One of the Reddit folks speculated that Dolores is probably modeled after Hopkins's dead daughter or summat, which is why he insists on the whole 'they're not real' in general, & to her in particular, that they're not friends.
So, yeah. I think it's probable.
Westworld (TV)
So, I'm gonna break that down into two parts.ChristNolan wrote: I'm not entirely sure that interest will be there for a substantial amount of time. Especially if the show is a let down or never really "goes" anywhere. I'm in agreement with Vader in that, while it looks cool, it seems to just be marrying together scenarios that we've seen before. Is there more to it than that? How many seasons could they possibly stretch this story?
1. Is there more to it than just Deadwood meets A.I.?
I would imagine so. At least for me, one of the main hooks into this show is the philosophy behind it. If a host is programmed to be a kind of quasi-romantic partner for a guest, then presumably the host would be programmed to exhibit all the exterior signs of love and affection. For that to feel genuine, maybe they added some internal, more emotional machinations for the more immersive experience they'd presumably want to deliver. Then who's to say that isn't love? What does that say about the line between humanity and artificial intelligence? I'm butchering that question here because I'm tired, but you get my point. The very concept of this themepark raises a host of ethical and philosophical dilemmas which I think would be interesting to see explored. Now, yes, this isn't really anything groundbreakingly new, but then again, I'd argue Thrones is largely about power plays, and that isn't very new either. It doesn't need to be new, it just needs to be done in a thoughtful and creative manner. Besides, I would imagine the science fiction element would cast these ideas in a new light.
2. How many seasons could they possibly stretch the story?
I think the revolution's going to finish by the end of S1. Where they go from there is a creative playground. Where is the park located? Is it even on Earth? Are there other parks? Maybe delve into the history of said park? The revolution - even a successful revolution - is not a definitive end to this story.
Remembered Anthony Hopkins's letter to Bryan Cranston, showcasing his affection for Breaking Bad. Wonder if that was the thing which really convinced him that television is as strong a medium (if not stronger) than film in recent times (though he has worked in TV on limited series/one shot gigs in his early days), & was a factor in him taking this up.
Also, does anyone here subscribe to Empire magazine? There's a full fledged interview with Jonah & Lisa in August's edition, and some more information on the show.
Also, does anyone here subscribe to Empire magazine? There's a full fledged interview with Jonah & Lisa in August's edition, and some more information on the show.
I hope Hopkins is gonna deliver, I mean he's a great actor but he's been phoning it in in quite some of his recent films tbh
New promotional shots, and additional information.
Hopkins says producers initially described his role as cross between Walt Disney and Dr. Frankenstein. “He wants to create a pure dystopia or utopia, but he begins to realize that he’s lost track of it,” he says.
For the actors, playing androids is particularly challenging because everything a host does must have some logical purpose. “Every little beat, every moment and every flicker of your eye means something,” Wood says.
The Gunslinger is a twist on the 1973 Westworld film’s murderous terminator gunslinger (Yul Brynner). In the series, the character is human, not an android, and a frequent visitor to the park. He comes across as a sadist who’s on a mysterious quest. “He’s got a much more specific intention than just having a good time,” Harris says.
The pilot's premiering at the Fantastic Fest in Austin, later this month. Exact date TBD. Schedule'll be updated here.
Episode 4's also got a 57 minute runtime.
Indiewire's given it their seal of approval.
Episode 4's also got a 57 minute runtime.
Indiewire's given it their seal of approval.
What Is It? Ostensibly a remake of the 1973 Michael Crichton film, the next big play from HBO is a dark, complex and fascinating examination of the nature of humanity, told largely from the point of view of the robots who populate a futuristic amusement park.
I’ll Like It If I Like… The fact that Crichton also wrote the novel upon which Jurassic Park is based feels worth mentioning, but Westworld feels reminiscent of classic science fiction by Ray Bradbury and Isaac Asimov. Get ready to think deep.
Why Should I Care? Developed by Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, and executive produced by J.J. Abrams, Westworld has had its production difficulties, but is very focused on the more allegorical elements of its premise in the best way. It’s hard, intellectual sci-fi on a level we see rarely these days, and its mysteries are so far captivating.
Cast & crew cite 'the other reason' why they shut down earlier this year. Glad to say I called it way back in January.
And even if they don't get to execute their vision completely, think each season could be the definitive end to the story at hand. There's a sense of finality to every one of them, but arcs from it can be bled into the next year, while also tackling the next chapter. Much like how it worked on The Leftovers, or like any certain large scale novel series.
Okay, I'm getting really ahead of myself. Will stop now.
Just figured this out today: Coma, Ed Harris's first film, was directed by Michael Crichton, whose first feature was the original Westworld. Talk about coincidence...
The LA Times ran a couple of articles regarding the show as well this week.
1. Excerpts from a chat with Anthony Hopkins.
2. This one's with Jonah, Lisa, Wright, Wood, Harris, Newton, & Marsden.
This is seriously uplifting to me. Long as the viewership's solid (which I think it will be), they'll get to tell this story in its entirety. Personally, I wished for 5 seasons, but realistically, was set on 3 (the beginning, the middle, and the end). But if they do get six, even better (each act being 2 seasons long). And if we're really pushing it with a seventh, could be the epilogue. Should all this pan out, Jonah's set for the next 10-15 years, given there's also Foundation in the works.Joy more recently added to us that, “It’s a really complex interlocking story. We knew where we wanted to go and we knew exactly how the season ended where the kind of character arcs ended, but weaving those scripts and writing the dialogue for all these brilliant actors, it takes time.”
The Westworld team was determined to address another pressing issue during their break, as well. It turns out, producers wanted to firm up their master plan for the entire series – all the way to the show’s eventual finale – and lay that groundwork in the first season. That should be quite reassuring to fans of complex, mythology-driven TV shows, which have a spotty record of longterm narrative coherence.
“It wasn’t about getting the first 10 [episodes] done, it was about mapping out what the next 5 or 6 years are going to be,” James Marsden says. “We wanted everything in line so that when the very last episode airs and we have our show finale, five or seven years down the line, we knew how it was going to end the first season – that’s the way Jonah and [executive producer J.J. Abrams] operate. They’re making sure all the ducks are in the row. And it’s a testament to Jonah and Lisa and HBO that we got them right, especially the last three scripts. They could have rushed them and get spread too thin. They got them right, and when they were right, we went and shot them.”
Which isn’t to say the producers didn’t have some clear ideas about where the show was going from the very beginning. Nolan says they told HBO a rough plan for the first three or four seasons when they pitched the show. “I always feel like you want to have a sense,” Nolan says.
“We would joke that we don’t have George, we don’t have the novels,” Nolan says. “We have a fantastic original film, but that’s a little under two hours of storytelling. So our joke was we have to write the ‘novels’ first, and then adapt them and then go shoot them.”
The Dark Knight writer also gave a tease about what future seasons would look like – or rather, wouldn’t look like. “We didn’t want to have a story that repeated itself [each year],” he says. “We didn’t want the Fantasy Island version of this [where new guests arrive at the park every season]. We wanted a big story. We wanted the story of the origin of a new species and how that would play out in its complexity.”
And even if they don't get to execute their vision completely, think each season could be the definitive end to the story at hand. There's a sense of finality to every one of them, but arcs from it can be bled into the next year, while also tackling the next chapter. Much like how it worked on The Leftovers, or like any certain large scale novel series.
Okay, I'm getting really ahead of myself. Will stop now.
Just figured this out today: Coma, Ed Harris's first film, was directed by Michael Crichton, whose first feature was the original Westworld. Talk about coincidence...
The LA Times ran a couple of articles regarding the show as well this week.
1. Excerpts from a chat with Anthony Hopkins.
2. This one's with Jonah, Lisa, Wright, Wood, Harris, Newton, & Marsden.
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January 2016
Screeners have been sent out to critics. First 4 episodes.
When do you think we'll start to see reactions/reviews?Boxer35 wrote:Screeners have been sent out to critics. First 4 episodes.
Within the next few hours, I suppose.GeneMod wrote:When do you think we'll start to see reactions/reviews?Boxer35 wrote:Screeners have been sent out to critics. First 4 episodes.
