Westworld

Westworld is a science fiction franchise that began with the 1973 film Westworld, written and directed by Michael Crichton. The story is set in a technologically advanced Western-themed amusement park where paying guests interact with lifelike androids called hosts. A cascade of malfunctions reveals the hosts' growing autonomy, leading to violent encounters and raising questions about artificial intelligence, consciousness, and the boundaries between simulation and reality.

In 2016, HBO premiered Westworld, a television series developed by Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, inspired by Crichton's film. The series initially follows guests and hosts within the same park, but expands to broader explorations of memory, identity, and moral responsibility. It employs multiple timelines and a shifting narrative framework as it traces the emergence of self-awareness among hosts such as Dolores Abernathy and Maeve Millay, the park's creators and technicians, and the enigmatic story threads surrounding the park's governing artificial intelligence.

The show addresses themes including free will, the ethics of experiential entertainment, and the consequences of human experimentation with sentient beings. The principal cast includes Ed Harris, Evan Rachel Wood, Jeffrey Wright, Thandiwe Newton, and James Marsden, among others, and the production is noted for its production design, music, and philosophical tone. The series aired from 2016 to 2022, spanning four seasons, and has become a significant touchstone in contemporary science fiction television. The original film and the HBO series have contributed to ongoing discussions about the portrayal of artificial intelligence, autonomy, and the future of human-robot interaction.