TRON 3 Production Has Been Officially Delayed Due To Ongoing Writer And Actor Strikes
Let's pour one out for all the Daft Punk enthusiasts among us. Ever since the WGA and SAG-AFTRA guilds were forced to join the picket lines as a result of the AMPTP's refusal to meet the demands of both the writers and actors, filming on both movies and television has largely ground to a halt all across the industry. /Film has been keeping a running tally of the various productions that have been affected by the strikes that none of these hardworking artists ever wanted to resort to in the first place. Now, another major film has had to delay its first day of shooting indefinitely, until both guilds finally reach a fair and equitable deal with the producers and studios.
The Hollywood Reporter was the first to indicate that filmmaker Joachim Rønning ("Maleficent: Mistress of Evil," "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales") had taken to Instagram, announcing the disappointing (if inevitable) news that "Tron: Ares" — the long in-development threequel to the futuristic, cyberpunk franchise — would have to endure yet another setback. In his social media post, the director commented directly on the strikes and urged a swift resolution "under conditions that are fair to everybody." According to Rønning, production laid off over a hundred workers on what should've been the first day of shooting, further highlighting what's at stake the longer the AMPTP drags out these negotiations:
"Today was supposed to be our first day of principal photography on 'TRON: ARES' (a movie subsequently about AI and what it means, and takes, to be human). Instead, we are shut down with over a hundred and fifty people laid off. It's indefinite, which makes it exponentially harder for everyone."
Read on for more details.
Tron: Ares is delayed indefinitely
Look, when I rolled my eyes at the casting of Jared Leto for a significant role in "Tron: Ares" (which isn't the first time this has happened, I admit) and declared that this cursed production should probably just be delayed indefinitely, this isn't exactly what I had in mind. But I'm not the only one feeling the frustration these days, apparently, as director Joachim Rønning has taken to Instagram to vent about the film officially entering a production delay as the dual strikes rage on against the AMPTP. Of course, Rønning is only in a position to do so after the Director's Guild of America reached a deal months ago, preventing the unprecedented scenario of all three unions going on strike simultaneously and subsequently putting some serious pressure on the studios to come up with industry-altering deals.
Still, the essence of Rønning's full post is worth appreciating. After heaping praise on his actor and writer collaborators over the course of his career, the filmmaker notes that much of their work basically amounts to freelancing that's plagued by "constant uncertainty." Alluding to the necessity of having their demands met, he goes on to say, "[...] I don't think it's unreasonable to ask for a better safety net." That includes fair pay, transparency from studios, and curbing the pernicious spread of artificial intelligence in the arts — an irony that isn't lost on the director of the third "Tron" movie:
"And that means that AI needs to be regulated. There is no doubt about the threat the technology poses to all creatives."
However, since strikes are inherently meant to be disruptive, that means that countless workers continue to be adversely affected by the production shutdowns, leading to Rønning's impassioned plea.
Collateral damage
Wouldn't it be great if we could just snap our fingers and get things back to normal again? Unfortunately, the previous definition of "normal" was simply untenable for the writers and actors struggling to earn a basic living doing what they love to do. Nothing short of the AMPTP coming to their senses and allowing its most fundamental workers to receive a bigger slice of an unimaginably profitable pie will allow things to finally resume once more, but perhaps a little nudge might help.
That's the hope of "Tron: Ares" director Joachim Rønning, at least, as he expressed his strong comments on getting all parties involved back to the table:
"The AMPTP, SAG-AFTRA and WGA need to speed up the negotiating process and not leave the table until it's done. This is Hollywood. We close deals for breakfast. Why do we suddenly have all the time in the world when every day is so precious? These tactics are extremely frustrating. It's time for diplomacy so we can get back to work — under conditions that are fair to everybody."
Incremental progress has been made on that front in recent days, as the AMPTP has finally responded with a new offer of their own, but whether this results in any real sense of momentum towards a deal remains to be seen. Of course, absolutely nothing is preventing a studio like Disney and a CEO as wealthy as Bob Iger (who has certainly put his foot in his mouth during this strike) from simply paying the crew of "Tron: Ares" in the interim rather than laying them off. Keep that in mind as more productions inevitably encounter delays of their own in the days and weeks (and possibly months) ahead.