Is Ready Player Two in development? Details explored as Steven Speilberg confirms involvement

Steven Speilberg has confirmed his involvement in Ready Player Two following the success of the first film in 2018. Even though the project has received an announcement from Ernest Cline, the author of the 2011 science fiction novel, the sequel is yet to start production.

Speilberg directed and produced the first movie, while Cline wrote the screenplay for the novel along with Zak Penn. Ready Player Two possibly brings back OASIS, the virtual reality simulation, after the five-year hiatus with the development of the film yet to be announced.

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"We’re in the discovery phase, trying to figure out what’s next"- Spielberg offers update on development of Ready Player Two

The 2018 Warner Bros. Pictures production, Ready Player One, grossed a whopping $607.9 million compared to its $155 million budget on its release. Following its success, the first movie ushered in talks of a sequel, especially when the second novel was published by Ernest Cline in 2020.

Soon after, Cline announced the film adaptation of the novel was being pushed to development. Steven Spielberg additionally spoke to Showbiz 411 after the 2024 Oscars at the Universal Pictures gala at Soho House to share,

"We’re in the discovery phase, trying to figure out what’s next."

The report further confirmed that he would only be producing the film, keeping true to his streak of producing sequels except for Jurassic Park and Indiana Jones. He has served as the producer for Men in Black 3, First Man, and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny in recent years. He is set to serve as the executive producer for Josh Cooley's upcoming Transformers One.

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More on Ready Player One - Details explored

Ready Player One's story takes viewers to the year 2045, where OASIS, a virtual reality simulation, is in charge of how humans navigate their world. An orphan gets hold of clues in a contest to win ownership of OASIS, replacing James Halliday, and ends up racing against time to compete against an evil corporation that tries to take control of the autonomy of the digital space.

The prequel to Ready Player Two saw an ensemble cast comprising Tye Sheridan (The Tree of Life), Olivia Cooke (Sound of Metal), Ben Mendelsohn (Netflix's Bloodline), T.J. Miller (Transformers: Age of Extinction), Simon Pegg (the Mission: Impossible series), and Mark Rylance (The Trial of the Chicago 7). Sheridan spoke to ComicBook.com's Instagram live series Talking Shop to share,

"You know, 'Is there going to be sequel?' And I think everybody's well aware that Ernie Cline is releasing a Ready Player Two, the novel. You know, but people keep asking me and I would love to have an answer for you and I think people, you know, will and can speculate all they want, but I don't really know what the plan is yet. I have my fingers crossed and, of course, I think it's a great and I loved working on that film, so yeah, I hope, I hope we get to do another."

Ready Player Two picks up where the first novel ended and brings a technological upgrade that intends to make OASIS far more exciting for humans. However, the upgrade hidden in Halliday's vault and meant for his heir comes with a last Easter egg.