J.J. Abrams is getting into the cable business in a big way with a proposed HBO series version of Michael Crichton’s “Westworld,” a sci-fi tale of theme-park robots run amok. The original starred Richard Benjamin and Josh Brolin’s dad!
HBO has made a production commitment to a pilot.
“Dark Knight” screenwriter Jonathan Nolan, who also created “Person of Interest” for Abrams’ Bad Robot production concern, scripted the pilot with his wife, “Pushing Daisies” vet Lisa Joy.
If it goes to series, this will be the second TV version of “Westworld,” given that CBS aired three episodes of “Beyond Westworld” in 1980.
Abrams, whose big-screen directorial efforts include TV-related projects like “Star Trek,”’ “Star Trek Into Darkness” and “Mission: Impossible III,” has until now confined to broadcast his own TV projects, which include “Felicity,” “Alias,” “Lost,” “What About Brian?” “Six Degrees,” “Fringe,” “Alcatraz,” “Revolution” and Fox’s fast-approaching robot-cop series “Almost Human.”
Crichton, who wrote and directed the movie, would get into theme park mayhem in a much bigger way via his “Jurassic Park” novels.
Find all of Variety’s story on the matter here.
