Long before audiences watched dinosaurs break out of containment in Jurassic Park (1993), Michael Crichton, who wrote the 1990 novel on which the film is based, had already explored the idea of ill-fated theme park resorts built for human entertainment.
That earlier vision arrived in the form of Westworld (1973), a sci-fi thriller film written and directed by Crichton that imagined a fantasy resort where guests pay to interact with lifelike androids in fully realized themed environments.
One section of the park is a carefully constructed Old West frontier populated by robotic “hosts” designed to behave as if they are living characters in a controlled narrative.
However, as in much of Crichton’s work, the system eventually fails. The androids begin to malfunction, and what was designed as a fantasy environment turns into a dangerous nightmare scenario for the guests. The film starred Yul Brynner, Richard Benjamin, and James Brolin, and would later become a major influence on the way Hollywood depicts artificial intelligence and simulated reality. Watch the trailer for Westworld (1973) below:
Now, Deadline reports that Westworld is being redeveloped as a feature film once again. The project is in early development, with David Koepp attached to write the screenplay. Koepp is best known for his work on the original Jurassic Park (1993) screenplay and its sequel The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997), as well as his recent return to the franchise with Jurassic World Rebirth (2025).
The overlap between Crichton’s two most recognizable cinematic ideas is striking. Westworld introduced the concept of immersive entertainment environments where technology is pushed beyond safe limits.
A little over a decade later, Jurassic Park expanded that idea on a larger scale, replacing androids with genetically engineered dinosaurs. Both stories follow the same structural warning: engineered entertainment systems designed for human control eventually develop unpredictability.
The 2016 HBO adaptation of Westworld reimagined the concept for television, starring Ed Harris, Thandiwe Newton, Anthony Hopkins, and Jeffrey Wright. However, the upcoming film remake is understood to be returning to the original 1973 cinematic version rather than the television continuity. No release date has been confirmed.
For Crichton’s legacy, the timing is notable. Two of his most influential ideas — themed entertainment spaces and system failure — are once again returning to Hollywood development cycles, with the same creative DNA that helped shape Jurassic Park itself.
There's no release date for the Westworld remake.
Are you a fan of Westworld? How would you feel about the original Jurassic Park being remade? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
