HBO’s Westworld is a huge modern hit. But the series’ origins can actually be directly traced back more than 40 years, to the sci-fi cinema of the 1970s as well as to co-creator Jonathan Nolan’s past stories on artificial intelligence… and his fascination with video games.
The concept of Westworld dates back to the cynical streak of science-fiction that dominated the late-’60s and early ’70s. These films predicted a dark and dire future for humankind that tracked with the overall attitude of the era. Events like the Vietnam War and Watergate had taken a toll on public consciousness, and the sci-fi cinema of the era reflected this.
One of these films was The Andromeda Strain -- a tale of an alien microorganism that threatens to wipe out all of mankind. The movie was based on a novel by Michael Crichton, a Harvard Medical School grad. It was his first major hit, opening the door for a career that would spawn Jurassic Park, Congo, and several more best-selling sci-fi thrillers. Soon, though, Crichton also revealed he had a keen interest in filmmaking.
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