Premières: 2015, HBO The original Westworld is a stone cold sci-fi classic, written and directed by novelist Michael Crichton years before people though his Jurassic Park might work better as a movie, with Yul Brynner as an android in a futuristic Western-themed amusement park, and Richard Benjamin and James Brolin as guests of the park who get into a spot of bother when the AI goes a little haywire. Beyond Westworld, the eighties CBS TV spin off that was cancelled after five episodes, was far less iconic. Still, second time's the charm, as Westworld is set to be adapted for the small screen again for HBO this year. They're in safer hands this time, however, with JJ Abrams producing and Jonathan Christopher's Brother Nolan as the creative force in charge. The new Westworld follows basically the same premise as before, except it's about a more advanced version of the park where the cowboy robots start becoming self aware, and are either sad...or angry. James Marsden and Evan Rachel Wood are the sad one, Ed Harris the very angry one, and Jeffrey Wright and Anthony Hopkins appear as the shadowy figures pulling the strings.
Tom Baker is the Comics Editor at WhatCulture! He's heard all the Doctor Who jokes, but not many about Randall and Hopkirk. He also blogs at http://communibearsilostate.wordpress.com/
