Million Pricetag, Faces Huge Expectations". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 7, 2016. Retrieved October 6, 2016.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ Ausiello, Michael (August 15, 2014). "HBO's Westworld Snags Miranda Otto". TVLine. Retrieved August 16, 2014.
- ^ Morse, Julie (October 2, 2016). "Elon Musk Praises Ex's 'Deadly Sexbot' Performance in 'Westworld". Inverse. Retrieved October 8, 2016.
- ^ a b Holloway, Daniel (December 5, 2016). "'Westworld' Creators on Why HBO Drama Won't Return Before 2018". Variety. Los Angeles: Variety Media. Retrieved December 6, 2016.
- ^ Mulcahey, Matt (October 31, 2016). "Shooting Film Against the Digital Wave: DP Paul Cameron on Westworld". Filmmaker. Retrieved November 18, 2016.
- ^ Desowitz, Bill (September 30, 2016). "How HBO's 'Westworld' Shot on Film for a More Tactile, Organic Look". IndieWire. Retrieved November 18, 2016.
- ^ Miller, Matt (September 29, 2016). "Westworld Is Not the Next Game of Thrones—It's Much More Than That". Esquire. Retrieved December 8, 2016.
- ^ Riesman, Abraham (December 6, 2016). "Westworld Creators Reveal Whether Maeve Is in Control When She Gets Off the Train". Vulture. Retrieved December 8, 2016.
- ^ a b Heuring, David (October 4, 2016). "How HBO's 'Westworld' Got Its Big-Screen Look". Variety. Los Angeles: Variety Media. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
- ^ Goldberg, Lesley (August 29, 2014). "How HBO's 'Westworld' Became TV's Hottest Project". The Hollywood Reporter. Los Angeles: Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved September 17, 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f Fehrman, Craig (September 29, 2016). "There's a Reason You Recognize the Landscape of 'Westworld'". Outside. Santa Fe: Mariah Media Network. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
- ^ a b c Pierce, Scott D. (September 28, 2016). "Southern Utah landscapes star in HBO's 'Westworld'". The Salt Lake Tribune. Salt Lake City: Utah Media Group. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
- ^ a b c Zakarin, Jordan (October 6, 2016). "Inside the 'Westworld' Set's Luxury Dystopian Cowboy Disneyland". Inverse. San Francisco: Full Stack Media. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
- ^ a b c d Jones, Nate (October 3, 2016). "How Cinematographer Paul Cameron Created the Look of Westworld's Sci-Fi Western". Vulture. New York: New York Media. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
christina's carroll
was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Hibberd, James (October 30, 2016). "Westworld producers on that wild orgy scene". Entertainment Weekly. Time Inc. Retrieved October 31, 2016.
- ^ Evans, Greg; Patten, Dominic (January 17, 2016). "'Westworld' Production Pause Won't Affect HBO Series' $12M Tax Credits". Deadline.com. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved November 13, 2016.
- ^ "Westworld". Elastic. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
- ^ "Opening Credits for HBO's 'Westworld' Released Online (Video)". Culturess. October 3, 2016. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
- ^ a b c Perkins, Will (October 12, 2016). "Westworld". Art of the Title. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
- ^ "Ramin Djawadi to Score HBO's 'Westworld'". Film Music Reporter. December 29, 2014. Retrieved December 29, 2014.
- ^ Vineyard, Jennifer (October 13, 2016). "Why You'll Be Hearing a Lot of Radiohead on Westworld". Vulture.com. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
- ^ "Westworld: Season 1 (Music from the HBO® Series)". iTunes. Retrieved December 5, 2016.
- ^ Vineyard, Jennifer (October 5, 2016). "Why You'll Hear Modern Songs Playing on Westworld". Vulture. Retrieved October 5, 2016.
- ^ Mumford, Gwilym (October 23, 2016). "Play it again, Ram: meet the man behind Westworld's old-timey rock covers". The Guardian. Retrieved October 24, 2016.
- ^ Hutchinson, Sean (October 3, 2016). "Ranking All the Songs on the Dope 'Westworld' Soundtrack". Inverse. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
- ^ Vineyard, Jennifer (November 18, 2016). "Why Debussy's 'Reverie' May Be a Clue on Westworld". Vulture.com. New York Media, LLC.
- ^ "Contrapasso". Westworld. October 30, 2016. Event occurs 53 minutes in. HBO.
- ^ Vineyard, Jennifer (October 18, 2016). "Why Westworld Uses a Player Piano". Vulture.com. Retrieved October 18, 2016.
- ^ Vineyard, Jennifer (October 25, 2016). "Why You Should Listen Closely to That Cure Song on Westworld". Vulture.com. Retrieved October 26, 2016.
- ^ Vineyard, Jennifer (November 23, 2016). "How Music Is Controlling the Hosts on Westworld". Vulture.com. New York Media, LLC.
- ^ Lipshutz, Jason (October 28, 2016). "Inside Westworld's Rock Covers (And What Chris Cornell Thought of That Soundgarden Sync)". Billboard. Retrieved October 29, 2016.
- ^ Prudom, Laura (July 30, 2016). "'Westworld,' 'Divorce,' 'Insecure' Set HBO Premiere Dates". Variety. Retrieved July 31, 2016.
- ^ Bernstein, Bobby (July 31, 2016). "Westworld Premiere Date Set for October". Nerd Much?. Retrieved August 31, 2016.
- ^ "Westworld: coming to showcase 2016". Foxtel. August 28, 2015. Retrieved October 29, 2015.
{{cite web}}
: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|website=
(help) - ^ "Westworld: 5 reasons why this HBO show will be the next Game Of Thrones". Foxtel. September 18, 2016. Retrieved September 21, 2016.
{{cite web}}
: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|website=
(help) - ^ "Westworld". Sky. Retrieved June 29, 2016.
{{cite web}}
: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|website=
(help) - ^ Schwartz, Ryan (October 7, 2016). "Westworld Episode 2 Released Early in Advance of Presidential Debate". TVLine. Retrieved October 7, 2016.
- ^ Tassi, Paul (October 7, 2016). "You Can Watch HBO's New 'Westworld' Right Now Thanks To The Trump/Clinton Debate". Forbes. Retrieved October 8, 2016.
- ^ O'Connell, Michael (October 4, 2016). "How 'Westworld' Ratings Rank Among Recent HBO Drama Premieres". The Hollywood Reporter online. Retrieved October 11, 2016.
- ^ Kennedy, Michael (October 3, 2016). "Westworld Draws Highest Premiere Ratings on HBO Since True Detective". Screen Rant. Retrieved October 11, 2016.
- ^ Adams, Mandy (October 4, 2016). "'Westworld' Premiere Draws Strong Ratings, Explosive Twitter Reactions; Series Is HBO's 'Game Of Thrones' Successor?". iTech Post. Retrieved October 11, 2016.
- ^ Takahashi, Dean (September 14, 2016). "Westworld VR promises to make your Wild West fantasies come true". VentureBeat. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
- ^ Miller, Liz Shannon (September 13, 2016). "'Westworld' Website Easter Eggs Warn Visitors About 'Accidental Death,' Reveal Employee Secrets". IndieWire. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
- ^ McNamara, Mary (October 1, 2016). "Review HBO's multilayered update of 'Westworld' is TV's next big game-changer". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 9, 2016.
- ^ Wiegand, David (September 29, 2016). "'Westworld' is a gripping sci-fi brain-teaser". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved November 9, 2016.
- ^ Halperin, Moze (October 5, 2016). "'Westworld' Is, Very Sneakily, an Actors' Series". Flavorwire. Retrieved November 9, 2016.
- ^ "Westworld: Season 1 (2016)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved September 26, 2016.
- ^ "Westworld: Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved September 29, 2016.
- ^ Surette, Tim (September 16, 2016). "Our 10 Most Anticipated New TV Shows of Fall 2016". TV Guide. Retrieved October 2, 2016.
- ^ Holloway, Daniel (October 3, 2016). "TV Ratings: 'Westworld' Premiere Matches 'True Detective' Season 1". Variety. Retrieved October 8, 2016.
External links
- 2010s American television series
- 2016 American television series debuts
- American drama television series
- American science fiction television series
- Androids in television
- English-language television programming
- Existentialist works
- HBO network shows
- Nonlinear narrative television series
- Robots in television
- Serial drama television series
- Television programs based on films
- Television programs based on works by Michael Crichton
- Television series by Bad Robot Productions
- Television series by Warner Bros. Television
- Transhumanism in television series
- Westworld
- Works by Jonathan Nolan