Usually one given to taking his time between projects, suddenly Steven Spielberg is very busy. Bridge of Spies with Tom Hanks is next, followed by children's book adaptation The BFG. For awhile he's been planning to adapt Ernest Cline's beloved sci-fi novel, Ready Player One, and now that film has been given a firm release date that's not too far away.
Warner Bros. has set Ready Player One for release on December 15th 2017. Penned by Zak Penn (X-Men: The Last Stand), the film centers on a young man who sets out to solve a pop culture-heavy treasure hunt in the virtual reality Utopia known as Oasis. Here's the full synopsis:
In the year 2044, reality is an ugly place. The only time teenage Wade Watts really feels alive is when he's jacked into the virtual utopia known as the OASIS. Wade's devoted his life to studying the puzzles hidden within this world's digital confines — puzzles that are based on their creator's obsession with the pop culture of decades past and that promise massive power and fortune to whoever can unlock them.
But when Wade stumbles upon the first clue, he finds himself beset by players willing to kill to take this ultimate prize. The race is on, and if Wade's going to survive, he'll have to win — and confront the real world he's always been so desperate to escape.
This one has been in the works for a lot of years, although Spielberg only signed on a few months ago. He makes for an interesting choice since many of the book's movie references come from Spielberg's early career.
