In the past few weeks and months, the Moviepilot editorial team has been concerned with one question in particular: What are the best science fiction series since the beginning of the new millennium? After long discussions, a… Ranking with 50 titles were created that take you into the most diverse directions of the genre. The HBO series Westworld takes a particularly stirring and thrilling look into the future.
Westworld is based on the 1973 sci-fi classic of the same name, written and directed by Jurassic Park mastermind Michael Crichton. Set in the near future, the story takes place in one futuristic theme park that takes us back in time. In Westworld, the Wild West comes to life again – thanks to the magnificent desert backdrop and androids in cowboy garb.
Artificial intelligence breaks out of an amusement park: Westworld plays with one of the most exciting sci-fi ideas
Since the 1990s, Warner Bros. has been toying with the idea of bringing a new version of Westworld to theaters. After the project repeatedly fell apart, it went into series production two decades later: In August 2013, the US broadcaster HBO – home to series milestones such as The Sopranos, The Wire and Game of Thrones – announced that it had ordered the pilot episode from Westworld.
You can watch the trailer for Westworld here:
Westworld – S01 Trailer (German) HD
It took over three years before the sci-fi series created by Jonathan Nolan (The Dark Knight) and Lisa Joy (Reminiscence) flickered across the screens. But the wait was worth it: Westworld is starting one of the most captivating debut seasons in series history. Ten episodes full of puzzles and secrets. Each chapter offered a new perspective and turned the previous one on its head.
The story of Westworld begins with an update of unprecedented proportions: Suddenly the sentience of the androids in the Westworld park run by Delos changes. Willless hosts like Dolores (Evan Rachel Wood) and Maeve (Thandiwe Newton) suddenly develop an unexpected life of their own. Even the brilliant Westworld creator Dr. Robert Ford (Anthony Hopkins) is at a loss.
In Westworld we can’t trust a single character: they all hide unimagined depths
The perfect artificial world is falling apart. Nevertheless, numerous guests continue to flock to the park, especially a mysterious man in black (Ed Harris) who makes it his mission to decipher Westworld. It shouldn’t be long before disturbing abysses open up, both literally and figuratively. Westworld leads deeper and deeper into a labyrinthfrom which there is no escape.
HBO
Thandiwe Newton in Westworld
Man loses himself in his creation and soon it becomes impossible to clearly separate what is real from what is fake. Over the course of its four seasons, Westworld pulls the rug out from under us several times and reveals the shocking truth, which hides behind a beloved figure. This creates an eerie mystery atmosphere despite the big blockbuster viewing figures.
Westworld feels like a puzzle that you put together piece by piece. Just as you think you have a feel for the bigger picture, a piece emerges that moves the story in a completely different direction. However, the twists and turns are not just an end in themselves: they condense the gripping sci-fi mind game in which artificial intelligence threatens to overtake humanity.
Westworld was denied the final bang: Nevertheless, the series remains a captivating sci-fi blockbuster
Every detail, no matter how inconspicuous, is important in the complex series structure Westworld. However, Nolan and Joy were unable to tell the story the way they originally planned. Already after the 2nd season the expensive series was restructuredin order to be able to produce it more cheaply. The action shifted from the endlessly fascinating park to the real world.
HBO
Aaron Paul and Evan Rachel Wood in Westworld
New characters, changed locations: The guesswork at the heart of Westworld never stopped and was captivating until the last second – at least the last second that was broadcast. The real ending of Westworld we will never see. A 5th season was planned, which was never implemented. HBO pulled the plug on the sci-fi series in 2022. The stars were still paid, but nothing was filmed.
It doesn’t happen every day that a sci-fi project as ambitious as Westworld comes along and is then implemented for four seasons at an absolute blockbuster level. All the more tragic The abrupt end is just before the finish line: With the 5th season, Nolan and Joy wanted to bring their complicated story to a worthy conclusion. So Westworld will forever remain a mystery.
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