While filmmakerSteven Spielbergjust dipped his toe into the fantasy genre for only the second time in his career withThe BFG, the director’s next project puts him firmly back in the realm of sci-fi blockbusters. Indeed, one of the greatest filmmakers of all time is helming an adaptation of authorErnie Cline’s bestselling novelReady Player One, and anticipation is mighty high for what should be a massive, thrilling sci-fi adventure. So with the film on the way, what can we expect? Below, get the rundown of everything we know so far about theReady Player Onemovie.
Cline’s novel was released in 2011 and quickly became a New York Times bestseller. The story takes place in the year 2044, in which Earth has become ravaged by overpopulation and filth. Given the unattractive nature of reality, most humans spend their days immersed in OASIS, which is a virtual utopia in which people interact with others via digital avatars, exploring different worlds and realms, and even attending school. Indeed, every child is equipped with an OASIS-ready set that allows them to partake in schooling via virtual reality, but traveling off the very basic “school planet” requires credits.
A couple of years before our story begins, the creator of OASIS, an eccentric by the name of James Halliday, died and thus unveiled a worldwide Easter Egg hunt. Whosoever finds the three Easter Eggs hidden in OASIS becomes the new owner of OASIS, and given that the virtual space has become the most popular and lucrative thing in the world, that owner would wield immense power—it’d be like if someone inherited ownership over the Internet.
The Easter Egg hunt is ongoing, with everyone from young newbies to professional corporations dipping their toes into the “gunters” (egg hunters) water. Our hero, a teenager named Wade Watts living in Oklahoma City, manages to find the first clue for the first Easter Egg after a few years, thus kicking the Easter Egg hunt into high gear and making him Target Number 1 of those who’d rather wield the power of OASIS themselves.
The Characters
The Production
Spielberg signed on to direct theReady Player Onemovie in March 2015, marking a mighty exciting partnership with Warner Bros. He cast Cooke pretty quickly in the role of Art3mis, but finding his Wade Watts was a bit more difficult as the filmmaker auditioned a number of actors before settling on Sheridan for the role.
Zak Penn, the screenwriter behindElektra,X-Men: The Last Stand, and the upcomingPacific Rim 2, has penned the script for the adaptation, but although the book contains a number of references to Spielberg’s films of the 80s, the director recently revealed thathe’s removed most of the nods to movieswith which he was involved.
John Williamsis, of course, returning to compose the score, and Spielberg is working once again with many of his familiar team members, including cinematographerJanusz Kaminski, who’s shot every Spielberg movie sinceSchindler’s List. One departure is the film’s production designer—Adam Stockhausen, whose credits includeMoonrise Kingdom,12 Years a Slave, andThe Grand Budapest Hotel, is serving as production designer onReady Player Oneinstead of Spielberg’s frequent collaboratorRick Carter. Spielberg first worked with Stockhausen onBridge of Spies, when Carter was occupied withStar Wars: The Force Awakens, so this won’t be an entirely new collaboration but it is indeed a fresh one as Spielberg has been working with Carter sinceThe Lost World: Jurassic Park.
Filming is taking place mostly in London, with the film slated to hit theaters worldwide on July 09, 2025.
