While Fanboys, about a group of Star Wars fans heading to Skywalker Ranch to steal a preview copy of The Phantom Menace, because they don’t think their mate will live long enough to see it released in cinemas, suffered a rather ignominious fate of reshoots, endless delays and a US release that was barely worth doing at all (it’s still yet to reach the UK), it’s nevertheless a good movie and certainly got those involved in making it noticed in the industry.
One of the screenwriters, Ernie Cline, has since written a young adult novel called Ready Player One, which was picked up late last week by Random House and only a day later got a deal for a movie version at Warner Brothers, after a bidding war that also included the likes of Paramount. Apparently the interest was sparked by percieved similarities to Avatar and also the fact it has a teen protagonaist – both of which are very popular in La La Land at the moment.
THR says that the plot synopsis doing the rounds describes Ready Player One as, ‘In the near future, outcast teenager Wade Watts escapes from his bleak surroundings by logging in to the Oasis, a globally networked virtual utopia where users can lead idyllic alternate lives. When the eccentric billionaire who created the Oasis dies, he offers up his vast fortune as the prize in an elaborate treasure hunt. Along with gamers from around the world Wade joins the adventure, and quickly finds himself pitted against powerful corporate foes who will do anything, in the oasis or the real world, to reach the treasure first. Think Willy Wonka, The Matrix, and Avatar all rolled into one.’
It’s certainly got a lot to live up to if it’s gonna be Willy Wonka, The Matrix, and Avatar all rolled into one, but it’s a nifty starting point for a plot, which offers lots of possibilities. As yet it’s early days, with no writer or director attached for the film version, but hopefully that will be remedied soon.