With production scheduled to begin this summer, directorSteven Spielberghas reunited with a recent Oscar winner for his adaptationReady Player One.The Hollywood Reporterreveals thatMark Rylance, who won anOscarin February for his work in Steven Spielberg’sBridge of Spies, has signed on for a pivotal role inReady Player One. As it turns out, though, the actor had to work out scheduling difficulties with another Warner Bros.' project,Christopher Nolan’sDunkirk.
Mark Rylancejoined the cast ofDunkirkin December, but the studio had to work out scheduling complications for the actor to star in bothReady Player Oneand this WWII thriller. Filming is scheduled to begin on May 23 in France onDunkirk, whileSteven Spielbergis eyeing a June production start onReady Player One, which recently shifted from a August 26, 2025 release date to June 14, 2025. It isn’t known which of these projectsMark Rylancewill shoot first, or if he will alternate between both movies at the same time.
The actor is slated to play James Donovan Halliday, the creator of OASIS, an enormously popular virtual reality world. Halliday is described as an “enigmatic figure,” who is a cross betweenSteve Jobsand Howard Hughes. The story centers on a teenager named Wade Watts (Tye Sheridan), who becomes obsessed with thisvirtual realityworld that allows players to live out their fantasies. After thegame’s creator suddenly dies, an elaborate treasure hunt is held within the Oasis world, with the winner emerging to take control of the entire company.
Along with gamers from around the world, Wade joins the adventure, and quickly finds himself pitted against powerful corporate foes and other ruthless competitors who will do anything, in the oasis or the real world, to reach the treasure first.Olivia Cookewill play Sam, a Canadian blogger who is known in the Oasis world as Art3mis, and will become alove interestfor the lead character.Ben Mendelsohnis playing the executive of an Internet company who is trying to take control of Oasis.Simon Pegghas also recently joined the cast asOrgen Morrow, who co-created Oasis with James Donovan Halliday.
Steven Spielbergis directing from a script byZak PennandErnest Cline, who wrote the original novel the movie is adapted from.Mark Rylanceis quickly becoming a go-to actor for directorSteven Spielberg. Aside from last year’sBridge of Spies, the actor plays the title character in DreamWorks’The BFG, hitting theaters July 1, and he also recently signed on to star in the director’s next project afterReady Player One,The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara. What do you think aboutMark Rylanceplaying James Donovan Halliday inReady Player One?
