Steven Spielberg, one of the most prominent and influential film filmmakers in the history of cinema, has just signed on to direct the Warner Bros. adaptation of "Ready Player One," a science fiction and dystopian novel by The New York Times bestselling-author Ernest Cline.

Screenwriter Zak Penn wrote the script based on the novel, and Jesse Ehrman and Racheline Benveniste will oversee for the studio. Also, Donald De Line, Kristie Macosko Krieger and Dan Farah will produce the film. And Village Roadshow will co-produce and co-finance the sci-fi flick.

"We are thrilled to welcome Steven back to Warner Bros," said Greg Silverman, president, Creative Development and Worldwide Production, Warner Bros. Pictures, according to Hollywood Report. "We had an historic series of collaborations in the 80s and 90s and have wanted to bring him back for years. As for 'Ready Player One,' we have always felt that Steven was the dream director for this project."

"Ready Player One" is set in the year 2044. And the protagonist is an outcast teenager by the name of Wade Watts who spends a majority of his time, like most, plugged into the OASIS, a sprawling, networked virtual utopia. He, like millions of other people, search for a virtual Easter egg, which is concealed within one of many worlds created by the OASIS's creator, the late and eccentric James Halliday. Whoever discovers the egg will inherit Halliday's estate. And Wade becomes the first to find the three keys needed to unlock the egg, and this puts his life in danger, because ruthless competitors will do anything to find and access the egg first.

Before the novel was even published, it was announced to be in the works, almost five years ago. Despite the fact the film has been a long time in the making, it's far too early to know who will be cast in the film.

The film will put an end to Spielberg's 14 year departure from Warner Bros.

Spielberg's latest film "Bridge of Spies" has Tom Hanks as the leading man, and it is set to hit theaters Oct. 16.

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