A dream has come true for fans of the HBO science fiction thriller, “Westworld” at South by Southwest® (SXSW®) Conference & Festivals this year. Indeed, HBO has splurged and created an interactive exhibit mimicking the Wild West theme park full of surprises and indulgences in the show.
If you haven’t watched “Westworld,” it’s based off the 1973 film “Westworld”–written and directed by American novelist Michael Crichton. In the HBO show–which stars Rachel Evan Wood, Ed Harris, Anthony Hopkins, James Marsden and more–wealthy people of the future visit Westworld to live a reality they can’t in their real lives. The amusement park takes visitors back to past in the America’s cowboy days, where they can participate in immoral activities without suffering the consequences. The robotic hosts are disguised as humans.
This isn’t just a small installment at the conference. The amusement park is located 20 minutes outside of Austin, Texas–where SXSW is taking place–in J. Lorraine Ghost Town. According to the HBO website for the exhibit, the journey to visiting the Westworld park is similar to that in the show. Guests first complete a Delos questionnaire and are given a hat based on their answer selections. Following the completion of the questionnaire, guests board a train like the characters William and Logan did in the first season; they’re then taken to a replica of Sweetwater. Once inside, they can mingle with 40 hosts who have their own narratives making the guests part of the game–just like in the show.
The only limit here is your imagination.
The doors to the park at #SXSW will open at 2PM. Sign up to plan your trip to #SXSWestworld today at https://t.co/JiVuKbXwes. pic.twitter.com/R6vM6jr4Lg— Westworld (@WestworldHBO) March 10, 2018
Hosts are reportedly working off a 444-page script. There are also reportedly chances to get a sneak peak of season 2–which debuts April 22nd.
Westworld had a similar stunt at San Diego and New York Comic-Cons, but this is the first time it had access to a perfect Wild West-like location, making it closer to appearing like the real deal.
Visitors are understandably tweeting about their experiences, giving those are who aren’t there an inside look into what they’re missing.
#SXSWestworld is absolutely incredible and I loved every minute I got to spend in Sweetwater. #sxsw @WestworldHBO pic.twitter.com/qiy8gvc0NZ
— Lacy Baugher Milas (@LacyMB) March 10, 2018
CNN’s Jake Tapper paid a visit.
About to enter the @WestworldHBO experience at #SXSW pic.twitter.com/YkWF2pqZFa
— Jake Tapper 🦅 (@jaketapper) March 9, 2018
As did other journalists, some who claim the experience is “mind blowing.”
The Westworld activation at SXSW is the most ambitious and well executed event I’ve ever been to. It is mind blowing. Here is one little detail. Bravo @WestworldHBO and @HBO. #SXSWestworld pic.twitter.com/1XLHX2Uoy8
— AJT (@ajt) March 9, 2018
I'm questioning the nature of my reality #SXSWestworld pic.twitter.com/jruXfRFaM4
— Mike Murphy (@mcwm) March 9, 2018
