The main female character in Ready Player One could be played by Elle Fanning or Lola Kirke.
The adaptation of Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One isn’t set to be released until 2017, but casting is well underway.
Director Steven Spielberg and casting director Ellen Lewis are putting shortlists together for the major characters, and The Wrap has learned which three actresses top the list for the role of Art3mis.
Elle Fanning (17), Me, Earl and the Dying Girl‘s Olivia Cooke (21) and Mistress America‘s Lola Kirke (24) will all be testing for the part soon, along with two other unnamed actresses.
Cooke, incidentally, is also being considered for a role in Star Wars: Episode VIII .
Interestingly, The Wrap distinguishes between the OASIS avatar Art3mis, and her real-life counterpart Samantha Cook. Likely, Spielberg is designing the OASIS (Ontologically Anthropocentric Sensory Immersive Simulation) to simulate real life, meaning that the actors cast to play the characters’ avatars won’t need too much digital altering.
On Hypable’s entertainment news podcast Hype, we speculate that lead player Wade will probably resemble his avatar more closely, allowing the same actor to play both versions of the character.
Related: Report: Steven Spielberg eyes Gene Wilder for Ready Player One or The BFG
Whether or not Spielberg is considering using the same actress for both Art3mis and Samantha remains to be seen (too much speculation here might constitute as spoilers!).
One gripe Ready Player One fans might have about the above choices is that Art3mis is described in the novel as “rubenesque,” actually standing out against most other female avatars (that all look like skinny models).
Choosing to cast a beautiful, conventionally-sized Hollywood actress in the role isn’t surprising, but a little disappointing.
All the same, Fanning, Kirke and Cooke are all extremely talented, and we can’t imagine any of them doing a bad job!
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