Now that director Steven Spielberg's next project, the adaptation Ready Player One, has a 2017 release date intact, many fans of the beloved Ernest Cline novel are wondering who the filmmaker will get to star. Ain't It Cool News has a very interesting rumor that claims the filmmaker is trying to coax the legendary Gene Wilder out of retirement for one of his upcoming projects, which could either be Ready Player One or his animated adaptation The BFG. It isn't known if Gene Wilder has any interest in whatever role Steven Spielberg is offering quite yet, but one particular role in Ready Player One could be right in Gene Wilder's wheelhouse.

Ready Player One centers on a teenager named Wade Watts, who escapes his bleak surroundings by logging into Oasis, a globally networked utopia where users lead idyllic lives. The game's eccentric founder, James Halliday, dies and offers his billion dollar fortune as the grand prize in an elaborate treasure hunt. Watts competes against rival video game players and corporate foes who'll do anything, in the Oasis world and in the real world, to reach the treasure first. Ain't It Cool News speculates that Gene Wilder is being sought for the James Halliday role, which has many similarities to his iconic Willy Wonka role in the 1971 classic Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

Then again, Steven Spielberg could be eyeing Gene Wilder for some sort of a role in The BFG, which is based on a book by Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory author Roald Dahl. The BFG already has a number of cast members in place, such as Mark Rylance as the title character, the Big Friendly Giant, along with Bill Hader, Ruby Barnhill, Martin Freeman and Jemaine Clement. The adaptation hits theaters next July, so if the director is eyeing Gene Wilder for The BFG, he may have to do so rather quickly, since the release date is rapidly approaching.

Gene Wilder hasn't acted since a 2003 episode of Will & Grace. The actor has said in the past that one of the only people who could get him to come out of retirement is Mel Brooks, who directed the actor in classics such as The Producers, Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein, just to name a few. It's possible that Steven Spielberg could be another person who could coax him out of retirement, but we'll have to wait and see.

Are you excited about the prospect of Gene Wilder coming back to acting after all these years? Would you rather see him in Ready Player One or The BFG? Or are you just so excited that Gene Wilder may come back that you don't care which project it is? Let us know what you think below, and stay tuned for more updates.