Steven Spielberg is returning to science fiction with Ready Player One, a new project he’s set to direct for Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow. It will be based on the popular book by Ernest Cline.

Wright’s book was published in 2011, but Warner Bros. snapped up screen rights the year before, sensing that its story of a player getting dropped into a virtual reality game had cinematic possibilities. According to Deadline, which first reported the news of Spielberg’s involvement, Ready Player One is set in 2044 and is about a game creator who challenges players to find an Easter egg. Whoever does it first will win his entire company and a teen player may have the best shot to do so.

The most recent draft was written by Zak Penn (The Avengers, X-Men: The Last Stand). Cline had worked with Eric Eason (A Better Life) on a past draft.

Producers on the project include Donald De Line, Dan Farah and Kristie Macosko Krieger.

“We are thrilled to welcome Steven back to Warner Bros,” Greg Silverman, President, Creative Development and Worldwide Production, said in a statement to TheWrap. “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.”

Spielberg hasn’t worked with Warner Bros. since 2001’s A.I. Previous projects he made with the studio include The Color Purple and Empire of the Sun. He was linked to American Sniper before he dropped out and was recently linked to a film adaptation of Lynsey Addario’s memoir It’s What I Do, which will star Jennifer Lawrence.

It’s not clear when It’s What I Do would happen, but it would likely be after Ready Player One. Spielberg, who just finished work on Bridge of Spies with Tom Hanks, will make The BFG first, then do Ready Player One.

The last sci-fi movie Spielberg made was 2005’s War of the Worlds, unless you really consider Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull sci-fi because it involved aliens.

images courtesy of INFphoto.com