5 things that inspired HBO's new hit sci-fi show 'Westworld'

"Westworld" might be HBO's hottest new property, and its best bet at a drama hit in a while, but the bones of the sci-series are old.

In addition to being based on the 1973 film of the same name, which was written and directed by legendary author Michael Crichton, HBO's adaptation tips its hat to a number of other influences — from video games to another Crichton classic.

"Westworld" the show focuses on androids in a futuristic Western theme park where guests can enjoy all the sex and killing they want. But slowly we notice malfunctions in the robots that lead to interesting questions about AI and humanity itself.

Here are the biggest influences on "Westworld":

SEE ALSO: The 50 best TV show seasons of all time, according to critics

"Jurassic Park"

"Jurassic Park," the movie version of Crichton's novel, is an obvious touchstone in HBO's "Westworld," where lifelike robots seemingly made out of dead humans have been programmed for the amusement of humans... until it all starts to go very, very wrong.

Yeah, it's basically "Jurassic Park" but with robots.

"Park" and "Westworld" both question the motivations of futuristic science that meddles with the natural state of things.

"A.I."

If you're at all familiar with the Steven Spielberg sci-fi epic, it's hard to watch "Westworld" without thinking of it. Though completely different in style, "A.I." proposed a question that echoes "Westworld": What happens when you program a boy-robot to love?

In "Westworld," the robots are so lifelike it's hard to distinguish them from the real thing. As one android says, "If you can't tell, does it matter?" Certain robots have become infected with "reveries" that resemble memories. They seem more real with every passing day.

And like Haley Joel Osment's David, the "Westworld" 'bots just seem kind of... sad all the time.

"Lost"

In addition to the deep philosophy, there's a grand mythology at work in HBO's "Westworld." After all, this is the show meant to follow up the success of "Game of Thrones." But the mythology here more closely mirrors "Lost," on which the survivors bumped into one puzzle after another on an island. (Reddit has even branded "Westworld""the new 'Lost.'") Like that island, the Westworld park seems to have a deeper level that the Man in Black is trying to access. What is hiding there?

Let's just hope the whole mystery doesn't fall off the rails this time.