Ready Player One

How does licensing work in a movie? For example, Mattel (I think) owns what used to be TSR, so they probably have the rights to the D&D stuff mentioned in the book, assuming it isn't in the public domain by now. Does Steven Spielberg's people have to talk to Mattel and get permission to reference it for the movie? And if so, why didn't he have to do that in the book?

attog_sl said:

How does licensing work in a movie? For example, Mattel (I think) owns what used to be TSR, so they probably have the rights to the D&D stuff mentioned in the book, assuming it isn't in the public domain by now. Does Steven Spielberg's people have to talk to Mattel and get permission to reference it for the movie? And if so, why didn't he have to do that in the book?

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I'm sure it will work similar to the LEGO movie. The book doesn't show any of the IP's in a bad light and I would imagine it wont be too hard to get everyone to sign on to get promotion for their IP's. Also READYPLAYERONE toy editions of all the IP's. The move really is a Speilberg wet dream for product placement.

I got the book from a loot crate last year and couldn't put it down once I started it. It'll be interesting to see how well it translates to the screen.

Mixed feelings.

I've been keeping my eye on this a while now. He refuses to use his own materials which he considers is self-promotion, which leads me to believe this will suck. But c'mon, Spielberg is arguably the greatest filmmaker of our lifetimes and IS THE 1980's...

No matter what it'll have touches of greatness. Hopefully he will renege and do it properly and give us one last classic, same as I'm hoping with Mel Brooks and Spaceballs 2.

Jait_sl said:

But c'mon, Spielberg is arguably the greatest filmmaker of our lifetimes and IS THE 1980's...

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Wait, what? He has 8 movie credits (as director) throughout the 80s - none of which I would even begin to say define the 80's for me -- please, tell me you don't have an ET shrine in your home... Don't get me wrong, he's made some good movies and a handful of great ones. But he's also made plenty of shitty ones (one during the aforementioned 80s). However, I think it's far easier to claim that John Williams and some of his lead actors deserve more credit than Spielberg himself when looking at his body of work in general. Oblig ERB:

Sulrn_sl said:

He has 8 movie credits (as director) throughout the 80s - none of which I would even begin to say define the 80's for me --

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Great movie, but does not define the 80s imho.

Soygen_sl said:

Who is your pick for 'THE' 80's director? I feel like Spielberg is definitely up there.

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Spielberg definitely is up there. I'd probably put John Hughes higher in terms of that specific decade though.

Tantrik_sl said:

Spielberg definitely is up there. I'd probably put John Hughes higher in terms of that specific decade though.

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Funny enough, that was the exact same name I used when I was discussing this with a buddy a few weeks ago. I would put Hughes higher as well.

Soygen_sl said:

Who is your pick for 'THE' 80's director? I feel like Spielberg is definitely up there.

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Obviously it's the man that gave us To me the 80's is campiness and action sci-fi - which you see in the grunginess of the music and movies of the time. Neither of which Spielberg really got into.

Predator, Aliens, Blade Runner, Terminator, Star Wars (ESB/ROTJ), Princess Bride, Ghost Busters, Batman, the Labyrinth, Beetlejuice etc.

I'd go with Cameron/Hughes for "the 80's" long before Spielberg, but even then there are multiple directors in that period that scream 80s a lot more than him.

You didn't mention ice pirates. Your argument is invalid.

Die hard, Commando....

80's director of the decade..
highly subjective- in no particular order,

Cameron- Terminator-Aliens- abyss- did screenplay for rambo
Hughes - ferris bueller, breakfast club, sixteen candles, uncle buck, planes trains and automobiles,weird science, she's having a baby.
Donner - goonies, ladyhawke, lethal weapon, scrooged, lethal weapon 2
Spielberg - et, raiders of the lost ark, temple of doom, last crusade
burton - batman, beetlejuice, peewees big adventure,
reiner- princess bride, stand by me, this is spinal tap, harry met sally
kubrik -full metal jacket, the shining
Zemeckis- back to the future, used cars, romancing the stone, roger rabbit, back to the future part 2.

imo those are the top 8 of the decade.

of those 8, Very hard i like them all for different reasons to choose which i like the most....probably Cameron best, Donner and hughes a close second
but of ALL those movies, my Favorite is a tie between Princess Bride and Ferris Beuller.

Great list, but when I think 80s movies that list by Hughes just leaps out His teen movies were what the 80s was all about to me.

The Abyss came out in late 1989, hardly counts. And of course the version we all know and love wasn't released until early 2000.

Hughes took a snapshot of the 80s and immortalized it, Cameron and the rest defined the Platinum age of Sci-Fi in the film industry for 10 years. A few others (Reiner/Burton/etc) created physical effects and imagery atmosphere you don't see anymore after the very early 90s.

3 different ways to look at the 80s - in any case, Spielberg doesn't fit in any category besides knocking out a few good, at least 1 great, and one 1 bad movie during that time frame.

I'd almost give Ridley Scott best director of the 80s purely for Blade Runner.. If Alien had come out 1 year later it would be a no brainer.. Also did the Apple Mac add!

Kubrick best of all time obv.. Pick a genre and he mastered it....