Spoilers, obvz.
Considering the nature of this article, we’re going to break this article down into two sections: one in which we talk around the scene in question, and one in which we talk ABOUT the scene in question, so if you haven’t seen the movie (yet, because you should, as we talk about in our review of the movie right here) you can still read this first part.
However, in order to chat about Ready Player One, with or without spoilers, then we are going to have to spoil The Last Jedi a little bit.
Listen, we assume if you’re reading this then you’re a big movie fan, so none of these things should be coming as a surprise to you.
Back when Episode XIII of Star Wars was released in December, and fans sat down to watch it, nobody had any idea that Yoda would appear to make a special post-death cameo.
Frank Oz (the voice and movement behind Yoda) was asked by IGN how it was all kept a secret, especially in this day and age when the internet has the ability to ruin just about everything:
“I was told that that was going to be the surprise of the movie, so when I went to Pinewood [Studios, where Jedi was filmed], I had to be a secret there.
“Although if people saw me… people did see me, but if they questioned me, it would have been fine because I shot Little Shop of Horrors there, and could have just said I had some meetings for movies.
“But the idea was to keep me off the credits. I was asked, ‘Could you have your name off the poster?’ and I said ‘Sure.’ So the idea was that that would be the surprise.”
That alone was particular difficult, even though Yoda essentially only appears with one other character in The Last Jedi, so the chances of leaking the secret were slimmed down somewhat.
Which isn’t something that applies to the scene in question in Ready Player One, which involves pretty much all of the major players, plus the movie had a book to adapt from… but even readers of the book won’t see this scene coming.
Plus there are teasers and trailers and posters and TV spots and “hints” by cast and crew – the space to spoil has simultaneously become vast and incredibly easy to fill.
While the novel was a huge hit, it doesn’t automatically translate super well to something very cinematic, as more often than not it involves one person trying to accomplish something while playing an old video-game.
It was a problem that Spielberg and his movie worked around fantastically well, by putting the protagonists in the middle of the action. For example, one of the scenes sees the players taking part in a hugely destructive race sequence (something that the trailers have definitely been pushing), instead of just playing one.
This change is also applied to Ready Player One for the surprise scene, one which will have movie fans fighting their natural instinct to stand and applaud when they realise what Spielberg has managed to pull off so successfully.
Seriously, if we do get around to doing a Best Scenes Of 2018 article come December, we’d be very surprised if this doesn’t wind up at the very top.
Now, time for a little break, for anyone wanting to get out without any spoilers, and we’ll use our interview with the movie’s stars Tye Sheridan and Olivia Cooke to separate us before we head into part two…
Still here? Because if you don’t want spoilers, then you should head off towards our interviews with more of the movie’s stars like Simon Pegg, Lena Waithe, Philip Zhao and Win Morisaki, as well as the book’s author and the movie’s screenwriter Ernest Cline.
Definitely still here? Okay then.
The Shining.
Yep, as the gang hunt for one of the Easter Eggs that will help them eventually win the rights to run the virtual reality world of Oasis, they’re given a hint about a creator that hated this creation. Once they figure it out, they head into an interactive version of the movie, which dumps them all in the scary depths of The Overlook Hotel.
In the book, this scene involved the lead character merely repeating the lines of 80’s geek classic War Games from memory, while the first draft of the screenplay, according to Cinema Blend’s interview with the movie’s co-writer Zak Penn revealed that it was initially supposed to involve the characters being dropped into the world of Blade Runner.
However, going with The Shining was the best possible outcome, not only because of Spielberg’s connection to Kubrick (he was such a huge fan of his work, he took on making A.I. after Kubrick passed away before he could begin production on it), and the ‘creator hating his creation’ aspect is perfect, and Stephen King wrote the original novel, but absolutely hated Kubrick’s cinematic take on it.
It also allows Spielberg to use seamless special effects to put modern characters in the very old-school vibe of The Shining, taking a time-out from the mega-blockbuster explosions to land some brilliant punch-lines involving elevators full of blood, Room 237 and that woman in the bath.
In a movie overflowing with amazing references, including at least one more brilliantly timed horror addition, Spielberg getting us to check in at The Overlook Hotel will be the one that stays in everyone’s memories as the end credits begin to roll.
Ready Player One is in cinemas right now.
LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ with Aideen McQueen – Faith healers, Coolock craic and Gigging as Gaeilge
