After years of languishing in “development hell,” it looks like one of the most underutilized franchises in the history of sci-fi cinema may be getting another installment.
according to the hollywood reporter (opens in new tab)“Tron 3” is finally moving forward at Disney, with frequent Disney collaborator Joachim Rönning in talks to direct.
Jared Leto, who has backed the project since 2017, is set to star in the film, which will be a direct sequel to 2010’s “Tron: Legacy”. The project, currently titled “Tron: Ares”, is based on a script by Jesse Vigutov.
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Leto, of course, we are all familiar with; He has given stellar performances in films such as “Lord of War,” “Blade Runner 2049” and most recently “VCrashed.” Ronning’s biggest feature to date is “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales,” while Viguto is relatively unknown, certainly within the sci-fi genre.
The original, epic “Tron” was released in 1982 and was way ahead of its time. Far ahead of its time, as it turned out, and its box office success was only moderate. That said, in a strange occurrence, 1982 turned out to be a monumental year for sci-fi, including the releases of “Blade Runner,” “The Thing,” “ET the Extra-Terrestrial” and “Star Trek II: . The Wrath of Khan.” So, sadly, it was an unusually competitive year.
The original “Tron” starred Jeff Bridges, David Warner, Cindy Morgan, Peter Jurassica, and of course, Bruce Boxleitner as Tron. The possibilities were clearly mind-boggling, but it took Disney 26 years to realize what it could do with the “Tron” IP. Still, the full potential was never achieved, especially when you consider how hard the “Star Wars” horse has been beaten.
Then, at the 2008 San Diego Comic-Con, after the “Race to Witch Mountain” panel closed, another presentation took place that had not been previously announced. The lights went down and a 2.5-minute concept trailer for the sequel to “Tron” was played. Two video game warriors fought a fierce battle in a world that looked familiar – except it was far more transformed than it once was. The re-imagined LightCycles race through the tunnels, repeatedly colliding with each other. They also had air brakes. The crowd went absolutely mad. Within minutes, posts began appearing all over the Internet; Seemingly, the coolest thing in the universe had just been unveiled.
Sadly, though, after nearly two years of hype from Disney — and despite some spectacular set pieces and breathtaking VFX — the teased sequel, “Tron: Legacy,” failed to live up to the potential on offer. And the less said about the ending, the better.
The news that the new film will directly follow on from “Tron: Legacy” raises all kinds of questions. And eyebrows. Fans immediately expressed their concerns social media (opens in new tab)Especially with the announcement of the people involved.
Disney has had a lot of shakeups (opens in new tab) Most recently, with the dismissal of Bob Chapek and the return of former CEO Bob Iger. Perhaps this second attempt at rebooting “Tron” is just a recent decision after some kind of reappraisal of the IP.
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