hits.

There’s been a casting change behind the scenes on HBO’s Westworld: Actor Eion Bailey is leaving the sci-fi thriller a week after he was announced as joining the show. A scheduling conflict emerged before Bailey started, and now Ben Barnes (Chronicles of Narnia) is taking over the role of Logan.

The character is described as a “louche bachelor and veteran Westworld guest. His hedonistic romp through Westworld is equally motivated by self-indulgence and a desire to help his friend, William.”

Westworld stars James Marsden, Evan Rachel Wood, Thandie Newton, Anthony Hopkins, Jeffrey Wright and Ed Harris in the series version of Michael Crichton’s techno-thriller about androids run amok at a fantasy-fulfilling theme park. The show is planned for 2016.

Source

Nabi said:

I am not familliar with the show, but any excuse to work with Hopkins seems legit to me. He’ll do great with the part. Now is the golden age of tv anyway. And for us, any excuse to see Ben shine is legit ;)

July 20th, 2015

Stephanie said:

Apparently this project has been in the works for a year or so. They shot the pilot last year and have even released the first batch of images. Some links with more info about Westworld:

http://bit.ly/1CEmVaz (Images)

http://bit.ly/1MDDhjX (Interview with the producers)

Another version of the synopsis (from IMDB):

Two guests at a high-tech amusement park go on a wild west adventure. The park is peopled by robots and is designed to provide a 100% life like experience simulating Roman times, cowboy times, and medieval times. When the park’s central computer breaks down, the robots start to run amok and our two guests find themselves stalked by a robot gunslinger.

July 20th, 2015

F2write said:

I’m familiar with the original Westworld that starred Yul Brynner and Futureworld with Peter Fonda. And, I’ve been a Crichton fan for ages (aside from the Jurassic Park and ER franchises).

But…this means a WEEKLY HBO series!!!! OMG, so excited! Excellent cast!

July 20th, 2015

LaRose said:

I’m a huge fan of the films. I’m so excited he’s joining the cast. Stephanie, you are really on the ball. I just read about this a few minutes ago!!

July 20th, 2015

Dianna said:

Any one know if Ben ‘s character is having a big role in the series?
Very stoked to seeing it..
thanks Stephanie for informing us..
*happy dance*

July 20th, 2015

Carol said:

Great news!! Thank you, Stephanie for the information!
Thoughts on what the character will look like? I’m just curious.

July 20th, 2015

Nabi said:

@Carol: Long hair and buff I assume. What else has he been going to the gym for ;)

July 20th, 2015

LaRose said:

I glanced at the IMDB page for this series. The actor that Ben is replacing was supposedly only in one episode. That is unfortunate. Hopefully it will turn out to be more…

July 20th, 2015

Dianna said:

Hey LaRose, where did you see that on IMDB I went looking and cannot find it.

July 20th, 2015

F2write said:

I wouldn’t go by what is on IMDB…it’s often not the full information. It may also just refer to the pilot, not the whole series, but it’s already confirmed to air.

Synop from another site appears to be more than a one-ep arc. Hard to be a “repeat” visitor if you’re only in one ep. LOL. That might make you a guest star, though.:

“Scheduled to air in 2016, the sci-fi western thriller is a remake of the 1973 film by Michael Crichton. Set in an amusement park where guests can fulfill their wildest fantasies via lifelike robots, the story follows Logan, a pleasure-seeking repeat visitor, and his friend William, who’s completely new to the whole experience. But things take a sharp turn for the worse when the robots begin to malfunction, killing every human in sight.”

July 20th, 2015

Marly said:

Nabi, I love your comment!! Haha. Definitely seems like he’s preparing for something and growing that beautiful hair out again (yay!) who doesn’t like BB with long hair.

July 20th, 2015

Lulu said:

I’m curious about this too. I think it’s the third role, which Ben takes over from another actor after SS and BTG, isn’t it? Wish him success and good luck anyway :) Thanks Stephanie!

July 20th, 2015

Drone said:

As soon as I saw the word ‘amusement park’, I knew I’m going to be the biggest fan of the show. Being an adrenaline junkie, this show is going to make me the happiest. And they have James Marsden and Ben. I mean come one! Dreams do come true :)

July 20th, 2015

CindyDakin said:

Sounds really interesting!! Can’t wait to see/hear more about it. So excited for Ben that he’s joining another TV-Show. He was already incedibleSam in Sons of Liberty!!

July 21st, 2015

Carol said:

@Nabi @Marly Definitely! The role of Logan is for man with long hair. I can feel it :)

July 21st, 2015

Marie said:

Thanks for all the info ladies, I was a bit confused about the series at first: cowboys and robots? *lol* This is a fantastic news for Ben! Congratulations to him! Ed Harris and Anthony Hopkins are already involved in the series, 2 big movie legends! :O So excited for Ben! Good luck to him. :D Can’t wait to hear more about it.

July 21st, 2015

Carol said:

@Marie I found something similar: Favreau’s Cowboys & Aliens http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0409847/
I’m not watching this movie yet, but its trailer is interesting :)

July 21st, 2015

Marie said:

@Carol, Looks like a cool movie! A lot of great people involved in it. :)
I was actually watching the original Westworld trailer: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=westworld+trailer I’m pretty tempted to watch the movie, has anyone seen it?

July 22nd, 2015

F2write said:

@Marie. I’ve seen the original. It’s a cult classic!

July 22nd, 2015

LaRose said:

I’ve seen it. Its a good movie

July 22nd, 2015

LaRose said:

I didn’t see your question until just now Dianna. It was next in the cast and crew listings next to Ben’s character. It’s true though. IMDB isn’t always that reliable. hopeful he is a character who is around a while

July 23rd, 2015

Marie said:

Thanks F2write and LaRose, I’ll make sure to watch the movie this week-end. ;)

Here’s also a very interesting article about what we can expect to see in the Westworld series. It contains spoilers, so read it at your own risk:
http://io9.com/we-got-our-first-real-look-at-hbos-intense-new-ai-serie-1717283798

July 24th, 2015

F2write said:

@Marie – not much of a spoiler…exactly how I’d expect it to evolve for more sophisticated, modern times. I liked the film AI.

What I’m most interested in seeing is how they will enmesh the timeline and storylines; draw them out across a series. And, of course, how long certain characters stay around for. ;)

July 24th, 2015

Lulu said:

Finally saw J&R. It’s a nice movie and the music is good. Don’t like Ben’s voice in it very much to be honest, it’s not his deep and warm voice which we’re used to hear in his other musical movies like E.V. and K.B.. But I did like Birds fly at the end and his last line in Southbound is lovely <3
This new series is a western series, isn't it – wished he could shine in sth really new and really touching again… I mean the last time he touched me deep with his playing was in TheWords. Maybe it's me, I love all his British movies so hard haha. :)

July 28th, 2015

Lulu said:

I know TheWords is not a British movie ;) I hope you understand what I mean :)

July 28th, 2015

Stephanie said:

HBO showed a new trailer for ‘Westworld’ today during the Television Critics Association press tour. You can read more about the trailer here.

Thought this info about the series was interesting as well:

“I don’t want to give away too much. The film was very invested in one particular group of visitors to the park and their experience with the robots. This is not that. This is very much told from the point of view of the robots. The world is as dimensionalized as the park. I think the visitors to the park are really not the primary focus of it at all. Without giving more than that away, only one character that you saw in the clip is a visitor to the park. It resembles the film in name and in spirit but really is I think otherwise not a reference point.”

July 30th, 2015

F2write said:

@Stephanie – Thanks for spotlighting that. Sounds a little Blade Runner-esque regarding POV.

July 30th, 2015