Singapore has been featured in the entertainment circuit for a few times now, from the anime world of Detective Conan and A Place Further Than The Universe, to real-life red carpet events and fan meets. HBO sci-fi series Westworld seems set to join the list, as HBO confirms Singapore’s involvement in the show’s upcoming season.
Following a brief appearance of the nation’s skyline in its trailer reel, an HBO spokesman has revealed Singapore to be one of the locations in which the show is set in, stating, “Filming locations for the third season of Westworld will include Singapore.” Details remain sparse, but a glimpse at the online space would hint at the inevitable arrival of the above announcement, including a casting call put up by local agency Fly Entertainment referred only as an HBO production.
Filming is set to span over the dates of July 1 to July 9, 2019, where lead actors are also slated to film their own scenes. The local cast, meanwhile, will be determined by show director John Papsidera himself.
The news is as pleasant as it’s expected – the first-world nation is often synonymous with technological advancement, and it seems this has carried over to reel life as well. While the trailer prominently showcases the Central Business District (CBD) in all its glory (the Maybank building and Singapore River are dead giveaways), the likelihood of featuring other locations should not be discarded.
Considering how Westworld tackles the theme of morality and the lack thereof, it’s possible that a Yishun World might even materialise, modelled after Singapore’s infamous residential area for its crime frequency and varied nature of crimes.
But beyond the tarnished reputation, thrusting Yishun into the limelight may actually serve as a good opportunity to present the more positive and lively side of the district. It’s often been depicted as a place for negativity, but as Yishun residents would know, that’s not necessarily true.
Nonetheless, it’s pretty cool that some big names (Evan Rachel Wood, Thandie Newton, James Marsden, and Aaron Paul) will soon be gracing our humble little island. As for the new season of Westworld, fans will have to wait a little longer for its launch in 2020, though a specific date has yet to be announced.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
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