South by Southwest
AUSTIN, MARCH 9-18
Steven Spielberg made the trip to Austin — his first — to unveil “Ready Player One” at South by Southwest. Warner Bros. Pictures executives, including chairman Toby Emmerich, were in the crowd on Sunday night, eagerly anticipating the audience reaction. About 100 minutes into the film the sound went out, forcing the projectionist to restart a pivotal scene, drawing gasps and boos. Other than that, “Ready Player One” easily passed the Austin test. The crowd cheered throughout the screening and gave Spielberg a standing ovation. On-site were cast members Tye Sheridan and Ben Mendelsohn and novelist Ernest Cline.