Steven Spielberg eyes Ben Mendelsohn for villain role in Ready Player One

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

It's been great to see Ben Mendelsohn's star rising over the past year, not only has the actor snagged a role in the first Star Wars spin-off, ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY, but now THR is reporting that Mendelsohn's next project could team the actor up with Steven Spielberg. The outlet claims that Ben Mendelsohn is currently being eyed to star in Spielberg's READY PLAYER ONE as the villain. Talks are still in the early stages but THR's sources tell them that the actor has already met about the project and received an offer.

Steven Spielberg already has Olivia Cooke on-board as his leading lady, but is still on the hunt for a leading man. Ben Mendelsohn would play an executive for an Internet corporation that has designs on Oasis, the virtual world within the film. The feature-film adaption of the Ernest Cline novel was in the works even before the novel was published, but Steven Spielberg only signed on to direct early last year.

Synopsis for READY PLAYER ONE:

The story of a virtual-reality game creator who offers up his entire company to the best player who can find an Easter egg in one of his many virtual worlds via a game called OASIS. A teenager named Wade Watts decides to take it on after millions have failed over many years. The key to winning the game is a plethora of pop culture clues from the 1980s. Whomever figures it out and wins the game — without having their avatars killed in the process — takes over the entire OASIS empire.

READY PLAYER ONE is set for a December 15, 2017 release, but our next dose of Spielberg, THE BFG, hits theaters on July 1, 2016.