Has anyone else watched it?
HBO is hoping that its new TV show Westworld will be its next Game of Thrones-level hit, but based on the middling first episode I’m not sure how that’s going to play out.
Speaking to Vice, showrunner and co-creator Jonathan Nolan (brother of Christopher Nolan, and co-writer of arguably their best film, The Prestige), brought up some surprising influences on the project — video games. He specifically brings up BioShock Infinite, Skyrim, and Red Dead Redemption, noting their take on morality and the relationship with NPCs, who are theoretically living their lives even if you’re not present.
That drive to explain what is otherwise a rote aspect of game design is pretty clear after seeing how Westworld‘s universe works, as the premise involves a high-tech theme park of sorts with robots who are programmed to perform certain functions, who are written by in-house “screenwriters.” It’s a tad meta, but there’s two plotlines unfolding throughout the course of the show — the actions of the creators, and the robots. Naturally, they converge at points and will come to a head.
And that’s the most intriguing part of the show for me. The cast and the narrative haven’t drawn me in yet, but the premise — I’m willing to stick it out for longer to see where they go with it. Odds are it’ll be better than the 1973 movie it was based off of (which was okay in its own sci-fi camp way).
How the Creators of ‘Westworld’ Built a Violent World of Robot Cowboys [Vice]
