Ready Player One Pushed Into 2018 To Avoid Clash With Star Wars: Episode VIII

Following in the footsteps of James Cameron’s long-gestating Avatar sequel, Warner Bros. has officially pushed pack Steven Spielberg’s Ready Player One film into 2018.

Originally scheduled to open on December 15, 2017, the sci-fi adaptation will now hit theaters on March 30, 2018. Yes, it seems Disney and Lucasfilm’s decision to bump Rian Johnson’s Star Wars: Episode VIII into late 2017 – December 15, to be specific – has had a resounding effect on Hollywood’s slate of blockbusters, setting off a domino effect that has now made an impact on Warner’s release plans for Spielberg’s futuristic tentpole.

Given that Ready Player One is still simmering in pre-production, news of delay shouldn’t prove too damaging for the studio’s adaptation of Ernest Cline’s eponymous novel. At the time of writing, only Olivia Cooke and Ben Mendelsohn have been confirmed to star, with the latter on board to play the role of the film’s chief villain.

Beyond that, a handful of release tidbits were also announced off the back of Ready Player One‘s delay; WB has pegged an unspecified “event” film for March 2, 2018 – DC related, perhaps? – while a New Line tentpole has planted the flag on April 20, 2018. There’s also news of a yet-to-be-announced DC solo movie being brought forward one week to March 16, 2017, with all signs pointing to Ezra Miller’s anticipated debut in The Flash standalone film.

Ready Player One‘s long, long journey to the big screen just got a little bit longer today, with Spielberg’s rendition of Ernest Cline’s beloved novel now slated for a release on March 30, 2018.