Billy Ray speaks about writing Westworld remake script

How long ago were we tipped that there would be a Westworld remake? Nearly two years ago. In that time the rumored director, Tarsem Singh, has been dropped. But Sci Fi got a few words from the writer for the film, Billy Ray [Breach, Hart's War], and what he had to say could suggest the route he is taking with the script.

"There is no director attached. I would resist the idea of directing it myself, not that they've offered it to me, because I don't want the pressure of that kind of a budget sitting on my shoulders." So either he's chicken or smart. Just how big is this budget? Well, we're probably talking event-movie kind of budget. This has me concerned because event-movies are pretty much brainless. Just write the screenplay and get the hell out before the paycheck bounces.

"I love the basic idea of the movie, which is that our amusements can kill us," Ray said. "I also think the movie provides a great platform for exploring how sometimes machines can behave like humans while humans can sometimes behave like machines." It would be an interesting idea to explore. Sometimes I think my computer knows when I have a lot of work to do and it slumbers along like an adolescent, dragging its feet.

Ray said he'd love to speak with Crichton at some point. "My understanding is that he was offered the chance to do the first draft of this remake a few years ago, and his response was, 'I already remade that movie; the remake was called Jurassic Park,'" Ray said. "In many ways, he was right." Remember when Crichton turned out books that didn't read like movie scripts. Ah, those were the days.