HBO will air a new series for its stellar 9 p.m. Sunday timeslot starting today with the ten-episode sci-fi show ‘Westworld.’ The western thriller show is an adaptation of the original 1973 film ‘Westworld’ by Michael Chricton. It will explore the moral dilemmas of a futuristic theme park hosting androids with artificial intelligence.
The HBO show has been in development since 2013 when the cable channel first ordered a pilot. Before that, the idea of a remake of the film had been juggled by the right-holding executives of Warner Bros. for quite some time, eventually landing at the premium channel for its first season.
Warner Bros. reportedly released the licensing agreement to HBO for an undisclosed amount, yet HBO retains the broadcast rights. The sum would add up to the already striking $100 million budget for season 1, including the alleged $25 million pilot ‘The Original’ premiering this Sunday night.
‘Westworld’ stars Sir Anthony Hopkins, Ed Harris, Evan Rachel Wood, and James Marsden in a J.J. Abrams production scored by Ramin Djawadi of ‘Game of Thrones’ fame. Christopher Nolan’s brother Jonathan Nolan developed the show alongside Lisa Joy and directed the first and last episodes of the season.
Watch the first episode of ‘Westworld’ on HBO channels
In the United States, the show will debut on October 2 at 9 pm ET on the cable channel HBO. HBO Canada will broadcast the first episode of the series as well for Canadian audiences in sync with the American premiere.
To watch it on HBO, users have to pay for a subscription at any of the cable TV service providers available to them. The good news is the monthly subscription to HBO as a cable network grants users access not only to the primary channel but also a variety of other HBO channels and free access to HBO Go.
HBO Go is another option for those who want to catch the premiere of ‘Westworld’ tonight. Go is an HBO streaming platform that hosts nearly all of the channel’s original content readily available for watching through any computer or device with internet access.
However, users who want to tune in ‘Westworld’ on HBO Go need the subscription details from someone who has the main channel on cable. Once users input the subscriber’s information on the platform, they can browse and watch full shows and movies at any time.
For those who do not want to pay a cable package just to get HBO, they can always register for HBO Now, the channel’s official streaming-only service. HBO Now comes readily pre-loaded as a channel in digital media players like the Amazon Fire TV, the Roku, and the Apple TV box. The first month of the service is a free trial, but keeping it running will cost you $14.99 per month.
Alternatives to HBO to watch ‘Westworld’
Other options to stream the show without paying for cable TV include signing up for Sling TV. This service is an alternative to paid television and it offers a $5 base roster of channels. HBO is available as an add-on for $15 a month, and it grants access to the signal of the main channel only.
Sling TV is also available as a pre-loaded streaming channel in several devices including the Xbox One, Roku, Chromecast, and Nexus Player. This option is available only in the United States.
Australian audiences can catch the first episode of ‘Westworld’ through the premium cable channel Showcase at the same time it airs in the United States. Sky Atlantic will run ‘Westworld’ in the United Kingdom two days later on Tuesday, October 4.
Source: HBO