Following the recent release of the new battle royale game based on Ready Player One, fans of the film now have even more reason to celebrate. Steven Spielberg has confirmed that a sequel is in the works! Although Spielberg won’t be returning as the director this time, he will serve as a producer on the project, titled Ready Player Two.
The original Ready Player One was a sci-fi adventure based on Ernest Cline’s novel of the same name, brought to the screen by Spielberg with a screenplay co-written by Zak Penn. Set in a dystopian future where humanity escapes the harsh realities of life by immersing themselves in the OASIS, a vast virtual world, the film was packed with pop culture Easter eggs. It featured a talented cast of rising stars, including Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn, Lena Waithe, T.J. Miller, Simon Pegg, and Mark Rylance.
Speaking at the Universal Pictures gala held at Soho House, Spielberg told Showbiz 411 that preparations for Ready Player Two are already underway.
Released in 2018, Ready Player One grossed over $607 million worldwide, sparking immediate speculation about a sequel. Rumors reignited in 2020 when Ernest Cline published his follow-up novel, Ready Player Two. Shortly after, the author announced that a film adaptation was in early development. However, at the time, Warner Bros. had not officially greenlit the project.
Spielberg’s involvement in Ready Player Two, even as a producer, comes as a pleasant surprise. Throughout his career, he has rarely embraced sequels outside of the Indiana Jones and Jurassic Park franchises. Nonetheless, Spielberg has often supported projects in a producing capacity without taking on a hands-on role, with recent examples including Maestro, The Color Purple, Halo, and Masters of the Air.
With Spielberg’s blessing and the excitement surrounding Cline’s sequel, Ready Player Two is shaping up to be another thrilling journey into the OASIS.
