The “Tron” franchise is one of the more unique in the history of film. Despite being a pioneering project in the realm of visual effects when it was released in 1982, the original “Tron” is far from a great movie. Some might even say that it’s just bad. But the cult classic had enough popularity and promise that a sequel, “Tron: Legacy,” was made decades later. Unfortunately, that film didn’t kickstart a new franchise as Disney hoped. That being said, the filmmaker responsible for the sequel still sees a bright future for the ‘Tron’ franchise.
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Speaking to Comicbook.com, director Joseph Kosinski talked about the possibility of a new ‘Tron’ film and why he thinks it’s a real possibility, despite the tepid box office performance of his 2010 film.
“There’s always been an interest since ‘Legacy’ ,” said Kosinski. “There’s always been talk and murmuring of doing another and continuing the story. I was in China a few years ago and saw them building the ‘Tron’ ride in Shanghai, which, apparently, is pretty amazing, I would love to experience that at some point. I think it’s still a nice jewel in the crown of Disney IP and I think there are fans and people petitioning and pushing to continue it inside the halls of Disney. So I think it could happen.”
He continued, “Like anything, it just needs the right confluence of … it’s all about timing and the right elements and everything’s got to come together for a movie to happen. I think it’s possible and I think it’s worthy of it. I think there’s enough ideas in the franchise, and the fact that it is so unique and nothing else looks or sounds like it, that ‘Tron’ story. There is, I think, a future for the franchise and I hope they keep making them.”
While not the box office blockbuster that Disney had hoped for, there are many film fans that enjoyed ‘Legacy’ and consider it a pretty good start for a new ‘Tron’ franchise. Unfortunately, when a film doesn’t make money, it’s an uphill battle to convince a studio to make another. Of course, established IP is always enticing, so it’s not impossible to imagine a world where a third ‘Tron’ gets produced.
These comments also come on the heels of a recent report that Disney was exploring the possibility of a ‘Tron’ TV series for Disney+, but that project was ultimately canceled.