Steven Spielberg picks Olivia Cooke to help lead Ready Player One

September 11th 2015, 4:37pm

Steven Spielberg has his female lead for READY PLAYER ONE.

Olivia Cooke, the standout from ME AND EARL AND THE DYING GIRL, has been handpicked by the legendary director to take the role of Sam in his adaptation of the popular Ernie Cline novel. The story takes place within the virtual world of Oasis where a treasure hunt is underway after the game’s creator dies and puts his fortune up for grabs to the winner. The male lead is a teenager among the competitors vying for the top prize, and Sam is a Canadian blogger who would serve as both a fellow competitor and love interest to that character.

Cooke’s name had been thrown around as a possibility for a major female role in STAR WARS: EPISODE VIII, but that doesn’t look to be happening now. For READY PLAYER ONE, Elle Fanning and Lola Kirke had tested recently for Sam, but Spielberg obviously liked what he saw out of Cooke to give her the nod.

Spielberg is still on the hunt for his male star, and has been testing actors in order to find the right fit. However, the search continues as he has not yet settled on his guy as READY PLAYER ONE moves forward.