A film adaptation of Ernest Cline’s sci-fi novel Ready Player One has been in the works since 2010, and now the project has attracted the attention of one of the most prolific directors in Hollywood. Deadline is reporting that Steven Spielberg has signed on to direct the film, which will be a joint production between Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow.
This marks the first time in 14 years that Spielberg will direct a film for Warner Bros., with 2001’s A.I. being their most recent collaboration. “We are thrilled to welcome Steven back to Warner Bros,” said Greg Silverman, President of Creative Development and Worldwide Production at the studio. “We had an historic series of collaborations in the 1980s and 1990s and have wanted to bring him back for years.”
For those unfamiliar with the novel, it follows the adventures of a teenager in the near future, who spends his time in a virtual world known as OASIS. He’s trying to unlock a mystery hidden within the game, which will give him ultimate power over the virtual world – but he’s not the only one after the prize.
The novel features numerous references to pop culture, including 80s video games like Galaga and Pac-Man, and even nods to Monty Python. There’s some concern over whether or not the film will be able to secure the licensing rights to keep those references intact, but Silverman doesn’t seem to be worried:
“I think what we have to do is drill down to the best version of the movie and then see who wants to be a part of what will surely be a great film…What we found with The Lego Movie is that when we went and talked to those having the rights, people got excited about being involved.”
Spielberg certainly seems like the kind of director who would have enough clout to lock down some of those deals – his name carries a ton of prestige, and might be the key ingredient to some of those negotiations.
The most recent draft of Ready Player One comes from Zak Penn, who is said to have worked closely with Cline on crafting the big-screen version of the story. No release date has been announced.
ernie cline ready player one steven spielberg warner bros