Cinemystery News: Steven Spielberg To Direct Film Adaptation of Ready Player One

Steven Spielberg is set to direct the film adaptation of Ernest Cline's sci-fi thriller Ready Player One for Warner Bros.

Set in the near future, the storyline is centered on a teen gamer immersed the virtual world of OASIS, searching for clues to a hidden puzzle that promises great wealth and power.

Deadline broke the news, and explores all the issues that the filmmakers will have to address, including how to allow the audience to feel as if they, too, are part of this virtual world. "At Warners, we always have our eye on all the groundbreaking visual effects and technology available worldwide, and we feel very confident with any new ground that Steven would want to tackle," said Greg Silverman, the studio's President of Creative Development and Worldwide Production. "He's a master filmmaker, so we feel very comfortable with him. The story is the main thing, and whatever works best for audience enjoyment is what we'll do."

Ready Player One was published by Crown in 2011. Here's the 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.