David Cope returns to the twisted world of amusement parks. The screenwriter best known for adapting the hit novel “Jurassic Park” has been tapped to write a reboot of the 1973 sci-fi western “Westworld.”
Warner Bros. is developing a reboot without a director. The company is in the process of selling to Paramount Skydance, which could disrupt studio development plans.
The original “Westworld,” written and directed by “Jurassic Park” novelist Michael Crichton, follows guests at an interactive amusement park where life-like androids start unexpectedly malfunctioning. (It’s a familiar story to fans of “Jurassic Park,” which centers on a novelty theme park where things take a dangerous turn.) “Westworld,” starring Yul Brynner, Richard Benjamin and James Brolin, grossed $10 million at the box office on a reported $1.2 million budget.
Westworld was also remade as a dystopian TV series starring Evan Rachel Wood, Thandiwe Newton, and Jeffrey Wright. The series was created by Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy and aired on HBO from 2016 to 2022.
Mr. Cope’s numerous credits include appearances in major franchises such as Mission: Impossible, Indiana Jones, and Spider-Man, as well as original films such as 1992’s Death Becomes Her, 2002’s Panic Room, and 2005’s War of the Worlds. His recent projects include 2023’s Indiana Jones and the Dial, two Steven Soderbergh films, 2024’s supernatural tale The Presence, 2025’s spy thriller Black Bag, and Jurassic World: Rebirth. Next up, Cope will reteam with frequent co-star Steven Spielberg for this summer’s alien invasion tentpole “Disclosure Day,” starring Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, Colin Firth, Eve Hewson and Colman Domingo.
