Ready Player One: 135 Easter Eggs & References Explained
That's A LOT of Eggs. NOW UPDATED!
If you're a fan of Easter Egg hunting - or Gunting to borrow the parlance of The OASIS - you really need to go and see Steven Spielberg's wonderful (and strangely divisive) Ready Player One. Not only is the film full of heart, excitement and stunning visuals, but it's also a reference hunter's paradise. And that really can't be underestimated, because there's a good chance that it's going to take years to even find them all.
This being an 80s love-fest, there are lots of references to some of the biggest movies of the time, as well as video games, board games and music, and the nostalgia element to the story is really something special. Crucially, it's also in no way distracting to the story - every reference is either presented merely as a background detail in the pop culture obsessed world or as a conscious choice by OASIS players.
It's somewhat surprising that we didn't get a Goonies reference (or not an obvious one anyway) and inevitably, the absence of most Spielberg Easter Eggs is a shame, but you can understand his reluctance to date himself. Maybe a sequel will deliver some more?
But again, this is not a film of Easter Eggs in the traditional sense: it is a walking, talking celebration of references. It's like a living collage, lovingly curated that will delight fans of all things 80s. And spotting the references is a huge part of the experience. And that's the true pleasure (and ingenuity) of this type of film-making - it DEMANDS you go and see it multiple times. And who are you to argue?
So what's in there...?
135. The Logo
Not even the movie's logo can escape having an Easter Egg in it.
Created by graphic designer Emily Oberman all of the logo’s letters are connected to become a functioning maze which has an Easter Egg hidden in the middle of the "O" of "One." It's basically the plot of the movie in the logo.
134. The Release Date
It's a cheeky one, but the fact that a film about finding an Easter Egg that is a living breathing exhibit of Easter Eggs and references is released over Easter weekend worldwide? Definitely intentional.