Steven Spielberg is a cinematic icon, but he’s arguably best known for his sci-fi works. With classics like Close Encounters of the Third Kind, E.T., Jurassic Park, Minority Report, and more under his belt, Spielberg has proven time and time again he’s a master of the genre, immersing audiences in feelings of awe and wonder. That’s why Spielberg was such a fascinating choice to direct the adaptation of Ready Player One. The film, which is rooted in nostalgic pop culture and features a bevy of cameos from famous characters, almost plays as the older Spielberg’s attempt to reconcile with his legacy and the impact he made on the zeitgeist. Ready Player One wasn’t Spielberg’s most acclaimed film, but it still managed to gross $607.8 million at the worldwide box office, leading to development of a sequel.
That follow-up, Ready Player Two, just received a major update. Speaking with The Direct, screenwriter Zak Penn (who co-wrote the first film) said “I am working on it” when asked about his progress on Ready Player Two. So far, there’s no work on a possible production timeline or release date, but even as Ready Player Two remains in development, it’s facing a glaring problem.
After helming the first film, Steven Spielberg has confirmed he won’t return to direct Ready Player Two. He’s only staying onboard as a producer this time around, meaning someone else will be calling the shots. It’s understandable why Spielberg is passing the baton to another filmmaker (he’s been teasing a Western that he’s keen on directing), but this development puts Ready Player Two at a bit of a disadvantage when compared to its predecessor. Spielberg will turn 80 years old later this year, but he remains unmatched when crafting these sorts of high-concept genre stories on the big screen. Disclosure Day divided viewers, but critics considered it proof that Spielberg was still more than capable of combining poignant storytelling with thrilling set pieces.
There are several directors working today who could definitely handle a large-scale production like Ready Player Two, but Spielberg came across as the perfect director for this kind of material. Beyond Spielberg’s mastery of action and character, he was able to find a way to dig deeper into the narrative themes to craft a film that’s more interesting than people give it credit for. If the studio were to hand the keys to one of the many filmmakers who were influenced by Spielberg, the fear would be they’d lean too much into the less effective aspects of Ready Player One. That film earned some backlash for what many using flashy CGI visuals and ’80s nostalgia as a crutch. Spielberg made this work because of his unique perspective (he’s responsible for a lot of the ’80s pop culture that remains relevant today), but it’s a tricky balance to pull off. In the wrong hands, Ready Player Two could be the bad version of Ready Player One.
There also isn’t the strongest track record of filmmakers following Spielberg’s footsteps in a franchise. None of the Jaws sequels came close to matching the revolutionary original. The Jurassic Park IP has continued to be a reliable moneymaker at the box office, but the series’ critical reception has taken a beating over the years. Similar to Ready Player One, Spielberg’s original Jurassic Park functions as a cautionary sci-fi tale, and the follow-ups have never truly gotten to that level in terms of storytelling. James Mangold’s Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny earned generally positive reviews, but it bombed at the box office. It all goes to show that many have tried to replicate Spielberg’s magic and it hasn’t really worked.
It’ll be interesting to see who signs on to direct Ready Player Two. Odds are, Spielberg will have some say in this matter. Perhaps he can handpick his ideal successor. As the director of Ready Player One, Spielberg understands what makes that story work and what’s important for the sequel, so he would be able to guide someone along and put them on the right track. Hopefully, whoever come aboard will be able to tap into what makes the world of Ready Player One as fascinating as it is.
