There have been rumblings for days, but finally, here it is: Steven Spielberg's Ready Player One will be showing at the Paramount Theatre at 9:30 tonight as the official world premiere.
For the unfamiliar: Ready Player One was adapted from the incredibly popular science fiction novel by the author (and Austinite) Ernest Cline, and tells the story of OASIS, a virtual reality world where players can escape their daily life and become whomever they want to be. Set in 2045, the story revolves around unsuspecting hero Wade Watts and his friends (known as the High Five) who are trying to save OASIS from those who want to take over and monetize the VR world.
The film stars Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn, Lena Waithe, T.J. Miller, Philip Zhao, Win Morisaki and Hannah John-Kamen, among others.
Even if you're not a SXSW badge holder, you've likely been exposed to Ready Player One's promotions during the last few days. Silver suit-wearing IOI (which stands for Innovative Online Industries, OASIS' biggest threat) "soldiers" have been marching around downtown in neat formations, and the Ready Player One Experience at Brazos Hall has drawn large crowds wanting to create their own avatar, pose with the Iron Giant and climb into Cline's very own DeLorean.
“We are thrilled to be premiering Ready Player One at SXSW,” says Janet Pierson, director of film at SXSW. “And in the hands of Steven Spielberg—inarguably one of our greatest directors—we know the film is going to be a special cinematic event for our attendees.”
In order to see the movie tonight—well, you'll need a Film or Platinum Badge (and, let's be real, you'll probably need to wait in line for a few hours). Don't have a badge? Ready Player One opens in theaters on March 29—and we'll be anxiously awaiting reviews to see if it's worth the wait.