JJ Abrams-Produced Sci-fi Show Westworld Delayed Until 2017

Last year, the early trailer for HBO's big budget sci-fi show Westworld suggested that it could be the channel's next big genre hit, following the massive success of Game of Thrones. However, it has now been reported that the series has been pushed all the way to 2017, amid rumours of reshoots and creative conflicts.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, HBO has halted filming on the show, which is produced by JJ Abrams and overseen by Jonathan Nolan. Nolan created the hit show Person of Interest, as well as co-writing several of brother Christopher's movies, including The Dark Knight Rises and Interstellar.

As THR notes, the late completion of scripts and delayed delivery of episodes led the subscription channel to postpone continued production until next month. The show was originally scheduled for a 2016 broadcast.

According the site's sources, HBO has "clashed" with Nolan over the ongoing production issues. In a statement, Nolan said: "In broadcast TV, it's been routine for us to write and shoot at the same time. This is a completely different animal. As we got closer to the final episodes, we realized we needed to take a break from shooting to catch up on writing."

Westworld is a re-imagining of the 1973 Michael Crichton movie of the same name, with a high-profile cast that includes Anthony Hopkins, Ed Harris, Evan Rachel Wood, James Marsden, and Jeffrey Wright. Nolan has stated that part of his inspiration for the show case from video games such as Red Dead Redemption and BioShock.