The first challenge serves as a great example. And in the same way that Halliday uses the three challenges to work through his life's regrets, Spielberg sees Ready Player One as a vehicle with which to tackle his legacy, along with the goods and ills it may have conceived. Like Halliday, Spielberg is a major part of pop culture, having inspired scores of filmmakers, as well as the work they've turned out. It's Halliday who the filmmaker seems to see most of himself in. After all, it wouldn't be the first time that his movies featured an adolescent going through an extraordinary journey.

RELATED: 'The Fabelmans' May Be Personal, Says Spielberg, But It's Not Just for His Fans Spielberg Likely Sees Himself in HallidayĪt first glance, one would think that the character Spielberg is connecting with is Wade. Wade Watts ( Tye Sheridan) and his friends race to complete the challenges, all the while opposed by tech conglomerate Innovative Online Industries and its ruthless CEO Nolan Sorrento ( Ben Mendelsohn). Whoever completes three challenges will receive three keys to unlock a series of gates, and the person who unlocks all three gates will gain control of Halliday's vast fortune as well as the OASIS itself. The OASIS was co-created by the brilliant yet reclusive James Halliday ( Mark Rylance), who launches a unique contest after his death.

Ready Player One, which is currently available to stream on HBO Max, takes place in the year 2045, as mankind spends most of its time in the virtual environment known as the OASIS (Ontologically Anthropocentric Sensory Immersive Simulation). However, upon a rewatch, the reason why Spielberg chose to helm the film is clear: He sees much of himself in a certain character. And when it was announced that Steven Spielbergwould be helming the live-action adaptation of Ready Player One, the reception was.

Cline also received less than flattering reviews for his follow-up novels Armada and Ready Player Two. The Ernest Cline novel it's based on, once touted as a love letter to pop culture, was critically reappraised and found wanting in multiple areas. Ready Player One is a film that's sparked more than a fair amount of discourse.

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