At this moment, the camera switched to focus on a young man walking confidently.
The young man’s features were about seventy to eighty percent similar to the character played by Tobey Maguire, but combined together, he looked even more handsome than the character from "reality."
Voice-over: "That’s right, this is me!"
"Okay, it’s my character. Maybe next time I’ll look different!"
As the voice-over continued, Tobey Maguire, while walking, began changing his hairstyle, hair color, and clothing. His face subtly adjusted as well, transforming from a boyish handsome look to a cool, stylish appearance!
This ability to adjust one’s image at will caused a wave of astonishment in the theater.
The voice-over continued: "Apart from eating, sleeping, and going to the bathroom, people can do anything they want in Oasis."
"Yeah~! You can do anything in Oasis!" The same lewd voice was heard again.
Leonard Hofstadter looked at Simon Helberg helplessly. Sometimes, he really wondered how his friend could be so blatantly lewd yet maintain such a serious expression!
Sitting next to Simon was a white girl who had come to the movie alone. She looked at Simon in disgust and shifted her seat further away from him.
"We live in Oasis, so we meet here, make friends here..."
The voice-over ended.
Simon Helberg muttered again, "If there were a game , I would never want to leave. What’s so great about the real world?"
Then, the scene on the screen shifted.
District 12, the Death Planet!
A group of players was battling monsters on the Death Planet. Among them, a particularly burly man with a mechanical body was rampaging through the monsters.
Well, okay, he wasn’t just killing monsters; he was also taking out other players...
Another round of gasps filled the theater.
For gaming fans, the immersion was incredibly strong!
Even though "Ready Player One" came out fourteen years earlier and lost some of its "Easter egg references," its astonishing imagination still captivated all the audience—not just gamers, but regular viewers as well.
As the story unfolded, the audience became completely immersed in this fantastical, exciting game world, imagining how thrilling it would be to one day, if technology reached this level, be able to do countless things in the virtual world that they couldn’t or wouldn’t dare to do in the real world.
Simon Helberg had stopped muttering. He was completely absorbed in the movie, staring unblinkingly at the big screen.
Leonard Hofstadter, with his ears now free of Simon’s comments, was also engrossed in the movie.
The white girl sitting next to Simon had successfully forgotten about the lewd man beside her, her attention entirely focused on the main character—would he be able to find the three hidden keys and complete the game?
As the plot progressed, the entire theater grew quiet.
And the final battle didn’t disappoint the audience!
The emotional speeches, the grand panoramic battle scenes, the cool action fight sequences... The entire theater, except for the sound of the film playing, was completely silent.
Although Spielberg’s approach to making commercial blockbusters had become somewhat formulaic, as long as the old man was given a good script, he could still create universally appealing box office hits.
Because formula also represents mature craftsmanship!
Martin thought to himself.
When the final battle ended and the main character successfully uncovered the hidden secret and proposed to share the reward with his teammates, the entire theater erupted into loud applause.
It was clear: the movie was a success!
Martin hugged Tobey Maguire. "Congratulations, Tobey!"
"Thank you, thank you!"
Tobey Maguire’s eyes were slightly red, and this wasn’t just for show.
He was truly moved. Although he had once said he didn’t care about box office numbers, what actor could really be indifferent to that?
Who wouldn’t want the movie they were part of, and the character they played, to be loved by more people?
Saying they didn’t care was just pride talking!
Then came the customary routine: speeches and interviews with the press.
When Spielberg was asked why he decided to make "Ready Player One," the great director answered:
"Ingmar Bergman once said: The only thing I fear—God knows how much I fear it—is not being able to create something full of life, something that touches the heart."
"Actually, my inner fear is exactly the same as Bergman’s, especially when you media folks say that my inspiration has dried up, and my talent has run out. I become even more terrified—could it be that I really can’t create something with vitality, something that moves people anymore..."
"You know, I’ve always said, whenever I make a film, I feel as nervous as the first time. And it’s a good script, a good story, that allows me to give my all, even when I’m in extreme fear, instead of letting fear hold me back."
"And that’s exactly why I chose Martin’s ’Ready Player One’—a story filled with childlike wonder, fantasy, and friendship."
"When I first read the story, I was moved. The genius imagination in it simply made my heart race! So I thought, what would it be like to make it into a movie?"
"I found Martin, and thank God, this genius kid was willing to believe in me, an old man approaching sixty."
"He gave me the script, and I made the film."
"What makes me happy is that, from your reactions today, he didn’t trust the wrong person! And this old man hasn’t yet degraded into what you all say is someone whose inspiration is dried up and whose talent is gone. Looks like I can still do this for a few more years."
"The cinema is a unique space in human society, casting the audience into dark shadows, yet projecting an all-encompassing flow of images on the white screen. I hope my films are not the kind you forget after watching. I hope they can move people deeply and bring about a small but meaningful change from thought to action."
"Just like what Krzysztof Kieslowski, the great Polish director known as the conscience of Europe, said: If there’s a girl out there who hugs her mother after watching ’The Double Life of Véronique,’ then my suffering wasn’t in vain."
"So the values in my films will never change: to believe in the value of every individual, and to believe in the future of humanity."
Everyone stood up, and applause filled the room.
Leonardo, excited, turned to Martin and said, "That was great! Spielberg said it so well!!!"
Martin glanced sideways at him, clapping, and thought, "This guy still hasn’t had enough of the motivational speeches. He’s so easily influenced!?"