''Westworld'' is an American

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...

thriller Thriller may refer to: * Thriller (genre), a broad genre of literature, film and television ** Thriller film, a film genre under the general thriller genre Comics * ''Thriller'' (DC Comics), a comic book series published 1983–84 by DC Comics i ...

media franchise A media franchise, also known as a multimedia franchise, is a collection of related media in which several derivative works have been produced from an original creative work of fiction, such as a film, a work of literature, a television program ...

that began with the 1973 film ''Westworld'', written and directed by

Michael Crichton John Michael Crichton (; October 23, 1942 – November 4, 2008) was an American author and filmmaker. His books have sold over 200 million copies worldwide, and over a dozen have been adapted into films. His literary works heavily feature tech ...

. The film depicts a technologically advanced Wild-West-themed

amusement park An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, as well as other events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central ...

populated by

androids An android is a humanoid robot or other artificial being often made from a flesh-like material. Historically, androids were completely within the domain of science fiction and frequently seen in film and television, but advances in robot techno ...

that malfunction and begin killing the human visitors; it was followed by the sequel film ''

Futureworld ''Futureworld'' is a 1976 American science fiction thriller film directed by Richard T. Heffron and written by Mayo Simon and George Schenck. It is a sequel to the 1973 Michael Crichton film '' Westworld'', and is the second installment in ...

'' (1976). The franchise moved to television in 1980 with the short-lived series '' Beyond Westworld'' on CBS. In 2016 a new television series based on the original film debuted on HBO; the critically acclaimed series broadcast four full seasons before being cancelled.

Film series

''Westworld'' (1973)

''Westworld'' was the first theatrical feature novelist

directed, after one TV movie. It was also the first feature film to use

digital image processing Digital image processing is the use of a digital computer to process digital images through an algorithm. As a subcategory or field of digital signal processing, digital image processing has many advantages over analog image processing. It allo ...

to pixellate photography in order to simulate an android's point of view. The film was nominated for Hugo,

Nebula A nebula ('cloud' or 'fog' in Latin; pl. nebulae, nebulæ or nebulas) is a distinct luminescent part of interstellar medium, which can consist of ionized, neutral or molecular hydrogen and also cosmic dust. Nebulae are often star-forming regio ...

and

Saturn Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second-largest in the Solar System, after Jupiter. It is a gas giant with an average radius of about nine and a half times that of Earth. It has only one-eighth the average density of Earth; h ...

awards. The film was well received by critics. The story is about amusement park robots that malfunction and begin killing visitors. It stars

Yul Brynner Yuliy Borisovich Briner (russian: link=no, Юлий Борисович Бринер; July 11, 1920 – October 10, 1985), known professionally as Yul Brynner, was a Russian-born actor. He was best known for his portrayal of King Mongkut in th ...

as an android in a futuristic Western-themed amusement park, and Richard Benjamin and

James Brolin James Brolin (, born Craig Kenneth Bruderlin; July 18, 1940) is an American actor. Brolin has won two Golden Globes and an Emmy. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on August 27, 1998. He is the father of actor Josh Brolin. He ...

as guests of the park.

''Futureworld'' (1976)

''Futureworld'' is the sequel to the Michael Crichton film. The sequel stars

Peter Fonda Peter Henry Fonda (February 23, 1940 – August 16, 2019) was an American actor. He was the son of Henry Fonda, younger brother of Jane Fonda, and father of Bridget Fonda. He was a prominent figure in the counterculture of the 1960s. Fond ...

Blythe Danner Blythe Katherine Danner (born February 3, 1943) is an American actress. Accolades she has received include two Primetime Emmy Awards for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her role as Izzy Huffstodt on '' Huff'' (2004–2006), and ...

, Arthur Hill, Stuart Margolin, John Ryan, and

, who makes a

cameo appearance A cameo role, also called a cameo appearance and often shortened to just cameo (), is a brief appearance of a well-known person in a work of the performing arts. These roles are generally small, many of them non-speaking ones, and are commonly ei ...

in a dream sequence. Other than Brynner, none of the cast members from the original film appear, and original writer-director Crichton and original studio

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by amazon (company), Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded o ...

were not involved.Variety Staff. December 31, 1975
"Futureworld"
'' Variety''. The story is set two years after the Westworld tragedy, with the Delos corporation having reopened the park. The story starts when newspaper reporter Chuck Browning (

) and TV reporter Tracy Ballard (

) are invited to review the park.

Principal cast

Crew

Television series

''Beyond Westworld'' (1980)

''Beyond Westworld'' was created by

which served as a continuation of the two feature films. The series stars Jim McMullan as Security Chief John Moore of the Delos Corporation. The story revolved around Moore having to stop the evil scientist Simon Quaid, as he plans to use the Delos robots to try to take over the world. It premiered on March 5, 1980, on the television network CBS in the United States. The show was nominated for two

Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime ...

s for Outstanding Achievement in Makeup and Outstanding Art Direction For a Series. Only five episodes were produced, of which three aired before the series' cancellation due to poor ratings.

''Westworld'' (2016–2022)

''Westworld'' is an American science fiction-thriller television series created by husband-wife duo Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy. Nolan serves as executive producer along with Joy, J. J. Abrams and Bryan Burk. The series takes place in fictional Westworld, a technologically advanced, Western-themed

populated completely by synthetic androids dubbed "Hosts". Westworld caters to high-paying visitors dubbed "Newcomers" (also known as "Guests"), who can do whatever they wish within the park, without fear of retaliation from the Hosts. ''Westworld'' premiered on October 2, 2016, on the cable television channel HBO in the United States. The series has been well received. The series has also attained strong

Nielsen ratings Nielsen Media Research (NMR) is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre, films (via the AMC Theatres MAP program), and newspapers. Headquartered in New York City, it is best known for the Nielsen rat ...

for HBO, with the U.S. series premiere attracting 1.96 million viewers. A second season began on April 22, 2018, and a third season on March 15, 2020. Season 4 debuted on June 26, 2022. In November 2022 it was announced that HBO had cancelled ''Westworld''.

Video games

first-person shooter First-person shooter (FPS) is a sub-genre of shooter video games centered on gun and other weapon-based combat in a first-person perspective, with the player experiencing the action through the eyes of the protagonist and controlling the p ...

based on the film, titled '' Westworld 2000'', was released in 1996. An

action game An action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes a large variety of sub-genres, such as fighting games, beat 'em ups, shooter games, and platform g ...

based on the TV series, titled ''Westworld Awakening'', was released in 2019 for

virtual reality Virtual reality (VR) is a simulated experience that employs pose tracking and 3D near-eye displays to give the user an immersive feel of a virtual world. Applications of virtual reality include entertainment (particularly video games), edu ...

headsets.

''Westworld'' in popular culture

*1981: "Do You Believe in the West World" is the lead track and a single from the 1981 album '' Westworld'' by British post-punk band Theatre of Hate. The single went on to reach no. 1 in the U.K. independent singles chart. *1991: The ''

Red Dwarf ''Red Dwarf'' is a British science fiction comedy franchise created by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, which primarily consists of a television sitcom that aired on BBC Two between 1988 and 1999, and on Dave since 2009, gaining a cult following. ...

'' episode "

Meltdown Meltdown may refer to: Science and technology * Nuclear meltdown, a severe nuclear reactor accident * Meltdown (security vulnerability), affecting computer processors * Mutational meltdown, in population genetics Arts and entertainment Music * ...

" is based on the 1973 film '' Westworld''. *2001: Stephen Malkmus mentions

and '' Westworld'' in the track "Jo Jo's Jacket" from his 2001 eponymous album.

References

{{Warner Bros. franchises Amusement parks in fiction Films set in the future Science fiction film franchises Cloning in fiction Turner Entertainment franchises