‘Westworld,’ ‘Divorce,’ ‘Insecure’ Set HBO Premiere Dates
By Laura Prudom
HBO has set premiere dates for its long-awaited drama Westworld, and freshman comedies Divorce and Insecure.
Westworld will premiere Sunday, Oct. 2 at 9 p.m., with Divorce and Insecure debuting a week later on Sunday, Oct. 9 at 10 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. respectively.
Westworld is described as a dark odyssey about the dawn of artificial consciousness and the evolution of sin, exploring a world in which every human appetite, no matter how noble or depraved, can be indulged.
Co-creator Jonathan Nolan explains, “Building on the incredibly evocative concept of the original film, we wanted to pose the question: If you could be completely immersed in a fantasy, one in which you could do whatever you wanted, would you discover things about yourself that you didn’t want to know?”
Fellow co-creator Lisa Joy adds, “We also wanted to explore what it means to be human from the outside in — through the eyes of the ‘hosts’: the lifelike AI characters that are the main attractions of the park. It’s a meditation on consciousness — the blessing and the burden of it — beautifully portrayed by our remarkable cast.”
The series stars Anthony Hopkins, Ed Harris, Evan Rachel Wood, James Marsden, Thandie Newton, Jeffrey Wright, Tessa Thompson, Sidse Babett Knudsen, Jimmi Simpson, Rodrigo Santoro, Shannon Woodward, Ingrid Bolsø Berdal, Ben Barnes, Simon Quarterman, Angela Sarafyan, Luke Hemsworth and Clifton Collins, Jr.
Divorce stars Sarah Jessica Parker (who also executive produces) as Frances, who, after more than a decade of marriage and two children, has suddenly begun to reassess her life and her strained relationship with her husband (Thomas Haden Church). But she soon discovers that making a clean break and a fresh start is harder than she thought. The series is created by Sharon Horgan (Catastrophe), with Paul Simms (HBO’s Girls) serving as a showrunner on the series. Simms, Horgan, Alison Benson and Aaron Kaplan also executive produce.
Insecure is created by Issa Rae and Larry Wilmore. Rae stars as Issa and Yvonne Orji stars as Molly on the show, which explores the black female experience in an unclichéd and authentic way. The network notes that modern-day black women are usually portrayed as strong, confident and “flawless.” But Issa and Molly are definitely not “killing it.” These best friends must deal with their own real-life flaws as they attempt to navigate different worlds and cope with an endless series of uncomfortable everyday experiences. The series is executive produced by Rae, Prentice Penny, Melina Matsoukas, Michael Rotenberg, Dave Becky and Jonathan Berry. Wilmore serves as a consultant.
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