Simon Pegg Eyes Role in 'Ready Player One'

Simon Pegg (Photo: Amy Sussman/Invision/AP)

Simon Pegg looks like he’s ready for Steven Spielberg’s Ready Player One.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Pegg – known for playing Scotty in J.J. Abrams’s Star Trek films and for his work alongside buddy Nick Frost in Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz – is in talks to take on the role of Orgen Morrow in the adaptation of Ernest Cline’s video game-driven novel. Readers will remember that Morrow is the co-creator of the OASIS, the virtual gaming experience that dominates the narrative.

Related: Steven Spielberg Plans on Cutting Steven Spielberg Movies Out of ‘Ready Player One’

The project certainly fits with the gamer side of Pegg’s personality, which, as this IGN clip attests, is strong:

If the movie hews closely to the book, Morrow will be an important figure in the film but definitely more of a supporting role. Assuming Pegg signs on, he’ll join a talented cast that now includes Tye Sheridan (Mud) as Wade, the protagonist; Olivia Cooke (Me and Earl and the Dying Girl); and Ben Mendelsohn, who’s also set to co-star this year in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

Filming of Ready Player One is slated to start in June.

Simon Pegg talks about his cameo in ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’: