You can always expect a grand introduction when it comes to the WB panel at SDCC, and this year was no different as the curtains pulled back around the massive stage to reveal the latest films that the studio is currently working on. The studio proudly displayed a sizzle reel of all their films ranging from Lord of the Rings to Gravity to the DCEU.

With the crowd already amped up after waiting 20 plus hours to get in, WB’s panel started off with Steven Spielberg‘s new movie Ready Player One, a film we haven’t seen much of. That changed today with the release of a new trailer. Check it out below.

This portion of the panel started with iconic pop culture references (with a huge emphasis on ’80s) being displayed on the screen. Even the massive title was a nod to the ’80s arcades. Director Spielberg and Ready Player One author Ernest Cline then take to the stage.

Spielberg described Cline’s book as a flash-forward and flashback that was happening simultaneously, and that is what attracted him to the project. Of course, he couldn’t help but throw in a joke about being a bit too old for a film like this.

So after a few laughs, the panel went straight for some juicy footage. The trailer starts off with digitized versions of studio logos. It then gives us a very simplified intro of world the film is set in with narration provided by Tye Sheridan‘s character. He explains how he lives in stacks, which are just trailers stacked on top of each other. Feeling like he was supposed to be born in a different era, Sheridan says he is a part of the “missing millions,” generation. Not because they went anywhere but there is no were left to go except the virtual world known as Oasis. A world where he feels he has meaning and the limits of reality are your own imagination.

Rush’s “Tom Sawyer” starts to play. It’s basically a pop culture fan’s wet dream as there are DeLoreans, the Iron Giant, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in Oasis. Even a Doom-like character and Freddy Krueger appear. But perhaps the most interesting shot in his trailer is a bunch of Oasis players marching around a row of gaming station. They are clearly hooked (wirelessly) into Oasis, and as we see them move it is revealed that their avatars are running alongside a row of cars. So as they enter in and buckle up engines start revving and the screen goes black.

That’s when the trailer lights up again to reveal mayhem and destruction as cars are crashing into each other or over each other to get into the lead position. The film feels so real that it is a bit to intense for some players. And that’s when the title is revealed.

Now the question and answer portion are as generic as you can get, but Spielberg did reveal that The Iron Giant has a huge role to play in the film.

The film also stars Olivia Cooke, T.J. Miller, and Ben Mendelsohn. Ready Player One opens in theaters on March 30, 2018.

Click right here for more San Diego Comic-Con 2017 coverage!

Trailer

[Source: Warner Bros. YT]