Steven Spielberg has been trying to make READY PLAYER ONE into a movie for a while now, based on the book by Ernie Cline. Last summer we got our first look at the film thanks to San Diego Comic-Con 2017. Spielberg and Cline, along with co-screenwriter Zak Penn actually appeared at the show along with the film’s stars Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, T.J. Miller and Ben Mendelsohn, premiering a trailer that gave a taste of what to expect. As imaginative as the story already was, the trailer looked absolutely crazy. The idea of Spielberg directing a virtual reality movie is incredibly intriguing, so it should be quite an experience. We’ve since seen another new full trailer that showed even more of the film’s story, and again wowed us with some crazy visuals. I have a feeling this is one of those cases where you could watch these videos frame by frame and still miss some of the intricate details. Now we’ve got a new featurette which focuses on the influence of Steven Spielberg’s films on Ernest Cline’s novel, and how Spielberg was so take with what Cline wrote. In some ways it’s the best look yet at the project. Check it out for yourself and tell us what you think in the comments below.
The film is set in 2045, with the world on the brink of chaos and collapse. But the people have found salvation in the OASIS, an expansive virtual reality universe created by the brilliant and eccentric James Halliday (Mark Rylance). When Halliday dies, he leaves his immense fortune to the first person to find a digital Easter egg he has hidden somewhere in the OASIS, sparking a contest that grips the entire world. When an unlikely young hero named Wade Watts (Tye Sheridan) decides to join the contest, he is hurled into a breakneck, reality-bending treasure hunt through a fantastical universe of mystery, discovery and danger.
Born and raised in Dallas, Mark has been a movie critic since 1994, with reviews featured in print, radio and National TV. In 2001 he started the Entertainment section of the Herorealm website, where he contributed film reviews and celebrity interviews until 2004. After three years of service there, he started Bigfanboy.com, which has become one of the Dallas film community's leading information websites. Bigfanboy hosts several movie screenings in the Texas area, and works closely with film and TV studios and promotional partners to host exciting events and contests. The site also features a variety of rare celebrity and filmmaker interviews, and Bigfanboy.com regularly covers the film festival circuit as well. In addition to Hollywood reporting, Mark has worked for many years as an advertising and sci-fi/comic book artist. Clients have included Lucasfilm Ltd., Topps Trading Cards, The Dallas Mavericks and The Dallas Stars. From 2002 until 2015 he managed the Dallas Comic Con, Sci-Fi Expo and Fan Days events in the DFW area. He currently catalogs rare comic books and movie memorabilia for Heritage Auctions, and runs the Dallas Comic Show conventions, but remains an avid moviegoer and cinema buff. 
