HBO's high-tech Western series Westworld will premiere on October 2nd

During this weekend’s Television Critics Association press tour, HBO has finally announced a date for its long-awaited science fiction show Westworld. According to the network, the J.J. Abrams and Jonathan Nolan collaboration will premiere on October 2nd at 9PM.

The show was originally supposed to premiere in 2015

We’ve been waiting for the latest J.J. Abrams and Jonathan Nolan collaboration since it was shut down for two months while Nolan and fellow executive producer Lisa Joy could catch up on scripts for the show.

The television series is based on the 1973 Michael Crichton film, which followed a rogue android in a futuristic, Western-themed amusement park where guests can indulge in their every whim. During the TCA briefing, Nolan noted that the show will be exploring the nature of life and how artificial intelligence fits into the equation. This isn’t new territory for the writer, who recently wrapped up another show that worked with similar subject matter, Person of Interest.

The network also fielded questions about the show’s depictions of violence and sexual violence, something it has been criticized for in the past with shows such as Game of Thrones. When asked about it, Joy noted that, "We take [violence] very seriously and it’s not about the fetishization of those acts, rather, exploring the crime — hopefully with dignity and depth." During an earlier session, HBO's president of programming also fielded questions about the sexual violence on its shows, saying that he "think[s] the criticism is valid. I think it’s something that people take into account. It’s not something we’re wanting to highlight or trying to highlight, but I think the criticism is point taken on it."

Westworld premieres on October 2nd at 9PM ET.

• ViaVulture
• SourceHBO