Anyone enjoying the wonderful escapist drama of Ready Player One in the literary realm recently – though there may not be many of you, as it’s a YA (young adult) novel – will be extremely happy at the news that the author and Warner Bros. are taking it onto the silver screen.
If you’re into the indie film or geek-cinema scene, you may have heard whispers about a film called Fanboys (2008) that tied into a lot of these themes. The screenwriter, one Ernest (or Ernie) Cline, then penned a novel called Ready Player One which has been bought for cinematic adaptation by a rather pleased (we’d assume) Warner Bros. after what seems to be a rather frantic bidding war. Half a million dollars later, a rather pleased Ernie has started work with WB on what looks to be a fantastic, wide-appeal film (if the CGI-heavy YA adaptations are anything to go by).
The film centres on a young lad by the name of Wade Watts (I know, right? Stan Lee would be proud of alliteration like that, especially as Wade Wilson is also known as Deadpool), a man who spends his time in the virtual escapist paradise of Oasis. Enjoying the blissful wonderama that is the digitally linked universe, he is suddenly confronted with a life-changing decision. The man behind the MMOG (massively-multiplayer online game for those of you who enjoy the outdoors – sometimes, provided it’s not raining or sunny or…) dies, leaving behind him the chance for one person to take his fortune (billions, obviously) via the game. What Wade doesn’t expect is some companies are willing to go for him inside and outside the virtual universe.
It’ll be full of thrills, chills, gamer humour and references (fingers crossed, it’s about time, Gamer was a farce) and blockbuster levels of CGI. I cannot wait to see what impressive trailers pop up for this potential summer smash-hit. Though I do hear online gamers are more winter people.
