As if the upcoming mysterious HBO project "Westworld" needed any additional intrigue, today comes word from The Hollywood Reporter that the show's extras were asked to sign a nudity and sex consent form that is just a bit too close to the real thing for SAG-AFTRA. Officials from the organization are concerned that actors won't realize they have the right to withdraw should they have second thoughts.
And second thoughts are a distinct possibility.
The overt consent form states that performers "may be required to perform genital-to-genital touching, 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, [and] ride on someone's back while you are both fully nude."
If you're not into that, you can apparently opt for the choice to "have [their] genitals painted."
You'd think that those instructions would have just about covered it all, but the form ends with a clear indication that the performers may be asked to assist in "other assorted acts the projects may require." It's hard not to let the mind wander on that one...
The union contract requires that actors be given advanced notice of "rough or dangerous" work, though it's not clear if this qualifies. Stunt work typically merits additional pay and residuals, so it will be interesting to see how the union classifies these scenes.
"Westworld," which will debut on HBO in 2016, is described as "a dark odyssey about the dawn of artificial consciousness and the future of sin" and is inspired by the 1973 Michael Crichton film of the same name. J.J. Abrams' Bad Robot Productions is producing with Jonathan Nolan serving as showrunner. The all-star cast includes Anthony Hopkins, Ed Harris, Evan Rachel Wood, James Marsden, Thandie Newton and Jeffrey Wright.