Ernest Cline‘s novel Ready Player One isn’t just an homage to the ’80s; it’s a tribute to those who love pop culture itself. The entire story, which alternates between a dystopian future world and a virtual reality “oasis” most people prefer to live in, revolves around one of the most obsessive compulsions of fandom: hunting down Easter eggs. Although it’s pretty easy to spot the huge one included in the newest poster for the movie.
In the latest promo for the film, Tye Sheridan‘s Wade Watts (a.k.a. Parzival) is seen standing on the ladder to his aunt’s double wide trailer in the “stacks” where he lives. But he’s not looking down — he’s looking up and beyond, where there is a giant egg-shaped light. It’s filled with a majestic sky that looks like an opening to another dimension, which is exactly what the virtual reality world of the OASIS is to the “lost generation” of kids who spend most of their time there.
This poster is a clear reference to Halliday’s Easter Egg Hunt, the task set forth by James Halliday, the co-creator of the OASIS, which drives the story’s main plot. Upon his death, Halliday’s prerecorded announcement of an unprecedented tournament is sent out to the world, with the winner becoming the new owner of his massive virtual reality world and the incredible fortune that comes with it.
But while Wade is one of millions of “Egg hunters,” better known as “gunters,” from around the world trying to solve the seemingly impossible quest, he’s also being hunted by an evil corporation who hope to take over the OASIS so they can profit from it.
The movie will have a million Easter eggs for us to hunt down, and while we doubt all of them will be this easy to spot, none of them matter as much to the story.
Ready Player One, directed by Steven Spielberg, logs in to theaters next spring on march 30th, 2018.
What part of the book are you most excited to see in the movie? Don’t make us hunt down your thoughts, share them with us in the comments below.
Images: Warner Bros. Studios
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