Here we go: I’m told that Steven Spielberg’s much anticipated “Ready Player One” has a start date of March 2016.
This is the video game movie based on the best selling book of the same name that Spielberg is doing for Warner Bros. Zak Penn has adapted the novel for screenplay that tells the story of Wade Watts, a movie buff and video game expert.
A casting call has gone out for Wade, described as “male, Caucasian, clean cut with a sense of
humor, 18-19 yrs old, overweight or underweight. A sincere and passionate player in the Oasis. Not the most confident guy outside the Oasis, but Wade gains boldness and nerve as his worlds collide. He uses his skills and the support of his friends to rise above each challenge.”
Caucasian? I’ll bet Spielberg will entertain actors of all races.
Also set to be cast are Helen, who is 18, “a heavyset African American girl, a little butch. She’s a technological wiz with computers and cars.” She sounds like a young Gabby Sidibe. Imagine- we’re now looking for the new Gabby!
Other characters include Artemis, a young woman who is either Caucasian or Asian, Early 20s.
Confident, appealing and tough, energetic snappy personality, her Avatar and real life personae are similar. A very well known player in the Oasis, she leads her own clan of gunters, but joins with Wade and the others to complete the ultimate competition.
Shoto– a thirteen year old Chinese boy described as “hip and knowing” for his age.
And Dato– A twenty year old young Japanese man who does not speak English. He’s one of Wade’s friends in the Oasis who joins with him to complete the competition. All the actors have to be bilingual.
“Ready Player One” sounds like a blockbuster. But we won’t see it until 2017 at the earliest, at which point movies will be played on tiny chips embedded behind our ears.
