The Art of Ready Player One

by Gina McIntyre

Discover the captivating art of Steven Spielberg’s Ready Player One.

Our dystopian world lies on the brink of chaos and collapse, but the people have found their salvation in the OASIS, an expansive virtual reality universe created by the brilliant and eccentric James Halliday. When Halliday dies, he leaves his immense fortune in the form of a digital Easter egg hidden somewhere in the OASIS, sparking a contest that grips the entire world.

Wade Watts, an unlikely young hero, decides to join the contest and embarks on a reality-bending treasure hunt through a fantastical world of action, danger, and mystery.

Directed by Steven Spielberg and based on author Ernest Cline’s internationally best-selling book, Ready Player One is a hugely imaginative sci-fi adventure set in a rich virtual world. The Art of Ready Player One explores the creation of the incredible design work for this much-anticipated film, showcasing a wealth of concept art, sketches, storyboards, and other stunning visuals. The book also features exclusive interviews and commentary from the creative team, forming the perfect companion to one of the most exciting films of 2018. 

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Media Tie In, Film

156 pages, Hardcover

Published April 3, 2018

About the author

Gina McIntyre is the New York Times best-selling author of Stranger Things: Worlds Turned Upside Down. Her other books include Guillermo Del Toro's The Shape of Water: Creating a Fairy Tale for Troubled Times, The Art of Ready Player One, and Star Wars Icons: Han Solo. Her writing has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, the Hollywood Reporter, and Entertainment Weekly.

She lives with her husband and daughter in Riverside, Illinois.

Reviews

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now I will admit that when this book came out some friends and I could not agree on if this book was written for the fans or was just tapping in to a deep seated nostalgia vein that just happened to resonate with a lot of people of a certain age and interest.

I am sure there are numerous interviews and articles which discuss and dissect this many times over - the truth of the matter is that its all really good fun.

Now I cannot come close to the number of sites and articles I have stumbled across that try and list the number of pop culture references present (I saw someone had topped 300) but everytime I see the film I find something more and reading this book it becomes abundantly clear that for everything I thought I saw there are a dozen others still to be found.

So for those that have not read the book or seen the film (or both) then this book really is a simple series of trials which has not changed that much since Greek mythology days - however what makes this so special is its all wrapped up in late 70s and 80s pop culture references which have somehow become subverted in to more than a counter culture and more a way of life and this is where the fun starts/

So I will be the first to admit that this book is one of those rare titles which every time you open it and start reading you find something more and that sums it all up - novel, film and yes art book

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fabulous large-format book full of incredible artwork, both CG and conventional. The book contains concept art as well as final images from the film of the book. It also explains how the film was created from the brilliant original story by Ernest Cline and the problems involved and changes required to bring it to life. There are loads of references within the film (and book) to other films and cultural icons from the 1980s, a lot of which will be missed on first viewing. Reading this book makes me want to go back and watch the film again!

[Jbussen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of background pictures and descriptions of unused ideas. My favorite part is when they went over where they decided to place or got to use the pop culture in the movie. Loved the movie. The book was a fun read.

[Michael Bongiorno · Rating 3 out of 5]

A film like this must have had a ton of scrapped concepts. I wish the book would have included more of it. In the end this feels less like a real collection and more like a marketing material.

[Bryan Borgman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful images, decent glimpses behind-the-scenes, nothing groundbreaking.

[Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating look behind the scenes of bringing the novel to the screen