Updates on HBO Shows From David Fincher, Tom Hanks, Steve McQueen, and More

Earlier this morning, THR published a report about the state of some of HBO's high-profile projects that haven't come to fruition yet, and it contained some good updates for those of us who are curious about those potential shows. You should read the whole piece there, but scroll down if you're looking for a quicker update.

Westworld: Once scheduled for a 2015 release, this ambitious (and expensive) TV adaptation of the Michael Crichton movie shut down production after it became obvious that episodes that were already shot would need additional tweaks before the final edit was complete. Now it might be pushed back all the way until sometime in 2017, because creator/showrunner Jonathan Nolan and writer/EP Lisa Joy are still trying to bank enough scripts beforehand so they don't fall behind when production resumes. (Things are supposed to get back up and running next month.) HBO apparently convinced Nolan — who was reportedly very controlling — to "put aside his ego" and bring on two more producers and two more writers to lighten the load.

Videosyncrasy: This is the latest of many ways to spell David Fincher's show about being a production assistant in the music video industry in the 1980s. That show fell apart after four episodes were already filmed, but HBO reportedly hopes that Fincher will return to resurrect the project, so all hope isn't completely lost for this one yet.

Utopia: Fincher was also set to work on an American adaptation of the British series Utopia with his Gone Girl writer Gillian Flynn. She cranked out a few scripts, Rooney Mara was cast in a lead role, and they were in the middle of rehearsals when HBO pulled the plug due to Fincher's demand that the show have a $100 million budget. The latest information indicates that HBO is going to move forward with this show, but with a different director instead.

Codes of Conduct: 12 Years a Slave director Steve McQueen's drama, which starred Paul Dano, Rebecca Hall, and Helena Bonham Carter, completed production on the pilot, and the network ordered six episodes...but now they've cancelled the series entirely.

Lewis & Clark: Tom Hanks and Brad Pitt were producers on a six-part series about American explorers Lewis & Clark, but that was shut down last summer when the network "lost faith in director John Curran's vision." Masters of Sex creator Michelle Ashford has been hired to start from scratch on the project, so there's ultimately some hope for this one, too.

That's all for now, but I really hope that Westworld turns out to be worth the wait. There's so much potential there. Fingers crossed.