by: S. Scott Stanikmas – Senior Staff Writer

Simon Pegg has tons of geek cred. He’s been in both major sci-fi space franchises (Star Trek and Star Wars), been a part of a show that dropped pop culture references left and right (Spaced) and starred in some classic cult films (Shaun Of The Dead and Hot Fuzz). And now he’s looking to add some video gaming to his resume.

The Hollywood Reporter says that Pegg is currently in talks to join Steven Spielberg’s Ready Player One, the story of a society that has turned to a virtual reality world for almost every facet of it’s existence. When James Halliday, one of the co-creators of the program dies, he leaves an elaborate trail of breadcrumbs to find a hidden easter egg that will give its finder complete control over the VR world as well as his vast fortune.

Pegg is up for the role of the other co-creator of the digital world (called the OASIS), Ogden Morrow.

If cast he’d be joining Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke and Ben Mendelsohn. Rumors have been swirling for some time that Spielberg is interested in Gene Wilder for the role of Halliday.

The movie, which is based on the brilliant novel of the same name by author Ernest Cline, is looking to finalize it’s cast as it heads towards a June start date for filming. Recently the film moved it’s release date from December 2017 to May 2018, to avoid a head-to-head confrontation with Star Wars Episode VIII (which moved its date from May 2017 to December 2018).