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Westworld Reboot In Sex Scandal Over X-Rated Requirements For Extras

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Westworld was just about theme park robots running amok, right?

So why are extras in the new HBO reboot being asked to sign contracts which mean they consent to taking part in a bizarre selection of sexual scenarios?

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This is the question the Screen Actor’s Guild is asking, after the peculiar stipulations in casting contracts were brought to its attention.

Among the acts extras - who were being paid up to $600 each, far more than the SAG minimum - were asked to consent to were ‘genital-to-genital touching’, 'graphic sexual situations’ and being OK with finding yourself 'on all fours while others who are fully nude ride on your back’.

Just a normal day at the office, then.

Here’s the amazing terms in full:

“This document serves to inform you that this project will require you to be fully nude and/or witness others fully nude and participate in graphic sexual situations. By accepting this Project assignment, you may be required to do any of the following: appear fully nude; wear a pubic hair patch; perform genital-to-genital touching; have your genitals painted; simulate oral sex with hand-to-genital touching; contort to form a table-like shape while being fully nude; pose on all fours while others who are fully nude ride on your back; ride on someone’s back while you are both fully nude; and other assorted acts the Project may require. The Project will also include language and sexual situations that some may consider personally objectionable or uncomfortable.”

According to Deadline, the union SAG-AFTRA said that it would have a representative on the set of the new series yesterday, to monitor what was going on.

Perhaps the rebooted version is playing up the idea of the theme park being one of more ‘adult’ pursuits, something less prominent in the original movie.

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But now HBO has said that it did not issue the contract, and is looking into where it came from.

“It was not requested, written or approved by HBO, Warner Bros. Television, or the producers, and contains situations that we do not require of any actor,” said a spokesperson.

“We are rectifying immediately the discrepancies in this vendor’s document with our actual on-set practices, which provide a professional and comfortable working environment for all performers.”

SAG-AFTRA has taken HBO to task over the length of time it took to change the document that was issued.

“SAG-AFTRA sent the consent form to HBO [Tuesday] afternoon and requested that the document be changed to more accurately reflect the contractual provisions,” a union spokesperson said in a statement to Deadline.

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“HBO had every opportunity to rectify this situation, and it was only after their direct refusal to remedy this that we posted the notice on our website. The union is very pleased to hear that HBO is doing the right thing now, but it is disappointing that we had to take such public measures to ensure compliance with our contracts and protect our background actors.”

The show, serialised reboot of Michael Crichton’s 1973 movie (note the similarities to Jurassic Park, by the way, in which the theme park exhibits also start attacking the public) which starred Yul Brinner, is being made by J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot production company.

It stars Ed Harris, Anthony Hopkins, Evan Rachel Wood and Thandie Newton, and will air sometime in 2016.

Image credits: Rex Features