Spielberg's 'Ready Player One' Premiere Hit with Technical Difficulties

Fast forward to today, less than 24 hours after Ready Player One had its world premiere at the SXSW Film Festival in Austin, Texas last night, and my hopes for this film have skyrocketed, though not all of the early reviews for Spielberg's latest effort are necessarily glowing.

Others suggested that the throwback nature of the film - which references classic '80s and '90s pop culture - might provide the seeds to solving the troubles.

Some in Austin's packed Paramount Theatre at first thought the silence was part of the movie, but quickly began to laugh and murmur once the film came to a standstill on screen.

The projectionist restarted the movie, which had been paused during a climatic scene, but the sound system failed again.

Though the delay meant a break in the moviegoing spell as audience members checked their phones, went to the bathroom and talked with one another wondering if they would be able to see the end of the movie, it also seemed to heighten the enthusiasm in the room.

The film soon resumed - and then stopped again in the exact same spot, prompting outbursts of laughter from lucky filmgoers who managed to snag a ticket to the sneak peek screening of a project based on Ernest Cline's best-selling novel. The third time was the charm though, and the audience reportedly showed their appreciation with a round of applause. "Posters and advertisements are plastered on almost every street corner in downtown Austin and the studio has put together the "'Ready Player One' Experience" - a giant activation that incorporates virtual reality and other aspects from the film.

You can catch Ready Player One when it opens on March 29, although just last week, it was on track for a disappointing opening weekend.