Will There Be A Tron: Legacy Sequel? Here's What We Know
Greetings programs! It's been over a decade since we returned to Flynn's Arcade for "Tron: Legacy," the hit sequel to Disney's cult classic sci-fi flick, "Tron." Ever since its release, there's been talk of another movie to turn the series into a trilogy. But with plans falling through and projects canceled, there's still no sign of "Tron 3," and the fans are getting restless.
Has the movie been buried by a profit-driven ENCOM board? Or has the Master Control Program seized the project for its own nefarious ends?
I've been a "Tron" fan ever since I saw my first lightcycle, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this is little more than a blip, a glitch in the system before "Tron 3" boots up and comes back online.
What's planned for the upcoming "Tron" sequel? Will there even be one at all?
Here's everything we know about "Tron 3."
Tron 3 Has Been in the Works For A Long Time
Even before "Tron: Legacy" was released, Disney had been planning a third movie. There weren't many details at the time, but in April 2010 "Legacy" writers Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz were reportedly hired to write a sequel.
"Insiders have suggested that Kitsis and Horowitz are working on a way to round the story into a trilogy," said The Hollywood Reporter.
Although we had no idea what the third film would be about, it was thought that the sequel would continue the story of "Legacy" after Olivia Wilde's Quorra rezzed into the real world. The possibilities seemed endless. How would the world react to this new, artificial lifeform? Could Sam (Garret Hedlund) use the backed-up Grid to restore his father in the real world?
There were plenty of plot threads left dangling that could be picked up in a sequel, and a few months later, Disney was reported to be working on the third movie.
It was a great time for "Tron" fans as "Legacy" wowed us with impressive visuals and the promise of a return to the digital frontier. But much like Flynn's disappearance in "Tron: Legacy" the upcoming sequel seemingly vanished.
Eventually, Tron 3 Became Tron: Ascension
After all the hype surrounding "Tron: Legacy," it was surprising to see its highly anticipated sequel just ... fizzle out. Years went by without a single byte of information, and for a while, it seemed that "Tron 3" was stuck in the Grid.
Then, in March 2015, Twitter account Production Weekly dropped a bombshell. The sequel was still in development and had been given a new title — "Tron: Ascension."
But that wasn't all. Director Joseph Kosinski was confirmed to be returning for "Ascension" with production due to begin in October 2015, filming until February 2016.
It was the news we had all been waiting for, and with a start date in sight, fans had reason to celebrate. The "Ascension" part of the title seemed to hint at Quorra's ascension into the real world, and it was all beginning to come together.
"The fundamental idea of the movie is something I'm very excited about," said director Kosinski back in 2013. "It delivers on the ideas that we set up in Legacy, especially at the end in the last five minutes."
Olivia Wilde and Garret Hedlund were even reported to reprise their roles for "Ascension." But soon, all our hopes were about to be derezzed.
Disney Cancelled Tron: Ascension
That's right, "Ascension" was canceled just two months after we found out about it.
The Hollywood Reporter explained that despite leaks and rumors confirming the film's title and shooting schedule, the film had never officially been greenlit. Although early prep work had begun and filming was just months away, "Tron: Ascension" was abruptly canned.
Why did Disney pull the plug? No reasons were given, but during the fallout, it was revealed that Jared Leto had apparently been pursued for an unknown role. It was thought to be the son of the classic "Tron" villain Ed Dillinger (David Warner), a role which had been played by Cillian Murphy in "Legacy."
Despite these plans, it looked as though "Ascension" was faced with a big, fat system error. It was a devastating blow that shook fans, many of us believing that all hopes of a sequel had been derezzed for good.
But Disney would soon revisit the Grid once more...
A New Version of Tron 3 Officially Added Jared Leto
Almost two years after "Ascension" was shut down, producer Brigham Taylor said that "Tron 3" could still happen. Eventually, we got the update we had all been waiting for — the sequel was once again in the works. But this time, it was a reboot.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, this new project would not be a direct sequel to "Legacy," using bits of the "Ascension" screenplay to create a reboot, of sorts. This new movie would star Jared Leto as Ares, a brand new character we all assumed would be a resident of the Grid.
Would this mean ENCOM has found a way to bring the Grid back online? Could Sam and Alan (Bruce Boxleitner) be working on a way to bring Flynn back? Although it was unclear how much of the "Tron: Ascension" script would be used, it was promising news. Even a reboot offered hope that we would see the franchise back in theaters eventually.
But again, the project blue screened, stalling for several years before we would hear more.
Tron 3 Was Given Yet Another New Name
Last year, we found out that "Tron 3" was still in the works, but without its former director. According to Deadline, the new reboot was once again gaining momentum, this time with director Garth Davis replacing Joseph Kosinski at the helm.
A new script had been penned by Jesse Wigutow and it looked as though the entire project was heading in a very different direction. Jared Leto eventually confirmed that he had been cast in the movie. Better yet, he revealed the film's title amid all the excitement.
"I am so very excited and proud to confirm that YES — I will be starring in Tron," he said via Twitter. "We will work as hard as we possibly can to create something that I hope you all will love. We have some very special ideas in store for you all... See you in the grid!"
The title "Tron: Ares" was confirmed by Leto, cementing rumors that this reboot would focus on his brand-new character. Again, it conjured up so many possibilities. Could Leto be playing a new program inside the Grid? And would he be a friend or foe?
Since then, we've heard ... nothing. Has the franchise crashed once again?
Will Tron 3 Ever Make It Into Production?
As far as we know, "Ares" is still in development, but that's about all we do know. Outside of Jared Leto's casting, there's been very little evidence that the movie is in the works at all, with fans stuck in an infinite loop of updates and cancellations.
But for the time being, there's still hope.
A third "Tron" movie has been in the cards for well over a decade at this point, but it's worth remembering that "Legacy" took 28 years to make it to the big screen after the original film. We may not have heard anything, but no news may be good news. After all, at least it hasn't been canceled ... yet.
I get the feeling Disney is far from done with this impressive sci-fi franchise. "Legacy" earned a solid $400 million at the box office, and we've seen Disney parks add "Tron"-themed rides in recent years. Surely that's a good sign.
What's next for Sam, Quorra, Kevin, and Ares? For now, we'll have to wait and see.
Let's just hope we get more casting or development news soon. At the very least, let's hope Master Control hasn't called End of Line on the long-awaited movie.