J.J. Abrams and Jonathan Nolan re-envision ‘Westworld’ as an HBO series.

Earlier this week, it was announced that HBO had picked up a new show from J.J. Abrams and Jonathan Nolan. We now know that show is going to be a remake of Michael Crichton’s 1973 sci-fi thriller Westworld.

The original film was about a theme park inhabited mostly by androids where visitors could immerse themselves in a facsimile of the American old west, medieval England, or ancient Rome. The android inhabitants begin to malfunction and turn on their human guests.

Yes, it is remarkably similar in premise to Crichton’s later novel Jurassic Park, however, at the time it proved to be an effect way of exploring American audience’s vicarious relationship with movies.

Jonathan Nolan, co-writer of the Dark Knight trilogy, will direct and co-script the pilot with Lisa Joy (Burn Notice). J.J. Abrams and Jerry Weintraub will executive produce along with Nolan.

This has me really intrigued, as I recently saw the original Westworld and can see the potential in re-inventing the premise for modern cable audiences. Let’s hope the power-trio of Weintraub, Nolan, and Abrams can do it justice.

SOURCE: IGN