'Ready Player Two' writer Zak Penn updates on Steven Spielberg sequel in development

'Ready Player One' sequel writer Zak Penn has confirmed he is still working on long-awaited film

Ready Player Two remains in development, according to screenwriter Zak Penn, who has provided the first significant update on the long-awaited sequel in several years.

Speaking to The Direct during the red carpet for Stuart Fails to Save the Universe, Penn confirmed he is still working on the follow-up to 2018's Ready Player One.

"I am working on it," Penn said when asked about the project's status.

Penn co-wrote Ready Player One with author Ernest Cline, whose 2011 novel inspired Steven Spielberg's film adaptation.

The original film starred Tye Sheridan as Wade Watts, a teenager competing to gain control of the virtual reality world known as the OASIS after the death of its creator, James Halliday, played by Mark Rylance.

The film concluded with Wade and his friends sharing ownership of the OASIS while introducing regular shutdowns to encourage users to reconnect with the real world, leaving the story open for a sequel.

During the same interview, Penn was also asked about the possibility of a sequel to Free Guy. He said he was uncertain about the project's future but explained why director Shawn Levy and actor Ryan Reynolds had not rushed into another film.

"I think Shawn and Ryan [Reynolds] felt really good about the movie and felt like they didn't want to rush into a sequel because they thought it worked for what it is... I wish I could give you an update, but I'm not sure," Penn said.

Interest in adapting Ernest Cline's 2020 novel Ready Player Two has continued since its release. In 2020, Cline confirmed that discussions with Warner Bros. had begun regarding a film adaptation.

At the time, he said, "Conversations have begun with Warner Bros. about possibly making a movie based on this book."

In a separate interview that year, Cline also revealed the adaptation was in its "early stages" while emphasising that his main focus had been completing the novel before any film development.

Spielberg later clarified his involvement during an industry event in 2024, confirming he would produce Ready Player Two rather than direct it.