This is one of the biggest trailers to come out of San Diego Comic Con this year. And our first steps into the world of OASIS and Ernest Cline’s pop-culture heavy Ready Player One is an assault on the senses.
Tye Sheridan stars alongside Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn, Mark Rylance, Simon Pegg and T. J. Miller in the much hyped return of Steven Spielberg to the world of sci-fi. Personally I still his Kubrick-inspired A.I. is a much misunderstood film and far better than its reputation suggests. His War of the Worlds is one of the very best sci-fi films of the post 9/11 generation and we’ve never strayed too far from those Close Encounters we enjoyed almost 40 years ago.
This new film seems perfect for Spielberg, not least because he is the embodiment of a 80s pop culture Gandalf. Embedded in this trailer are dozens of references to other films – some subtle (listen out for a riff on Willy Wonka’s ‘Pure Imagination’ theme) and others not (where they’re going – they don’t need…..roads). Fans of the book will eat it up. This trailer won’t do much for those unconverted to the daily pilgrimage to pop culture esoteria.
Here’s the first good luck – best get ready to spot all the references…
