Legendary director, Steven Spielberg, is bringing Ernest Cline’s book, Ready Player One, to the big screen and here’s why it’s one of our most anticipated films of 2018.
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline was one of the most stand-out pieces of literature to come out of 2011, and just when the hype surrounding Cline’s creation seemed to be dying down, in 2015 Warner Bros. announced that Steven Spielberg had signed on to direct what will undoubtedly be a bloody great movie.
Set in 2044, the sci-fi novel follows the journey of Wade Watts, as he races through a virtual utopia called the OASIS created by James Halliday. The OASIS is populated by MMORPG players seeking to find the ultimate lottery ticket, which when found will make the discoverer the sole heir to creator Halliday’s fortune and corporation.
For those of us who were born in the early 80s to early 90s, Ready Player One created a nostalgic nest for us, rife with every important pop culture reference from Pac-Man to Mad Max, while simultaneously propelling us into a compelling and worryingly dystopian future. This is a classic tale of the rise of the underdog, the downtrodden making their voices heard, a small group of friends working together to overturn a corporate giant and frankly, I can’t wait to see it.
The fact that Spielberg is directing Ready Player One couldn’t be more perfect, as Cline himself stated, this book would not have been written without growing up with Spielberg’s films. Speaking with to Entertainment Weekly he said: “His work directly influenced the narrative and the way that I told the story,” He continued: “So to have him directing, it’s too perfect to even be possible. And somehow it’s happened.”
The film was first intended to come out in December this year but was then postponed to March 30th, 2018, so that as not to coincide with the release of Star Wars: The Last Jedi. However, its ties to the galaxy far far away aren’t completely severed, as none other than our beloved Ben Mendelsohn will be starring as Wade’s merciless nemesis, Nolan Sorrento. Wade himself will be played by X-Men: Apocalypse’s Tye Sheridan and national treasure Mark Rylance will be playing the man who set the wheels in motion, who set millions of players on a scavenger hunt and put the fate of the real and virtual worlds at risk, James Halliday.
Ready Player One has all the ingredients to be an explosive hit at the box office, so stay tuned for more updates as we count down to the premiere!
Having endlessly re-read this book since its release, I’m so incredibly stoked for this movie to get here! And it’s nice to find an article not prematurely judging it solely based on the nostalgia factor!
Thank you so much!