<P> Ready Player One is a 2018 American science fiction adventure film produced and directed by Steven Spielberg, and written by Zak Penn and Ernest Cline, based on Cline's 2011 novel of the same name . The film stars Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn, Lena Waithe, T.J. Miller, Simon Pegg, and Mark Rylance . </P> <P> The film takes place in the year 2045, when much of humanity uses the virtual reality software OASIS to escape the desolation of the real world . Orphaned teenager Wade Watts (Sheridan) discovers clues to a hidden game within the program that promises the winner full ownership of the OASIS, and joins several allies to try to complete the game before a large company run by businessman Nolan Sorrento (Mendelsohn) can do so . </P> <P> Ready Player One premiered at South by Southwest on March 11, 2018, was theatrically released by Warner Bros. Pictures in the United States on March 29, 2018, in 2D, Real D 3D, IMAX and IMAX 3D . It has grossed $581 million worldwide, making it the fourth - highest - grossing film of 2018 . The film received generally positive reviews, with critics praising its visuals, brisk pacing, and Rylance's performance . The film was noted to have significant differences from the book, with some critics calling the film's plot an improvement over the source material . </P> <P> In 2045, due to various geopolitical events, many of Earth's cities have become slums; its inhabitants regularly escape into the virtual reality world of the OASIS . Its co-founder, the late James "Anorak" Halliday, announces a contest in which players must find an Easter egg inside a gate that requires three keys hidden in the worlds; the winner to receive full ownership and control of the OASIS . This attracts a number of Gunters ("egg hunters") as well as the video game conglomerate Innovative Online Industries (IOI), headed by their new CEO Nolan Sorrento, who employs researchers of Halliday, as well as top gamers and indentured servants called "Sixers". </P>

When did ready player one come to theaters