The co-creators and cast of HBO’s “Westworld” joined together at SXSW on March 10 to talk about season two, the frightening future of AI, and how the show has impacted them personally. Moderator Jason Tanz (Director of Wired.com) guided the discussion with co-creators Jonah Nolan and Lisa Joy, and actors Evan Rachel Wood, Thandie Newton, James Marsden, and Jeffrey Wright.
The session opened with a much anticipated sneak peek of season two which previews a tense scene where Evan Rachel Wood’s character Dolores holds her two makers at gun point, alluding to a season full of rebellion, action, and continued questions about existence and reality. “Each season is like an installment,” Nolan claimed. “And the only way that I know how to do that is to change the game every season.”
“Their identities that were created for them are being replaced by the identities they are starting to create for themselves.” #jamesmarsden on what to expect in season two. #sxsw #westworld #hbo
— Shuffle Online (@shuffleonline) March 10, 2018
The actors admitted that they themselves don’t even know what to expect in the seasons to come and share the same confusion and frustration that us viewers experience each and every episode. “You feel this looming sense of dread when you walk up to the set, because we don’t really get to know what’s going to happen, or what’s in store for us,” said Woods. “We get really excited, and then we remember what show we’re on and we’re like, oh none of this ends well.”
“I will say “no” to control for this show.” @thandienewton on how tough it is not knowing what will happen in season three. #sxsw #westworld #hbo
— Shuffle Online (@shuffleonline) March 10, 2018
“We pause at these questions in the show that we don’t really have the answers to, especially with the characters… There are no clear “shoulds” within their paths.” #lisajoy on the overall development of the show, season over season. #sxsw #westworld #hbo
— Shuffle Online (@shuffleonline) March 10, 2018
“By the end of the season I was humbled because it’s not about owning anything… To be honest, there were times I was really cross, but in a healthy way.” @thandienewton #sxsw #westworld #hbo
— Shuffle Online (@shuffleonline) March 10, 2018
When asked about how it feels playing strong female roles in a genre that is traditionally male-dominated, Newton immediately shouted, “Normal! It felt normal!” Both Woods and Newton continued on to express their love for their characters and how they have inspired themselves personally. “I just want to play truth, and very often the truth of the characters I play as a woman is that she’s powerful, she’s intelligent,” declared Newton.
“I don’t feel confined anymore… Everybody’s heart is in the right place, and we’re doing this for a reason… Playing this role completely changed my life and me.” @evanrachelwood on playing a strong female role in this day in age. #sxsw #westworld #hbo
— Shuffle Online (@shuffleonline) March 10, 2018
“These women die, yet they have to stay alive. They are my inspiration, and they are on this planet right now.“ @thandienewton on the strong female roles in the show and how her experience meeting women in the Congo have influenced her performance. #sxsw #westworld #hbo
— Shuffle Online (@shuffleonline) March 10, 2018
Nolan was then asked his thoughts on the frightening possibility of an AI apocalypse. “I think we’d be lucky if this is what our AI apocalypse looks like, if it was this attractive and charming,” he said. He continued on to discuss the current implications of AI, specifically concerns about bots manipulating social media users. “You don’t need a very smart AI to manipulate Twitter, Facebook. You just need some version of an intent,” suggested Nolan.
“I think we’d be lucky if this (Westworld) is what our AI apocalypse looks like.” #jonathannolan on the future of AI and concerns. #sxsw #westworld #hbo
— Shuffle Online (@shuffleonline) March 10, 2018
Panel questions concluded after an audience member asked actors how they deal with working on such a dark and heavy show. Actors all agreed that though it is a struggle at times, it’s a challenge that each of them have signed up for and are willing to talk about both together and with others.
“I don’t think it’s the challenge that people perceive it to be. I kind of fly towards the opportunity instead of letting it fester up.” #jeffreywright on the challenge of working on such a dark and heavy show and how they let it go. #sxsw #westworld #hbo
— Shuffle Online (@shuffleonline) March 10, 2018
As with nearly every episode in the show, the panel itself ended with a twist. Recognizing that the session didn’t necessarily comprise of the most positive talking points, Nolan surprised the audience by announcing he wanted to end it on an optimistic note, “in the spirit of this place (SXSW).” Minutes after, Elon Musk, SpaceX, founder walked on stage to join Nolan in introducing a reel of the recent Falcon Heavy launch they worked on. What better track to set it to than David Bowie’s “Starman”?
Musk emotionally ended the session with the following quote, sparking us all with a sense of inspiration, optimism, and imagination. “Life cannot just be about solving one miserable problem after another. That can’t be the whole thing. There need to be things that inspire you, that make you glad to wake up in the morning and be apart of humanity, that’s why we did this.”
Make sure to check out more coverage of SXSW 2018 here.
Leigh is a native Texan gone temporary New Yorker and now proud Austinite. Passions include but are not limited to music (both as a spectator and dabbler), traveling & cultural adventures, film & television, true crime, design (of the fashion, interior, and graphic sorts), and photographing & writing about all the aforementioned. Self-acclaimed coffee connoisseur & wino, cat aficionado, book worm, and nature junkie.