HBO Picks up Evan Rachel Wood’s “Westworld”

HBO has announced to us that they have picked up the series, “Westworld,” a dark odyssey about the dawn of artificial consciousness and the future of sin starring True Blood alum, Evan Rachel Wood, (see our previous post about the green light to create the series pilot).

Inspired by the 1973 motion picture “Westworld,” written and directed by Michael Crichton the series stars, Anthony Hopkins, Ed Harris, True Blood’s Evan Rachel Wood, James Marsden, Thandie Newton, Jeffrey Wright, Miranda Otto, Rodrigo Santoro, Shannon Woodward, Ingrid Bolsø Berdal, Angela Sarafyan, Simon Quarterman

“The best creative voices want to be part of the HBO experience,” HBO’s Richard Plepler said at the Westworld 2 Investors Day, listing Westworld as a prime example. TW’s Jeff Bewkes mentioned Westworld, along with Damon Lindelof’s The Leftovers, recently renewed by HBO for a second season, as examples of larger cooperation between the premium cable network and sibling studio Warner Bros TV, which is behind both dramas.

Westworld becomes HBO’s second drama from Warner Bros. Television, joining Damon Lindelof‘s adaptation of The Leftovers (which has already been renewed). The cabler recently passed over Ryan Murphy‘s sexuality drama pilot Open, from 20th Century Fox Television.

For HBO, Westworld comes as the network recently said farewell to True Blood, Boardwalk Empire and Aaron Sorkin‘s The Newsroom. Westworld joins an HBO drama roster that also includes Game of Thrones, The Leftovers, True Detective and Utopia.

See two videos from Vine that provide a small taste of the series.

source: HBO press release and The Hollywood Reporter