A new player has entered the OASIS!
If we take a look at the anticipated adaptation for Ready Player One currently in the works, Ernest Cline, the author and master creator, is definitely James Halliday; that makes Zak Penn (tasked with writing the script) Art3mis, knowledgeable and necessary in order for success. But a final piece of the puzzle has been missing thus far, who is Wade Watts? Now, we have our answer.
Steven Spielberg.
A film adaptation for beloved sci-fi adventure novel, Ready Player One, has been in the works long before the book was even published — or at least it has been in thought. When Warner Bros. acquired the rights to the novel in 2010, they probably thought some of the same things I did when reading it: this book is blockbuster material; the characters are likable, the action is tangible, but there is no way to possibly acquire all the rights to make this film work. For those who haven’t read it, the novel is filled with 1980’s pop culture references, from movies to games, some invaluably important to the main plot. Flash forward to 2014, when The Lego Movie is released not only with Warner Bros. properties but Disney’s as well! And suddenly the legal battle for rights might still be mind-boggling but not impossible for a film like Ready Player One.
Still, a lot of pieces need to be put into place for a movie like this to work — and the biggest most pivotal point in securing rights you don’t have is garnering hype on the project. With Spielberg attached to direct, we’re one step closer to seeing this story move from “Development” to full on “Pre-production.” While the director has his hands full now with The BFG slated for production this year, Ready Player One is the next project on his list. We should be able to see more momentum on RPO to build once Spielberg wraps production on The BFG. Until then, watch your six, keep studying, and it won’t be long until we’re back in the OASIS.
