Sir Anthony Hopkins to star in TV remake of Westworld

Sir Anthony will play Westworld's chairman, Robert Ford

Oscar-winning actor Sir Anthony Hopkins has been cast in a television remake of the 1970s sci-fi film, Westworld.

The original featured Yul Brynner as a malfunctioning robot cowboy who begins attacking guests at a hi-tech theme park.

In the HBO pilot, Sir Anthony will play Robert Ford, described as Westworld's "brilliant... complicated" chairman.

The project is being developed by Star Wars Episode VII's director, JJ Abrams' production company Bad Robot.

Sir Anthony, famous for his role as Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs and its sequel and more recently Thor: The Dark Side, will appear alongside actress Evan Rachel Wood for the project.

A description of Wood's role as Dolores Abernathy suggests her character is not human.

Entertainment Weekly reported: "Dolores is the quintessential farm girl of the frontier West - who is about to discover that her entire idyllic existence is an elaborately constructed lie."

Sir Anthony is best known for his cinematic roles but has made a number of television appearances.

He narrated a TV documentary series, American Masters, in 2007 and appeared as Abel Magwitch in a 1989 version of Great Expectations.