Actor Ben Mendelsohn felt intimidated by Steven Spielberg when he first started working with the filmmaker on Ready Player One.
“I got very excited and nervous. I found it hard to look him in the eye. Steven’s created a lot of legendary pop culture. The canon is so huge and so awesome. I love Saving Private Ryan. I love 1941. I’m very, very partial to Poltergeist, with the girl and the television and the lovely little spirit lady,” Mendelsohn said about their encounter.
“Part of the joy of Spielberg doing this film is to be able to play in this referencing of pop culture, of which he is a substantial contributor,” he said.
Mendelsohn said he felt fully “immersed” in the virtual reality world after he played on a virtual reality gaming device to prepare for his role in the science fiction production.
Speaking about his experience on a simulator, he said: “I found myself immersed. You’re in a house and there are goblin-type dudes coming towards you as the lights go out. I’d hear a noise and look over and there’d be some beast that’s advanced.”
Ready Player One is slated for release on March 30, 2018.