Spielberg has talked about making big action/fantasy films for the past few films but has only actually helmed more serious fare such as Lincoln and the upcoming Bridge Of Spies, however he’s going much more populist with his next two movies. He’s set to shoot The BFG later this year and now Deadline reports he’s boarded the action sci-fi Ready Player One.

The movie will be based on Ernie Cline novel. Here’s the synopsis: ‘In the year 2044, reality is an ugly place. The only time teenage Wade Watts really feels alive is when he’s jacked into the virtual utopia known as the OASIS. Wade’s devoted his life to studying the puzzles hidden within this world’s digital confines—puzzles that are based on their creator’s obsession with the pop culture of decades past and that promise massive power and fortune to whoever can unlock them. But when Wade stumbles upon the first clue, he finds himself beset by players willing to kill to take this ultimate prize. The race is on, and if Wade’s going to survive, he’ll have to win—and confront the real world he’s always been so desperate to escape.’

Ever since the novel was published there’s been excitement about the idea of a film version, but what people liked about that idea is also what many thought meant it would never happen – the world Wade enters is full of reference to real world old movies and video games. While you can talk about those things in a novel, it becomes much trickier to include in a film, as all sorts of people own the rights to the characters.

However if one man can wade through that quagmire it’s Spielberg. Indeed it would be possible to write a script purely filled with movies Steven has had a hand in – from Jurassic Park to Back To The Future – and it would feel like a pretty comprehensive trip through the pop culture of the past 35 years. In fact some have argued that it was nostalgia for the Spielbergian films of the 1980s that inspired many of the ideas in the novel.

It’s certainly an exciting idea, so let’s hope it comes to fruition.