Just when we thought HBO couldn’t get any better, they went and pulled Westworld out of the bag. And we’re already well and truly hooked.
If, like us, you can’t get enough of the show, take a look at our top need-to-know snippets from behind the scenes.
It’s not the first time Westworld’s hit TV screens
After the success of the 1973 movie, CBS created Beyond Westworld. Sadly it was a total flop, and only three of the five episodes were aired before the whole gunslinging shebang was chased out of town.
There was a Futureworld movie
Yul Brynner reprised his Gunslinger role in 1976 for a second instalment called Futureworld. With Westworld abandoned, guests are instead invited to explore Spaworld, Medievalworld, Romanworld and Futureworld. Original writer Michael Crichton wasn’t involved, which perhaps explains why it didn’t quite live up to expectations.
Something sounds familiar…
If the title music has a familiar ring to it, that’s because composer Ramin Djawadi also wrote the theme for Game of Thrones. His other work includes Iron Man and Pacific Rim, while he assisted on Batman Begins, where he met Westworld TV series creator Jonathan Nolan, who was helping out big brother Christopher.
…and looks it, too
Those eerily atmospheric opening credits remind us of something. Yup, Game of Thrones alumni strike again. Westworld’s intro was created by Elastic, who’ve also worked on other HBO hits like GoT, Rome and Carnivale.
Michael Crichton loves a crazy theme park
17 years after the release of Westworld, writer Michael Crichton penned a little novel you might just have heard of. Jurassic Park uses science fiction to explore similar ethical themes, just swapping robots for a T-rex and those terrifying raptors. Eek. Let’s all agree to never let him loose on a real theme park design.
The budget is off the charts
TV shows are quickly catching up with the blockbusting budgets of Hollywood movies, and Westworld seems to be leading the charge. It’s been rumoured that the first season cost $100 million, with an eye-watering $25 million of that spent on the pilot alone. No wonder it looks so amazing.
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To enjoy season 2 of the latest instalment of Westworld, where every human appetite can be indulged without consequence, tune in to OSN First HD Home of HBO.