There is no question that 'Me and Earl and the Dying Girl' was an amazing movie that showcased the talents of its young stars. The indie film may have even helped in catapulting Olivia Cooke into superstardom!
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the 'Bates Motel' star is currently in negotiations to play the female lead in Steven Spielberg's highly awaited adaptation of the Ernest Cline novel 'Ready Player One.' If a deal is made, Olivia Cooke is set to play Samantha Evelyn Cook, the Canadian blogger known as Art3mis in the world of OASIS.
Olivia Cooke beat out 'Maleficent' star Elle Fanning and 'Gone Girl' actress Lola Kirke for the lead role. The 21-year-old English actress may be on a roll, as she has previously been reported to be in the shortlist for playing the female lead in the highly anticipated 'Star Wars Episode VIII.' Olivia Cooke is once again up against two talented actresses, Tatiana Maslany of 'Orphan Black' and 'Jane the Virgin' star Gina Rodriguez.
Steven Spielberg has cast Olivia Cooke for lead role in Ready Player One: https://t.co/0eREHEvhDL pic.twitter.com/rf8KXoTft3
— Consequence of Sound (@coslive) September 12, 2015
Although Sam/Art3mis has already been casted, Steven Spielberg is still on the hunt to find an actor to play main protagonist Wade Watts. Variety reporter Justin Kroll has previously tweeted that Spielberg was interested in getting 'Jurassic World' star Nick Robinson to take on the role, however there have been no further reports about the casting.
In the book 'Ready Player One,' the world has changed and people choose to plug into OASIS, a virtual reality universe where life is much easier. Wade Watts sets out to find an Easter Egg so he can control OASIS, but his search is made more difficult by fellow "gunters" who also want the prize.
'Ready Player One' was published in 2011 and has received both an Alex Award and the 2012 Prometheus Award.
Olivia Cooke has previously worked on movies like 'The Quiet Ones,' 'The Signal' and 'Ouija.' She has also appeared in TV shows like 'Blackout' and 'The Secret of Crickley Hall.' Cooke is currently working on another independent film 'Katie Says Goodbye,' which also stars Mary Steenburgen and Jim Belushi.
