# Steven Spielberg to direct Ready Player One adaptation **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 27, 2015, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steven-spielberg-to-direct-ready-player-one-adaptation/716139 "2015-03-27T18:16:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2015, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steven-spielberg-to-direct-ready-player-one-adaptation/716139/1 "2015-03-27T18:16:13Z")
> **[Steven Spielberg To Direct Sci-Fi Cult Favorite ‘Ready Player One’; Back At...](https://deadline.com/2015/03/ready-player-one-movie-steven-spielberg-ernest-cline-warner-bros-1201398299/)** > > EXCLUSIVE: Steven Spielberg is set to direct Ready Player One, the highly anticipated project based on the popular sci-fi book by Ernest Cline that takes place in a virtual world. What a coup for W… As a fan of the book, this has me pumped. It’s a Gen X dream come true! 😃 For a movie that should be a visual feast with lots of action but also plenty of heart, this is a great combination. I’m glad someone with Spielberg’s clout is taking this on. ---
**Author:** ![gregorio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/fbc32d/32.png) [@gregorio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gregorio)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2015, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steven-spielberg-to-direct-ready-player-one-adaptation/716139/2 "2015-03-27T18:53:06Z")
I read it recently and thoroughly enjoyed it. I recognized most (but not all) of the games and situations. However I wonder how Spielberg will handle the very dark (IMHO) aspect of: the murder of the main character’s family, scumbags that they were. Looking forward to watching this. ---
**Author:** ![SJL4041](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/73ab20/32.png) [@SJL4041](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SJL4041)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2015, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steven-spielberg-to-direct-ready-player-one-adaptation/716139/3 "2015-03-27T19:21:25Z")
Yuck. I loved the book, but it needs a light touch, not Spielberg’s ponderousness. I know this is a minority opinion, but Spielberg has sucked for a while. As for his sci-fi output, A.I. was an ugly mess, Minority Report was okay, and I missed his War of the Worlds. I don’t think it excited too many people. ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2015, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steven-spielberg-to-direct-ready-player-one-adaptation/716139/4 "2015-03-27T19:56:06Z")
I have high hopes for this. I wonder how the movie will handle the big reveal about Aech. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2015, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steven-spielberg-to-direct-ready-player-one-adaptation/716139/5 "2015-03-27T19:58:39Z")
Yeah, I’m curious about how they will present the characters, since so much of the time they are using their avatars in the virtual world. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2015, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steven-spielberg-to-direct-ready-player-one-adaptation/716139/6 "2015-03-27T20:08:50Z")
How in the world will they get the rights to half the stuff in there I wonder? ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2015, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steven-spielberg-to-direct-ready-player-one-adaptation/716139/7 "2015-03-27T20:57:13Z")
^That’s a good question. I think Spielberg’s involvement should help, in terms of both money and name-recognition. The article I linked to above mentions _The Lego Movie_ and how a lot of people who hold the rights to various properties referenced in that movie were very willing to participate. Though I imagine some of the rights to these old games and movies may have changed hands many times and it could get complicated just to figure out who currently owns them. I have no idea how all that works, though. Did Ernest Cline have to get permission to write about all of them for the book? Does it fall under “fair use”? ---
**Author:** ![Trancephalic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trancephalic/32/380_2.png) [@Trancephalic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trancephalic)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2015, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steven-spielberg-to-direct-ready-player-one-adaptation/716139/8 "2015-03-27T23:11:04Z")
I’m still waiting for his Fatal Frame adaptation.:mad: ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2015, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steven-spielberg-to-direct-ready-player-one-adaptation/716139/9 "2015-03-27T23:28:45Z")
> [@SJL4041](#): > > Yuck. I loved the book, but it needs a light touch, not Spielberg’s ponderousness. I know this is a minority opinion, but Spielberg has sucked for a while. As for his sci-fi output, A.I. was an ugly mess, Minority Report was okay, and I missed his War of the Worlds. I don’t think it excited too many people. Spielberg can do light if he puts his mind to it - just look at _Catch Me if You Can._ ---
**Author:** ![diggerwam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/919ad9/32.png) [@diggerwam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/diggerwam)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2015, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steven-spielberg-to-direct-ready-player-one-adaptation/716139/10 "2015-03-28T14:45:24Z")
Book was really simplistic. Problem, solution, repeat. I really don’t like Spielberg too much. I’ll probably try to avoid the movie. ---
**Author:** ![epbrown01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@epbrown01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown01)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2015, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steven-spielberg-to-direct-ready-player-one-adaptation/716139/11 "2015-03-28T20:30:51Z")
> [@SJL4041](#): > > Yuck. I loved the book, but it needs a light touch, not Spielberg’s ponderousness. My first thought on hearing this. > [@Quimby](#): > > How in the world will they get the rights to half the stuff in there I wonder? I don’t see a problem - once properties are old enough, rights owners seem to relax a bit, and all this stuff will be almost 40 years old. Will Rush bitch about one of their old albums being hugely relevant, or will the makers of D&D grouse about their product playing a pivotal role, and so on etc. The films would be the toughest part. Doesn’t matter to me, really. If Cline got a crapload of money for the rights, I’m pleased because I _really_ enjoyed the book (despite Art3mis being a bitch pretty much the entire book and never being called on it), but if the movie stinks I just won’t watch it. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2015, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steven-spielberg-to-direct-ready-player-one-adaptation/716139/12 "2015-07-01T21:35:30Z")
I just got around to reading the book. Generally it was entertaining but it was basically a nerd/gamer’s wet dream: Real world overweight loner/introvert, saves the world, makes beaucoup bucks, and finds his dream love all by playing a video games and watching movies. Pure fantasy! ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2015, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steven-spielberg-to-direct-ready-player-one-adaptation/716139/13 "2015-07-01T22:23:15Z")
Huh, funny that I should see this thread now. I was just asking someone today whether Spielberg was still directing anything, or if he had retired. We were bemoaning the prevalence of Michael Bay and his ilk. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2015, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steven-spielberg-to-direct-ready-player-one-adaptation/716139/14 "2015-07-01T22:26:50Z")
It needs to be an action-adventure because there is nothing else to the book besides that. Oh and paragraphs of name dropping. Not of people but of old movies and tv shows, music and games. Seriously, sometimes even two paragraphs of nothing but lists old entertainment stuffs. But I did want to know how everything turned out. I think it would be a good Running Man type movie. ETA: Michael Bay would make a good adaptation, I think. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2015, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steven-spielberg-to-direct-ready-player-one-adaptation/716139/15 "2015-07-02T00:48:04Z")
Michael Bay has never made a good anything. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2017, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steven-spielberg-to-direct-ready-player-one-adaptation/716139/16 "2017-07-22T20:11:02Z")
First trailer for Spielberg’s _ **Ready Player One** _: Almost all 'action' scenes in the trailer, and they look really great! There's a ton of stuff to dissect just in these snippets. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2017, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steven-spielberg-to-direct-ready-player-one-adaptation/716139/17 "2017-07-22T20:15:49Z")
The use of a “Pure Imagination” (Willy Wonka) epic remix and a Rush song in the trailer has me ready to go! ---
**Author:** ![Okrahoma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90db22/32.png) [@Okrahoma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Okrahoma)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2017, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steven-spielberg-to-direct-ready-player-one-adaptation/716139/18 "2017-07-22T20:32:05Z")
Loved the book, movie looks great from the trailer. Release date is March 30, 2018. Long time to wait. Kinda sucks that Cline’s second book was so horrible but I guess he’s a one hit wonder. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2017, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steven-spielberg-to-direct-ready-player-one-adaptation/716139/19 "2017-07-22T20:50:14Z")
> [@Tangent](#): > > Michael Bay has never made a good anything. I don’t know anything about the book and movie yinz guys are talking about, but I can’t let this statement (quoted) from 2015 go un-seconded. ---
**Author:** ![Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uosdwis_R.Dewoh)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2017, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steven-spielberg-to-direct-ready-player-one-adaptation/716139/20 "2017-07-22T21:07:21Z")
> [@snfaulkner](#): > > I don’t know anything about the book and movie yinz guys are talking about, but I can’t let this statement (quoted) from 2015 go un-seconded. Bad Boys, The Rock, and Armageddon are solid popcorn movies. Admittedly, after those his hyperactive directing style got old fast. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steven-spielberg-to-direct-ready-player-one-adaptation/716139.md?page=2)