David Koepp to Reboot ‘Westworld’ as Feature Film for Warner Bros

Screenwriter David Koepp, best known for his work adapting Michael Crichton’s theme park nightmare into the 1993 blockbuster “Jurassic Park” and its sequels, is returning to the Crichton universe. According to sources, Koepp is in development on a new feature film adaptation of “Westworld” for Warner Bros. Pictures.

The original “Westworld” was written and directed by Crichton himself in 1973 and told the story of an adult fantasy resort populated by lifelike androids that malfunction and begin killing guests. The property was later adapted into the acclaimed HBO series that ran from 2016 to 2022.

Koepp’s feature adaptation will approach the material fresh, separate from the television continuity. The project marks the latest in a series of legacy intellectual property revivals at Warner Bros., which has been aggressively mining both its own library and outside estates for established franchise material to anchor its 2027 and 2028 theatrical slates.

Koepp’s attachment brings significant pedigree to the project. Beyond his work on the Jurassic Park franchise, Koepp also wrote Steven Spielberg’s “Disclosure Day,” one of the summer’s most anticipated releases, demonstrating his continued status as one of Hollywood’s most in-demand scribes for high-concept genre material.

The “Westworld” feature join a crowded slate of robot and AI-themed projects currently in development or production at major studios, reflecting Hollywood’s sustained fascination with artificial intelligence narratives at a moment when the technology is reshaping the industry itself. Warner Bros. has not yet announced a director or cast for the project.

The deal is the latest example of Crichton’s enduring posthumous legacy as a source of blockbuster material. His novels and original screenplays have formed the backbone of some of cinema’s most commercially successful franchise films, and his estate has been increasingly active in licensing his work to major studios in recent years.