Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One may be the geekiest book ever, a treasure trove of Easter Eggs for gamers, music nerds, comic book fanboys, and movie lovers. It’s why there has been such a clamor to adapt it for years, even before there was a publishing date. And really, there was only one guy who could make it happen, Steven Spielberg, who will be taking us into the virtual reality world of the OASIS where many of the director’s most beloved properties are the key to solving a great mystery.
A new trailer has debuted today after a Facebook Live event hosted by Cline, and he dropped some pretty big news to go along with it. The author revealed that he’s writing a sequel to the novel, confirming a rumor that has been floating around for months.
“It’s true. I can’t talk about it too much, but there’s no better inspiration for a writer [than] to return to a world they’ve already worked on when they’re watching Steven Spielberg bring that world to life.”
And you know if the film is a hit Spielberg will be looking to tackle the sequel, as well. Cline didn’t add anything further so we’ll have to wait for a release date, but it sounds like it might be a while.
The original story follows Wade Watts (played by Tye Sheridan on screen), a teenage who spends all of his time in the OASIS, a virtual reality world that has become an escape from a terrible reality. In the OASIS he joins with other hunters to solve several pop culture-themed mysteries that will unlock the greatest prize ever, one that could change the world. The film also stars Olivie Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn, TJ Miller, Mark Rylance, Simon Pegg, Letitia Wright, and McKenna Grace. Here’s the synopsis:
In 2045, the planet is on the brink of chaos and collapse, but people find salvation in the OASIS, an expansive virtual reality universe created by James Halliday. When Halliday dies, he promises his immense fortune to the first person to discover a digital Easter egg that’s hidden somewhere in the OASIS. When young Wade Watts joins the contest, he finds himself becoming an unlikely hero in a reality-bending treasure hunt through a fantastical world of mystery, discovery and danger.
One thing I like about this trailer is that it reveals a bit more of the plot than the teaser, which basically through every nostalgia reference it could at your brain all at once. It was a lot to take in. There are still plenty of them here, but they spread out as to not overwhelm the senses.
Ready Player One opens March 30th 2018.
