If you were starting to wonder if there would ever be a sequel to “Ready Player One,” you would not be alone. Released in 2018 and directed by Steven Spielberg, the futuristic adventure had everyone seated. It didn’t take long for Warner Bros. to decide a sequel was needed, but then all anyone heard was crickets.
The author of the novel “Ready Player One,” Ernest Cline, crafted a sequel to his story soon after the release of the movie. “Ready Player Two” picks up straight after the events of Wade winning the keys to the digital kingdom only to find hidden vaults and another mystery. With the book, it seemed almost certain that a second movie would arrive.
‘Ready Player One’ Sequel Finally Gets an Update
GettyIt’s taken eight years for the “Ready Player One” script writer, Zak Penn, to share an update about the script. It turns out that this isn’t a project that has just disappeared into nothing. Nor is it something that’s been dropped by Warner Bros. While at the red carpet to promote “Stuart Fails to Save the Universe,” Penn told The Direct that he is “working on it.”
That’s not a lot to work with, but it’s enough to offer some sense of relief. Just recently, DC and HBO decided to scrap the “Booster Gold” project, despite James Gunn recently sharing that it was still in development. There’s always the concern that a project is going to be quietly dropped, so knowing that a writer is at least working on it offers a sense of hope.
Why ‘Ready Player Two’ Has Faced Delays
GettyIt doesn’t help that this was one of the projects hit by two events that disrupted the industry. The first was the pandemic. While “Ready Player One” was released in 2019, it wasn’t really until 2020 that discussions fully got underway about the sequel, and that was when the pandemic disrupted how filming could happen.
Then in 2023, the entirety of Hollywood shut down. First the writers went on strike, and then the actors followed suit. Many projects went into limbo and were eventually canceled. “Ready Player Two” has managed to make it through that, and it offers hope that the work on the science fiction movie will continue.
Spielberg has already said that he won’t take on the director role in the movie. In 2024, he confirmed that he would produce but not direct, and that means once the script is written, someone else will need to take on that mantle. There have also been no casting announcements or other updates around the feature.
What Could Happen in a ‘Ready Player One’ Sequel?
Getty“Ready Player One” ended with Wade winning the race to the keys to the kingdom, but he decided to split it with the friends he made while in the virtual world. They created a new OASIS, which would have regular shutdowns to encourage people to be a part of the real world and connect with their families in real life.
In the second novel, Cline created an upgrade for OASIS, and it’s something Wade finds in the hidden vaults that Halliday left behind. While the upgrade could make the world more wondrous, it also makes it more addictive, and that’s something Wade wanted to step away from.
There is one more Easter egg hunt for Wade to go on. Of course, that means a new villain, and Wade will need his friends to back him as he takes on this nemesis.
