It is over a decade since Disney gave 1982 sci-fi movieTrona sequel, and around five years ago,Jared Letowas said to be ready to star in a third film in the franchise. Since then, there has been very little information about the threequel, but now while promoting his leading role as the Marvel vampireMorbius, Leto has been talking a little about the project. Although he could not go into much detail about the specifics of the film, he did seem to suggest that it was moving ahead now.
Tronwas a movie that had the distinction of being one of the first movies to heavily feature CGI graphics, and although by today’s standards, the result doesn’t look that great, at the time, it was mind-blowing. While not a blockbuster,Trondid well at the box office and was positively reviewed, and is now seen as a cult movie. Almost three decades later, the film’s stars Jeff Bridges and Bruce Boxleitner returned inTron: Legacy. This time around, the new film was similarly successful at the box office, but didn’t fare quite as well with the critics, who had issues with the characters and storyline.
Due to the lackluster critical response toTron: Legacy, the potential second sequel was stalled for quite a while as Disney reportedly could decide how to deal with the franchise’s future. According to Leto,Tron 3is finally pushing ahead, and the actor seems to be very much on board the project. He told Screen Rant:
“I’m a super fan of Tron, and we are working hard on Tron with our incredible partners at Disney. Just an amazing group of creative people. We’re getting closer. We’re getting closer and closer, and who knows? Something may be [coming] sooner than later.”
Tron Was Never One of Disney’s Biggest Franchises but Certainly Has its Fans
Like many Disney movies that are not often talked about,Tronwas never one of the big success stories of Disney’s history. Still, there are clearly plenty of people who enjoyed both the 1982 movie and its belated sequel, with the latter taking over $400 million on its release in 2010. Although the box office takings were healthy enough, making a movie likeTron: Legacywas not cheap to make with a budget of around $170 million, and that could be partly why it took so long to decide what to do with another sequel.
Disney is not going to risk almost $200 million on a movie that might struggle to make back any kind of return if critics continue to beat down the more important points of the film. However, Leto seems to be pretty sure thatTron 3is now on the right track. Although it is not known whether any of the stars ofTron: Legacy, which along with Bridges and Boxleitner included Garrett Hedlund and Olivia Wilde, will be back for the new sequel, original director Steven Lisberger is thought to be returning in a producer role, while Garth Davis is expected to direct.
