Recently, rumors swirled that the coveted lead female role of Art3mis in the film adaption of Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One was down to a short list of actresses. Well, according to The Wrap, it seems that Bates Motel star Olivia Cooke is in final talks to portray the badass Gunter. Cooke had some stiff competition, as Super 8’s Elle Fanning and Lola Kirke from Misstress America were both reportedly up for the role as well. We wonder if this means Cooke is now out of the running for This would mean that Cooke is now going to be out of the running for a part in Star Wars: Episode VIII, which she is also rumored to be up for. However, since filming has already begun for Episode VIII, that ship may have already sailed.

For those of you who are unfamiliar (who perhaps didn’t follow along with our Nerdist Book Club when we read Ready Player One, or just don’t want to go off and do the research when we can do it for you) the film’s story will follow a young man named Wade Watts in a not-too-distant future. His adventure beings when he gains instant fame by solving the first clue in a virtual reality scavenger hunt everyone assumed was a myth. Wade’s fame is short-lived, though, as he is put in a race against pretty much everyone in the world, including an evil corporation and even his own friends, to find the “Easter Egg” that will bestow a wealthy programmers entire fortune upon the winner of the Hunt.

Ready Player One is currently set for a holiday 2017 release from Warner Bros. and director Steven Spielberg. What do you think of Cooke’s casting, and who else do you think should be cast in the film? Let us know in the comments below.

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HT: The Wrap

Featured Image: Young Entertainment Mag