Vincent Cassel is known for his roles in La Haine, Jason Bourne, and Black Swan, but he will soon add another notable credit to his résumé: Westworld. The HBO series aired its first episode on October 2, 2016, and has been praised by both critics and audiences alike ever since.
The science fiction series was inspired by Michael Crichton’s 1973 film of the same name, and is set at a Wild West theme park, “Westworld.” The park features humanoid androids, or “hosts,” who entertain visitors and allow them to explore their innermost fantasies without fear of retaliation or judgement on the part of the hosts. Since its premiere three years ago, Westworld has received an impressive 13 Primetime Emmy Award nominations, alongside a slew of other prestigious awards.
Amongst rumors that Cassel will play a major villain on the show, HBO has declined to make any comment. However, Show Creator Jonathan Nolan did express his excitement at working with the highly respected French actor on Tuesday: “We’re incredibly excited to work with Vincent Cassel. We’ve been longtime fans of his and are thrilled for him to join the Westworld team.”
Westworld has also recently announced that Aaron Paul, who’s projected to be a series regular, and Lena Waithe will join the cast of their third season. According to Nolan, Season 3 will welcome many changes. Both him and his co-creator, Lisa Joy, have hinted at a “radical shift” that will come with the next season.
Jeffrey Wright, who plays Bernard Lowe in Westworld, elaborated upon Joy and Nolan’s high promises in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter: “I’m excited to explore the idea of host as guests, as Bernard and Dolores are guests now. The mirror reflection seems that it’s turned on this new [incarnation of] Westworld, and that is the human world. I think the exploration now of [pretending to be] human inside this world as hosts could be rich territory. Once again, it seems there’s a possibility, again, without having read one word of season three, that the worlds are turned upside down and inside out once more.”
As for specifics pertaining to Cassel’s role and the trajectory of the plot, fans will have to wait for the season 3 premiere in 2020.