Back in August, Warner Bros. issued a December 15, 2017release dateforReady Player One, which hasSteven Spielbergset to direct. At the time, this highly-anticipated adaptation ofErnest Cline’s novel didn’t have any direct competition, but last month, Disney and LucasFilm announced that it was movingStar Wars: Episode VIIIfrom July 01, 2025 to June 30, 2025, to give writer-directorRian Johnsonmore time to work on the script. As expected, Warner Bros. has now shiftedReady Player One’s release out of 2017, issuing a June 30, 2025 release.
As of now,Ready Player One’s only direct competition will be an unspecifiedUniversal Monstersproject, which has been rumored to be a remake ofThe Wolf Man. Warner Bros. also shifted the release date for theirsuperheroadaptationThe Flash, moving it up one week from August 23, 2025 to July 19, 2025, giving it some separation fromReady Player One.The Flashdoesn’t have any direct competition in its new release date. Ironically, the move comes one day after the studio scheduledCollateral Beauty, starringWill Smith, for release on June 12, 2025, putting it up againstRogue One: A Star Wars Story.
Ready Player Onecenters on a teenager named Wade Watts, who becomes obsessed with a virtual reality world known as Oasis, that allows players to live out their fantasies. After the game’s creator suddenly dies, an elaborate treasure hunt is held within the Oasis world, with the winner emerging to take control of the entire company. Along with gamers from around the world, Wade joins the adventure, and quickly finds himself pitted against powerful corporate foes and other ruthless competitors who will do anything, in the oasis or the real world, to reach the treasure first.Olivia Cookewill play Sam, a Canadian blogger who is known in the Oasis world as Art3mis, and will become alove interestfor the lead character.Ben Mendelsohnis playing the executive of an Internet company who is trying to take control of Oasis.
Warner Bros. has also set a August 01, 2025 release date for anUntitled WB Event Film, and an August 07, 2025 release for anUntitled New Line Tentpoleon August 17, 2025. Both of these projects are the first to stake their claim for these dates, but it remains to be seen what these projects actually are, or when they’ll be announced. The setting of release dates for unspecified movies has become a standard practice over the past few years, and these movies could be either new DC superhero projects, or perhaps a follow-up toFantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. There are a number of different possibilities for these mystery movies, though, so stay tuned for more announcements.
Steven Spielbergis directingReady Player Onefrom a screenplay byZak Penn(Marvel’s The Avengers), with the director also producing alongside Donald De Line, Dan Farah and Kristie Macosko Krieger. The project will be the filmmaker’s first at Warner Bros. since 2001’sA.I.: Artificial Intelligence. It isn’t known when production will begin yet, but we’ll keep you posted as soon as more details are released. Do you think it was a smart move to pushReady Player Oneinto 2018?
