Steven Spielberg's 'Ready Player One' Returns After 9 Years as a Graphic Novel, With a Sequel Adaptation Already Planned

Steven Spielberg is the king of movies, let's be real, but the one area in which he's always excelled is telling science fiction stories in a manner that's accessible to audiences, beautiful to look at, and great for the worldwide box office. In 2018, he went back to the future again for a thrilling story about toppling down mega corporations with the help of DeLoreans, Iron Giants, and a lot more. Now, we're getting more of it.

It's been a long time since Ready Player One first landed, but the OASIS clearly still has plenty of life left in it. Spielberg's 2018 adaptation turned Ernest Cline's book into a glossy sci-fi blockbuster, and ever since then, fans have been waiting to see what the franchise might do next. Ready Player One: The Graphic Novel is set to release in the U.S. in paperback and hardcover editions arriving March 2, 2027. In the UK and Canada, the graphic novel is available through major retailers now. The adaptation is being published by Ten Speed Graphic, written by Scott Peterson, and illustrated by Meredith Laxton.

That's not the only piece of news here, either. A graphic novel adaptation of Ready Player Two is already planned for 2028, which suggests this isn't just a one-off revisit, but the start of a much bigger push to bring Cline's books into a new format. So really, this is more than just another tie-in, providing a more up-to-date version of the story.

How Good Is 'Ready Player One'?

Collider's review stated that Ready Player One overcame shaky source material and nostalgia-heavy marketing to deliver a fleet-footed, visually dazzling adventure that's more about forging your own identity than obsessing over pop culture. Ultimately, Ready Player One may not rank among Spielberg's all-time masterpieces, but it showcases a director still firmly in command of blockbuster storytelling — reminding audiences why he remains a fixture at the top of the cinematic leaderboard.

The review felt that there were certainly moments where the movie stumbled a bit, and those who had already written off the picture, whether due to the marketing or the novel, probably weren't won over by what Spielberg was doing here. But the movie was a different beast than the book, and it certainly wasn't the cavalcade of character crossovers the film had presented. Even potentially cringe-worthy moments, like The Iron Giant firing on people during a big battle scene, surprisingly worked due to the context of the story and how Spielberg kept the focus on his protagonists and their quest.

Ready Player One's expansion arrives in the U.S. on March 2, 2027.