The Tron franchise has always been something of a strange one within Disney. Since the first movie debuted in 1982, Tron has certainly had a dedicated fanbase, which has helped the movie get two sequels, an animated series, multiple video games, and a Tron roller coaster at two Disney theme parks. And yet, Tron has never really achieved the blockbuster status it has wanted, and that’s not starting now.

As much as I love Tron as a franchise, I never really expected Tron: Ares to be a massive hit. That said, even I never really expected it would do quite as badly at the box office as it had, and somehow, over a full week after release, things are actually even worse.

Tron: Ares Could Lose A Staggering $130 Million Or More

Tron: Ares has only just cracked the $100 million global box office mark after two weekends in theaters. That number is disappointing on its own, but Deadline is now reporting that the previous budget number for Ares of around $180 million was low, and the movie’s cost was more like $220 million... with more than $100 million more spent on marketing.

This means the movie has less than a third of its total cost back at the box office so far, less since the box office numbers are total, and a portion of that $100 million goes to the theaters. Deadline estimates the total cost of Tron: Ares was nearly $350 million. It also estimates that the movie will ultimately bring in about $215 million once you add in all the movie’s various revenue streams (home video, TV and airplane licensing, etc). That balances out to a loss somewhere north of $130 million.

What’s Next For Tron?

I certainly wasn’t expecting Tron: Ares to be a billion-dollar blockbuster on par with an Avatar movie, but this is far worse than I expected. The original Tron wasn't a runaway hit, but the movie became a cult classic. 2010’s Tron: Legacy was a modest hit, though still not the runaway success Disney was likely hoping for. Although it fared far better than this. Disney and science fiction have always had a tough relationship, but this is as bad as it gets.

As a franchise, Tron certainly isn’t going anywhere. Tron: Lightcycle Run is one of the newest rides at Magic Kingdom and a solid success. The Tron: Ares overlay the ride currently has seems to be better received than the movie itself.

People are going to know what Tron is for decades to come, but that doesn’t mean we’ll see any of it on the big screen. While the question of why Ares is flopping so hard will certainly be asked, the end result is likely that no Tron movies will come out for a while.

Warning: SPOILERS for Tron: Ares are ahead!

The Tron franchise returned to the big screen after a 15-year hiatus this past weekend, and unfortunately, Tron: Ares isn’t exactly crushing it at the box office. However, the Jared Leto-starring movie certainly laid the groundwork for another movie if the fates align. The 2025 movie release chiefly did this by including a wild throwback to the original Tron, making me all the more glad I watched the 1982 sci-fi flick for the first time ahead of Ares’ release.

That’s all well and good, but if Tron 4 happens, this revived Tron plot thread wouldn’t be my main reason for seeing this movie. Rather, there’s a loose end from Tron: Ares tied to 2010’s Tron: Legacy that I really need to see tied up. And no, it’s not where Sam and Quorra are… although I would certainly like to know that information. But let’s talk about Ares’ mid-credits tease first.

Julian Dillinger Gets A Familiar Upgrade

To say Julian Dillinger was screwed as Tron: Ares was wrapping up would be an understatement. His plot to kidnap Eve Kim again and obtain the Permanence Code was foiled thanks to Ajay, Seth and Erin shutting down the Dillinger Systems mainframe, which also resulted in the permanent deresolution of Athena after her allotted 29 minutes were up. The authorities surrounded the Dillinger headquarters soon afterwards, knowing Julian was responsible for the devastation in the city, and he was also surely going to take the fall for his mother’s death.

With prison looming in his future, Evan Peters’ character instead decided to activate his particle laser and send himself into the ruins of the Dillinger Grid. There, he found a familiar-looking identity disk that started transforming him the instant he touched it. This is the same disk that belonged to Sark, the program that served the Master Control Program (MCP) in the original Tron and was made by Julian’s grandfather, Edward Dillinger Sr. (with the late David Warner performing all three roles).

So, what does Julian becoming the new Sark mean? Well, I imagine he’ll obtain the power to restore the Dillinger Systems Grid. However, with ENCOM now using the Permanence Code to better the world, he’ll need a new long-term goal to work towards. Even if he finds a way out of The Grid, he’ll still be wanted for his various crimes. But could the power of Sark somehow transfer into the real world? Or would Julian remain a digitally-confined villain? I’m definitely interested in learning the answers to these questions.

What Does The Permanence Code Mean For Quorra?

At the end of Tron: Legacy, Olivia Wilde’s Quorra successfully made it into the real world with Garrett Hedlund’s Sam Flynn, and together they were going to change the world. However, it appears they never got around to doing this, or at least not publicly, We learn in Tron: Ares that the two disappeared after Sam resigned from ENCOM for “personal reasons,” and Ares set out to find them by the time this new movie was done. Again, I welcome this mystery being solved, but what’s more important for me at the moment is learning what the Permanence Code means for Quorra’s existence.

When Quorra left the Tron: Legacy grid, she seemed just fine, and I guarantee you more than 29 minutes passed between when she and Sam came to the real world and when she saw a sunrise for the first time. How is she able to stay intact without the Permanence Code? Is it because she’s an ISO that she doesn’t have to deal with the same restrictions that “standard” programs like Ares and Athena do? Maybe it has something to do with the framework of Legacy’s grid.

Or is it possible that the Permanence Code does affect her, just more slowly? We briefly see a picture of an older Quorra in Tron: Ares, and frankly, she looks a little sickly in it. What if living without the Permanence Code in her programming is slowly killing her? That would add an extra layer of urgency in Ares finding her and Sam.

Assuming Wilde and Hedlund would be up for reprising their roles, this lingering plot thread would be my main reason for watching Tron 4, with Julian Dillinger as Sark 2.0 being a nice bonus. Rest assured, we’ll let you know here at CinemaBlend if another movie is greenlit. End of line.

We’re under two weeks away from Tron: Ares hitting the 2025 movies schedule and reviving the big screen side of this franchise following the release of Tron: Legacy in 2010. However, with the exception of Jeff Bridges reprising Kevin Flynn (or at least something that looks like him), none of the other actors from Legacy are returning for this new installment. Now Garrett Hedlund, who played Sam Flynn, has broken his silence about his absence following the Ares director’s claims about why certain actors didn’t come back.

Earlier this month, director Joachim Rønning alleged to Collider that part of the reason certain Tron: Legacy character aren’t back for Tron: Ares is because “these things are not only creative choices; sometimes actors don't want to be in it anymore.” Rønning never outright named Hedlund, but considering that Sam was Legacy’s main protagonist, it’s probably safe to say he’s looped in that group. In a separate interview with Collider at FanX Salt Lake Comic Convention, Hedlund had this to say when the subject was brought up:

A statement like that seemingly indicates there’s no hard feelings between Garrett Hedlund and the people running the Tron franchise. It would have been nice if he’d confirmed if what Joachim Rønning previously said was accurate, and maybe he’ll tell his side of the story after Tron: Ares has been released. For now, if we take Hedlund’s quote at face value, then he’s excited to see this upcoming Disney movie like so many other people.

I’d be lying if I said I still wasn’t disappointed that Garrett Hedlund won’t appear in Tron: Ares. At the end of Tron: Legacy, Sam Flynn escaped from The Grid with Quorra, the last surviving ISO (isomorphic algorithm). Sam intended to retake control of ENCOM and “change the world” with Olivia Wilde’s character. That’s a pretty big plot thread to leave hanging, but alas, Wilde also isn’t returning for Ares. Neither is Cillian Murphy, who cameoed in Legacy as Edward Dillinger, the son of David Warner’s Edward Dillinger from the first Tron movie.

Instead, Tron: Ares functions as a standalone sequel that follows the super-intelligent program Ares, played by Jared Leto, being brought to the real world for a mission. The official Ares plot synopsis says this marks humanity’s first encounter with A.I. beings, so it seems Quorra ended up keeping a low profile. The Dillinger family will still be represented through Evan Peters’ Julian, Edward Sr.’s grandson, and Gillian Anderson’s Elisabeth, Julian’s mother and Edward Sr.’s daughter. Other cast members include Greta Lee, Jodie Turner-Smith, Hasnan Minhaj, Arturo Castro, Cameron Monaghan and Sarah Desjardins.

Tron: Ares opens in theaters on October 10. Feel free to also stream the first two Tron movies and the animated series Tron: Uprising with your Disney+ subscription. Garrett Hedlund can currently be seen in the Paramount+ subscription-exclusive series Tulsa King, which premiered its third season on September 21.

I have been a Tron fan since I was a kid, since not too long after the original film came out. Years later, when the long-awaited sequel, Tron: Legacy, finally came out, I was as excited as anybody. When the planned sequel to that movie fell apart, I was more than a little frustrated.

But now Tron 3 is almost here, with the Tron: Ares release date less than a month away. While I’m still annoyed it’s not a direct sequel to Tron: Legacy, I’ll take what I can get, and at the end of the day, I’m just glad we’re getting a sequel. Although now that the sequel has set off a chain of events that has me asking a pretty big question about Tron: Ares.

Tron And Tron: Legacy Look Amazing In 4K

Alongside the release of Tron: Ares in theaters, the first two Tron movies are also getting a brand new release of their own. Both have received shiny new 4K transfers, overseen by original Tron director Steven Lisberger. As a fan, I was very excited to get a hold of these, and so I then did what any self-respecting Tron would do. I went back into the Grid.

I rewatched both Tron films, and they are still amazing, but it was when I found myself watching the opening of Tron: Legacy that I was reminded about something that should, if the events of Tron: Legacy are properly addressed in the new movie, be kind of a big deal.

The Tron Franchise Exists In The Tron Universe

The original Tron follows the story of Kevin Flynn, who gets himself zapped by the Master Control Program, forcing him into a world that exists inside computers. Flynn, alongside programs Tron and Yori, works to help Flynn escape, which he eventually does.

At the beginning of Tron: Legacy, we see Sam Flynn’s childhood bedroom, which includes, among other things, a Tron poster for the then-new Tron video game, which is identical to the real Tron movie poster. We also see action figures of characters fighting each other using discs as weapons and lightcycle toys. All the hallmarks that we have come to associate with Tron as a franchise.

Kevin Flynn Created Tron Based On His Experience Inside The Computer

While we do see some elements of the world of Tron before Kevin Flynn goes into the computer, like video games based on lightcycles and tanks, none of them include the Tron branding. During the early montage sequence in Legacy that explains Kevin Flynn’s disappearance, it’s mentioned that Flynn created the video games Space Paranoids, a game specifically mentioned that Flynn made before the events of the first movie, and a game called Tron, which must have come after.

Basically, Kevin Flynn took his experiences from the first movie and turned them into a video game called Tron. It’s logical to assume that Tron became a massive franchise, leading to toy lines and maybe even an eventual film adaptation, among other things. Maybe Tron eventually became a theme park ride.

So the world of the Tron movies includes both a fictional franchise about people that live inside the computer, and a real world inside the computer. By the end of Legacy, while most or all of the people in the computer world know the world of the “users” exists, most users don’t know the truth about the computer, but that’s all about to change.

Will The Fact That Tron Is “Real” Be Addressed In Ares?

The trailers for Tron: Ares show a movie that appears to take place significantly, if not mostly, in the “real” world. The existence of Ares and other digital life forms may be something that is only revealed to a small number officially, but it’s clear that their existence will not be hidden from the public for long. The trailers show lightcycles flying down city streets and cutting through police cars. By the end of Tron: Ares, it seems all but certain that the world will know the truth.

So who’s going to be the first person to mention that those people and the cool bikes they ride look an awful lot like something out of a video game? And not just any video game. They look like something from Tron, a game that we’re told in Legacy is one of the best-selling video games of all time. This is the sort of thing people will notice.

I have to wonder if this connection will be addressed. Will a character say something about the lightcyckes or the people? Will it just be an off-hand comment, a sort of joke or reference for those that remember Legacy, or will there be something more?

I Still Hope A Direct Sequel To Tron: Legacy Could Happen, And This Could Be A Way In

I fully expect that Tron: Ares either won’t deal with this minor detail at all, the movie is clearly looking to be something of a soft reboot for the franchise, or, if it is mentioned, it will only be as a passing reference, a punchline, or an easter egg. However, it’s also possible that it could lead to something more, and I think it should.

Kevin Flynn was “missing” following his disappearance in Tron: Legacy, and obviously, he never resurfaced. The disappearance of a major tech CEO is likely to be the sort of story that never really dies. The events of Tron: Ares may give people the opportunity to put the pieces together and figure out just where it is that Flynn disappeared to.

And then what? Imagine if we learned that the characters from Star Wars or DC Comics or, well, Tron, were real, actually. It would change the way we see... everything.

Tron: Legacy answered the question of whether people from the digital frontier could enter the ‘real” world, and the events of Tron: Ares could provide that same answer to the rest of the world. It only makes sense that if that can happen, people from our world can travel to the digital frontier.

This potentially opens up the door to a host of new Tron sequels, maybe a Disney+ series, whatever they want to do with it. However, if people do connect the dots on the disappearance of Kevin Flynn, it could create a reason to bring Sam Flynn and Quorra back into the story.

I am a huge fan of the Tron franchise. I’ve seen Tron and Tron: Legacy more times than I can count. I’ve played numerous Tron video games, and riding Tron: Lightcycle Run at Walt Disney World was a nearly religious experience for me. I was frustrated for years that no sequel to Tron: Legacy ever materialized. And I was honestly even more frustrated when a third Tron movie, Tron: Ares, was finally announced.

While I’m excited to see Tron: Ares, I’m still a little annoyed that the movie isn’t a direct sequel to Tron: Legacy. As far as we know, Jeff Bridges is the only actor from Legacy to return, and the new film takes the series in a new direction. It won’t deal much, if at all, with the events of Legacy, but it’s also not a complete reboot. CinemaBlend attended a set visit during the production of Ares, where (via Comicbook.com) producer Justin Springer said…

Tron: Legacy ended with Quorra, played by Olivia Wilde, a character from The Grid, making the leap into the real world. Ares will use that concept as its starting point. Jared Leto’s Ares also enters the real world from the Grid. In the Tron: Ares trailer, we also see Lightcycles chopping through police cars.

The fact that the events of Tron: Legacy aren’t being undone at least keeps the door open a crack for a true sequel to Legacy, or at least a follow-up to Ares that ties in the events of the first two Tron films more directly. I would certainly love to see that, and Springer is clear that such a thing is at least theoretically possible. He continued…

As a huge Tron fan, I’m excited to see Ares when it opens next month. I hope it’s great in its own right and a big enough success that we don’t need to wait another decade or two for another sequel. I just hope that eventually one of those movies continues the story that Tron: Legacy left behind.

While I’ve been waiting for a brand new trailer for Tron: Ares, I didn’t think my wish would be answered this soon. As the 2025 Disney movie is heading to San Diego Comic-Con next weekend, I was surely anticipating some sort of footage being shown, if not released to the public. Then the full trailer for this Jared Leto-led ensemble dropped, with a clear view of Jeff Bridges’ Kevin Flynn in the biodigital flesh…and it’s left me with some theories on why he’s actually back again.

Theory #1: There’s A Grid That Still Looks Like The OG Tron

As confirmed through D23’s 2024 updates on Tron: Ares, a new Grid is on the board: The Dillinger Grid. Ares (Jared Leto) is its Master Control Program, with Julian Dillinger (Evan Peters) being the human puppeteer who wants to use him for profit. I presume that’s why the red color scheme dominates Ares’ look, and the marketing for the movie is designed as it is.

Keeping that in mind, take a closer look at that Kevin Flynn photo at the top. Or better still, check out how Tron: Ares’ potential anti-hero looks as he speaks with the Maker himself:

Does anyone else hear Wendy Carlos’ classic 1982 theme tune, or is it just me? It seems like Ares is definitely heading to a digital realm that looks and feels like it’s from the start of the Tron movie timeline, only with an older Flynn. Don’t worry, I have an explanation for that as well.

Theory #2: This Isn’t The Kevin Flynn, But Another Copy

The original Kevin Flynn, for our purposes, is dead. Taken out by reintegrating with the villainous CLU in Tron: Legacy’s finale, any trace of the long-captive genius rests in that necklace we saw on Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund). With another Grid in existence, that surely has to mean there’s another copy of Kevin Flynn out there, right?

Ready for another potential twist that’s worth booting up your Disney+ subscription? I think this potentially new version of Kevin Flynn was designed by Sam! Don’t forget, the short film “The Next Day” saw the young rebel taking his place as the head of ENCOM - which is now run by Ares newcomer Eve Kim (Greta Lee).

While we don’t know where Sam (or Olivia Wilde’s Quorra) are in Tron: Ares' story, we do know that for a time, the Son of Flynn was ready to run the show. He could have very easily put together a version of his father that combined leftover code from Legacy, other records at ENCOM Tower, and whatever else he could scrape together.

Theory #3: Kevin Flynn Is Ares' Way To Find The Permanence Code

I’m kind of glad I learned about Tron: Ares’ Permanence Code when I did, because Kevin Flynn (whichever version he is) surely has to have something to do with that mega macguffin. If Sam Flynn did create this version of his father, it may have been to help him seek out that very code to preserve Quorra’s life in the real world.

That means Kevin Flynn 3.0 already has this answer, and that’s why Ares needs to see him. Furthering the analogy of Ares as a new version of Pinocchio, Jeff Bridges is almost literally the Blue Fairy for Jared Leto’s little digital boy. Which will undoubtedly ruffle feathers, instigate some fights, and could see Julian Dillinger running into the consequences his mother Elisabth (Gillian Anderson) tried to warn him about.

Yeah, that's not a look of maternal pride. That's a look that says "We're doomed." I hope I'm wrong for the sake of our species, because that last shot of the Recognizer firing an absurd amount of missiles in a real-world setting still haunts me.

The truth, and Tron: Ares itself, enters our world on October 10th. It’s going to be a battle for more than the fate of The Grid. It could very well determine the survival of humanity and all life on planet Earth. Are you ready to fight for Users and Programs alike?

In 2010, 28 years after the world met Kevin Flynn in Tron, Jeff Bridges reprised his character in Tron: Legacy. By the end of the sequel, however, it seemed as though Kevin’s story was finished when he sacrificed his life to save his son Sam and Quorra. And yet, Bridges is somehow back for the 2025 movie release Tron: Ares. How is this possible? Well, Jeff Bridges gave the most Jeff Bridges response when that very question was posed.

Bridges’ casting in Tron: Ares was announced in April 2024, and with four months to go until it hits the silver screen, the details of Kevin Flynn’s reemergence remain shrouded in secrecy. However, Bridges is well trained in not revealing any spoilers. Empire tried get some answers out of him on this subject, and he started off by saying:

It was revealed in Tron: Legacy that in 1989, seven years after the events of Tron (both movies can be streamed with a Disney+ subscription), Kevin Flynn was trapped in The Grid, thus missing out on most of Sam’s life. While he was finally able to reunite with his son when Sam was lured into The Grid, it didn’t last long. In order to make sure that Sam and Quorra could escape to the real world in the newly-reopened Portal, Kevin reabsorbed Clu, his digital duplicate, back into himself, and this generated an explosion that wiped out the islands above the Sea of Simulation.

For more than a decade, I, and I assume many other fans, believed that there was no way Kevin Flynn could have survived this, even with all the power he wielded in The Grid. But to quote Kevin in Tron: Legacy, some “biodigital jazz” is apparently at work to explain his inclusion in Tron: Ares. Jeff Bridges is fine with that, as he’s still finding new layers to this character, adding:

I am so happy that Jeff Bridges quoted his Big Lebowski character considering how Kevin Flynn was giving off so many Dude vibes in Tron: Legacy. It’s anyone’s guess at this point how Kevin is still kicking after all this time. We don’t even see him in the Tron: Ares trailer; he’s only heard saying, “Ready? ‘Cause there’s no going back.” Right now, I’m betting that The Grid in Ares isn’t the same as the one from Tron and Legacy, hence the red color. So it’s entirely possible that the Kevin is in this movie is somehow a copy of the original.

Tron: Ares opens in theaters on October 10, with Jeff Bridges’ co-stars including Jared Leto, Greta Lee and Evan Peters, among others. Whatever ends up happening with Kevin Flynn, I hope that Bridges has a better opinion of his depiction in this movie compared to what he thought of his digital self in Tron: Legacy.

Known for its amazing soundtrack and setting, as well as being the sequel to one of the best sci-fi films of all time, Tron: Legacy was released in 2010 as an attempt to introduce newer audiences to the Grid. The film received mixed reviews at the time but has since amassed a strong following. For years, there was talk of a potential threequel and, now that film is coming in the form of Tron: Ares. Now, ahead of its release, Legacy star Garret Hedlund is opening up about the impact of the first sequel and how he feels about the latest film.

In some ways, it's honestly hard to believe that it's been nearly 14 years since Tron: Legacy graced the big screen. The legacy (no pun intended) of that movie remains strong, though, and Garret Hedlund knows it. The actor, who played protagonist Sam Flynn in the film, recently spoke to Collider, during which he discussed the sweet interactions he's had with fans as of late:

It's sweet to hear that the Country Song star is still receiving so much love for the sci-fi film, which also starred Jeff Bridges and Olivia Wilde among others. That is indeed a true testament to the creative vision of Joseph Kosinski. And, when it comes to what Jared Leto and the cast of Tron: Ares are cooking up, the Tulsa King actor is excited:

While Disney has provided Ares updates here and there, many details on the flick are being kept under wraps. What is known, however, is that Joachim Rønning is directing, with Jared Leto playing the titular character and Jeff Bridges returning as Kevin Flynn. There are also sure to be plenty of surprises, and I'm sure hardcore fans wouldn't mind seeing Garrett Hedlund reprise his role as Sam.

With the Lightcyle Run ride (which includes Jared Leto) now operational and a new movie in the works, fans of this franchise are certainly being fed. It's amazing that even over a decade after Legacy and years after the original 1982 flick, this IP still has some juice.

The future looks bright for the Tron universe right now, and you honestly love to see it. One would think that Garrett Hedlund will continue to feel the love and appreciate his own contributions to the series. And here's hoping he does indeed get the chance to suit up again and compete in the Grid at some point.

You can look forward to seeing Tron: Ares when it opens in theaters on October 5 as part of the 2025 movie schedule. For now, stream the first two installments using a Disney+ subscription.

Despite Kevin Flynn seemingly meeting his end in the final minutes of Tron: Legacy, Jeff Bridges is returning to the role he originated back in 1982 for Tron: Ares, one of the bigger tentpole releases on the 2025 movies schedule. While we still have no idea how Kevin fits into the story being anchored by Jared Leto’s title character, Bridges did recently look back at his time on Legacy, which was a positive experience for him overall. However, there was one aspect of the 2010 movie that he “wasn’t particularly fond” of how it turned out.

Along with sharing his reaction to Iron Man co-star Robert Downey Jr. returning to the MCU to play Doctor Doom, Bridges spent some time discussing Legacy during his conversation with Josh Horowitz. After the actor shared how Leto is “wonderful to work with,” Horowitz mentioned how he believes that there’s “no one more scanned in the metaverse more than Jeff Bridges,” and asked him if that “scares him a little bit” in this age of AI. That led to Bridges saying this:

Jeff Bridges is referencing how in addition to reprising Kevin Flynn in Tron: Legacy, he also played Clu (Codified Likeness Utility), an advanced program that looked just like Kevin did in the late ‘80s and was designed to help him create the “perfect” computer system alongside Tron inside The Grid. In other words, Bridges was de-aged in order to bring Clu to life, with this being one of the earlier examples of digital technology being used to pull this off. Unfortunately, Bridges felt Clu looked less like himself and more like the host of HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher in his younger years. I can see where he’s coming from after gazing at the below image, although for me, it’s become more apparent now how artificial Bridges’ skin looks when he’s in Clu form.

The film and TV business has come a long way with digital de-aging in the decade and a half since Tron: Legacy was being put together. So obviously if it was being released now, Clu would not only look less artificial, but more accurate to how Jeff Bridges looked around the time he was starring in movies like Tucker: The Man and His Dream and The Fisher King. Then again, since Kevin Flynn’s role in Tron: Ares is shrouded in mystery, perhaps there’s the possibility that Bridges will once again be de-aged, and this time, hopefully the final product is more to his liking.

Hitting theaters on October 10, 2025, Tron: Ares follows a highly sophisticated program being sent from the digital world to the real world for a dangerous mission, which results in humanity coming into contact with AI beings for the first time. Jeff Bridges and Jared Leto are joined in Tron: Ares’ cast by Evan Peters, Hasan Minhaj, Jodie Turned-Smith, Cameron Monaghan and Gillian Anderson, among others. While we wait for more news about the Joachim Rønning-directed movie, stream Tron and Tron: Legacy with your Disney+ subscription.

As a massive fan of the Tron franchise, I was thrilled to finally get a chance to experience Tron: Lightcycle Run at Walt Disney World earlier this summer. It’s an incredible attraction that got me extra pumped up for the fact that a new Tron movie is finally happening after all these years. I felt like I was the last person to go on the ride, which opened a little over a year ago, but apparently, Jared Leto, the star of the new Tron movie hadn't ridden it either, until now.

Jared Leto is apparently in Florida making music with his band this weekend, and so he took the opportunity to make a quick trip to Magic Kingdom so he could experience one of Disney World's newest attractions for the first time. The roller coaster puts you on board a Lightcycle, and it sends you flying into the Grid. Leto posted the experience to Instagram, and it looks like he’s having a blast. Check it out:

Leto looks like any kid visiting Walt Disney World. He seems like he’s having fun just being there and he’s got a big smile on his face the whole time he’s walking into the show building as well as when he’s on the ride. And of course, he got the front row, which is something I haven’t had a chance to experience yet.

Tron: Lightcycle Run probably won’t impress those looking for the most extreme thrills, but for this Tron fan, it was just about everything I could have asked for. It’s a fairly short ride, which is one of the only downsides because it certainly makes you want more.

I was at D23 earlier this month when Leto and the cast of Tron: Ares were on hand to give fans a sneak peek of the film. Tron 3 takes place largely in our world, though there will be scenes on The Grid. I had a chance to see Lightcycles chased by police cars, which is pretty awesome to see I have to admit. I also got the first look at Jeff Bridges' return to the Tron franchise, which is equally exciting.

Also, it should be pointed out that Jared Leto rode with his Airpods in, and he didn’t lose them which is impressive. Although, that means he may not have heard the Daft Punk music, which goes a long way to making the Lightcycle Run experience so good.

We know the Tron: Ares score is being handled by Nine Inch Nails. While that’s also exciting, the group is going to have its work cut out for it making a score that is as memorable and iconic as the one Daft Punk made for Tron: Legacy.

The only problem with all this is that now I’m extra pumped to see more Tron and the movie is still over a year away. The Tron: Ares release date won’t be here until late on the 2025 movie shcedule. That’s a long time to wait. Hopefully, I’ll be able to ride Lightcycle Run a few more times to help me handle it.

Timing is everything, no matter what the subject at hand may be. Releasing a potential blockbuster is certainly one of those fields where strategy is key, and when it comes to the movies we’re about to discuss, it just was sadly a case of wrong place, wrong time.

Watchmen

If co-writer/director Zack Snyder’s adaptation of Watchmen had been released at any point other than the start of the MCU’s boom, it might have seen better box office returns. While the movie still holds up, one has to wonder if an era with larger IMAX capacity would have done this movie better.

The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

2015 was a good year for spy movies, with Kingsman: The Secret Service and Spectre both doing rather well at the box office. So maybe Guy Ritchie’s beloved The Man from U.N.C.L.E. should have thought about releasing in early 2016 instead, as the film’s breezy antidote to Daniel Craig’s James Bond arc could have been better appreciated.

The Rocketeer

The Rocketeer is one of the classic examples of a movie that had too much competition. With summer 1991 offering the likes of Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and Terminator 2: Judgement Day, there was little room in people’s hearts for an underrated Disney take on comic book heroism. 

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World

It was almost instantaneously decided that Edgar Wright’s cinematic adaptation of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World would eventually be a cult classic. Flopping in theaters, the people who actually saw it kept the torch lit for future fans to discover. Perhaps Inception had better legs than Universal had thought. 

Alita: Battle Angel

There’s still a dedicated fan base who want to see a sequel to Robert Rodriguez’s adaptation of Alita: Battle Angel. This would-be blockbuster’s debut saw it as the final 20th Century Fox movie to be released before the 2019 Disney/Fox merger’s completion; an event that would see various projects cancelled, sold off, or get lost in the shuffle.  

Tron

Nobody knew just how white hot E.T.: The Extra-terrestrial was going to be in the summer of 1982. Dominating the box office for a stretch that’s unheard of in the current market, Disney’s experimental sci-fi movie Tron was a casualty during that reign. Moved from a Christmas slot staked out in that same year, the arcade game wound up making more money than this cult classic would take at the movies.

The Last Voyage Of The Demeter

If you’re trying to craft a horror hit, even if you’re uncertain about the IP, a Halloween release date is your best chance at success. While director André Øvredal’s Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark bucked that trend with its well played August 2019 release, 2023 would see his film The Last Voyage of the Demeter crash into the rocks of misfortune.

Gremlins 2: The New Batch

Six years can make a difference when you’re trying to follow the next big thing. Gremlins 2: The New Batch taught the world that lesson as it failed to capture its 1984 predecessor’s box office bonanza in 1990. Between a crowded year at the box office, and the arrival of so many imitators throughout that stretch of time, it was hard for this actually well-liked picture to last past midnight.

The Thing

Maybe a major studio with two alien-centric movies should be a bit careful in how they release them. As if John Carpenter’s The Thing wasn’t disturbing enough on its own, the fact that the movie shared cinematic air with E.T.: the Extra-terrestrial not only buried the picture, it made it look even more frightening. Lucky for the world The Thing found its feet on VHS, and all was right with the world. 

Blade Runner

Sometimes a classic needs to give the world a little more time to catch up. Thanks to the meteoric rise of E.T.: The Extra-terrestrial in 1982’s box office calendar, director Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner seemed destined to obscurity. However, when the picture landed in rental stores quicker than Steven Spielberg’s cinematic phenomenon, people were ready to dive in. 

The Last Action Hero

Believe it or not, heading into the theatrical release of The Last Action Hero, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s meta action/comedy was being touted as “the big ticket for ‘93!” And then a scrappy upstart student film called Jurassic Park was unleashed, just two days earlier, and the rest was history faster than you could say “Big mistake.” 

Doctor Sleep

November 2019 didn’t do many movies favors when it came to cashing in on existing IP. While Mike Flanagan’s Doctor Sleep had a good head of steam heading into its release into multiplexes, its arrival was met by the surprising box office victory of Midway. If only it had gone toe to toe with Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, perhaps the Halloween season could have booked more butts at The Overlook. 

Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within

Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within was a movie that underperformed so horribly, it closed Square Pictures’ doors not that long after they first opened. While one could debate when the right time was to release an ambitious video game tie-in flick, it certainly wasn’t in the same stretch where Legally Blonde was conquering in pink and Shrek was making its name. 

Surviving Christmas

Long before the Hallmark Channel somehow convinced people it’s ok to watch Christmas movies year long, the Ben Affleck-led holiday comedy Surviving Christmas was a huge example of releasing a movie way out of season. Opening on October 22nd, 2004, the only defense this forgotten flameout has is that it was probably trying to beat The Polar Express and Christmas with the Kranks to the punch. 

Black Widow

Marvel’s Black Widow should have been the massive homecoming for the MCU that the early pandemic world was looking for. Unfortunately, this was also the time that Disney+’s short-lived Premier Access program was tested, in order to entice audiences to enjoy the film at home. Scarlett Johansson’s eventual lawsuit was only the beginning of the fallout, as the film performed nowhere near the level the MCU brass expected.

Turning Red

A week after 2022’s The Batman crushed it at the early pandemic box office, Disney/Pixar’s Turning Red tried to make a savvy pivot as a Disney+ streaming original. Though the film had an eventual theatrical re-release, the picture still failed to make a proper stamp on the box office.

Tenet

Literally the first movie that reopened movie theaters after the 2020 COVID-19 shutdowns, Christopher Nolan’s Tenet became a champion of post-shutdown cinema. It also did as well as it could in the earlier, much more limited market that was available to theatrical titles; which only made it an eventual IMAX 70mm repertory favorite. 

Jersey Girl

Gigli was a theatrical bomb that was so devastating that its effects weren’t only felt by Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck’s ill-advised rom-com. With fears that Kevin Smith’s Jersey Girl would also crater as a result, the picture was tweaked to limit the appearance of Bennifer 1.0 in the film. It didn’t matter, because Smith’s heart on its sleeve family dramedy still tanked. 

The Village 

There’s a case to be made that M. Night Shyamalan’s The Village should have either been his first project, or a later career release. Riding the wave of “twist” laden movies like The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, and Signs, the film was marketed as a spooky, twisted movie…which hides the actually sweet nature of its cerebral drama. 

Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar

In a more traditional period of release, Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar could have been a surprise hit that raked in box office gold. But as a 2021 release that was eventually turned into a PVOD exclusive debut, Kristen Wiig and Anne Mumulo’s sunny fun seekers weren’t given the spotlight they truly deserved. 

Crossroads

Ok, get all the jokes out now. No, Crossroads isn’t a movie that never should have been released. While it was a decent hit at the 2002 box office, this could have been a white-hot hit if it was produced and released earlier in Britney Spears’ career as a pop princess.

Haunted Mansion

20 years after the Eddie Murphy starring spin on the same Disneyland attraction arrived, Haunted Mansion was the reboot that hoped to get it right. But with a critical drubbing, and a non-Halloween release date, director Justin Simien’s new tale in an old haunt was barely a ghost by spooky season.

Tron: Legacy

When all was said and done, Tron: Legacy actually did pretty well for itself in a December 2010 release slot. However, in the era where Pirates of the Caribbean, and eventually the MCU, would become Disney’s preferred ATMs, the legacy-quel would act as a minor point of light before another franchise dark age.

Solo: A Star Wars Story

While Star Wars started as a summer-based franchise, the Sequel Trilogy era saw The Force Awakens relocate the series to its current Christmas holiday tradition. So by the time 2018’s Solo: A Star Wars Story became a reality, its attempt to return to the May release slot of its youth was seen as a massive misstep. 

Star Trek: Nemesis

In 2002, Star Trek’s movies were on a bit of a roll. At least, the franchise was in a comfortable enough position that Paramount Pictures brass decided that releasing Star Trek: Nemesis against The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers was a calculated risk worth taking. It was not, even with the presence of baby Tom Hardy playing a clone of Patrick Stewart.

UHF

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Batman, Ghostbusters II, and Honey, I Shrunk The Kids all came out in the summer of 1989. Weird Al Yankovic’s UHF…also happened. That pretty much sums up how audiences reacted to the cult classic in its initial release phase, but history only went on to prove that maybe Al should have sold his bologna in another space on the calendar.

Brightburn

Points have to be awarded to Brightburn, as the James Gunn-produced mashup of The Omen and Superman not only predated superhero fatigue, it actually happened before both of those franchises would make resurgences in popular culture. If only this R-rated thrill ride had opened with a little more distance from Avengers: Endgame’s debut almost a month prior.

The Core

It was bad enough that 2003’s The Core was unceremoniously delayed from its original release date in late 2002. But when the Columbia shuttle disaster killed all seven astronauts aboard roughly a month before the movie actually made it into the world, the timing couldn’t have been worse. 

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World

Between The Matrix Revolutions and Return of the King was a window that should have worked for potential 2003 blockbusters. Yet between potential Russell Crowe fatigue, and inflated production costs, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World saw the wind unjustly robbed from its sails. 

The Matrix Resurrections

The Matrix Resurrections was a curious prospect from day one, as The Wachowski’s original trilogy seemed pretty open and shut. That unexpectedly meta approach, meshed with a controversial day-and-date streaming debut in 2021, marked a supposed low point in a once-dominating franchise. 

West Side Story

December 2021 was a bloodbath when it came to the glut of movies released in that very month. With the Disney/Fox empire pushing a lot of movies out in this early pandemic season of cinema, Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story remake found itself crushed up against The King’s Man, Nightmare Alley, and Spider-Man: No Way Home…and that was just the competition from its siblings.

Steve Jobs

Part of Steve Jobs’ struggles manifested early, as a David Fincher-directed/Christian Bale-starring version of the Aaron Sorkin scripted biopic fell apart, despite holding great promise. The movie that resulted, with Danny Boyle directing an all-star cast led by Michael Fassbender, is a magnetic opus that deserves more love than it got.

Unfortunately, the ill-advised Ashton Kutcher vehicle Jobs may have played a part in sinking this beaut; along with an odd awards season release strategy…rolled out in the month of October. Which, just like a lot of the films we've just discussed, is prime proof that a movie at the wrong place in time can be unjustly seen as a failure. 

Movies scores add so much to films it’s hard to overstate just how important they are. Music can completely change the mood of a movie, or a scene, in ways that little else can. Most movie scores follow a tried and true formula and while we would never discount the importance of such scores, the ones on this list are different. They are meant to be jarring, or at least different enough that they reach new heights in what a film score can be. Here are 32 of the most unconventional film scores we think are among the best of all time. 

Pee-Wee's Big Adventure

We’re all very used to Dany Elfman’s contributions to film scores at this point. He’s been one of the most in-demand composers for decades. That wasn’t always the case, and when Tim Burton brought him in to do the score for Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure, Elfman’s eclectic style wasn’t at all conventional. Elfman came from an art-rock background and by diving into movie scores, he brought a very fresh perspective. It fit Burton’s style perfectly, which explains why they’ve worked together so often since. 

There Will Be Blood

Leave it to Paul Thomas Anderson to think outside the box and bring in Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood to do a soundtrack for him. There Will Be Blood was not Greenwood’s first soundtrack, but it was his first for a major studio production. It’s a haunting, discombobulating soundtrack that adds so much to the movie, that it’s hard to imagine that the film would be as harsh and disturbing as it is without it. 

Birdman

Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s Birdman is unconventional in many ways, not the least of which is the percussion-heavy score by jazz drummer Antonio Sánchez. The pulsing rhythms push the story forward as much as the editing of the movie, meant to be seen as all one take. It’s brilliant. 

No Country For Old Men

Composer Carter Burwell has been scoring the films of the Coen Brothers for decades, but with No Country For Old Men, his score is different, mostly because of how little there is of it. A majority of the movie has no score at all, but that makes the rare times it does appear so much more effective. In all, there are only 16 minutes of music on the soundtrack and even those are minimalist. It evokes a perfect eerieness for the film. 

The Social Network

Trent Reznor had never composed a film score before David Fincher approached him to do the music for The Social Network. Reznor, and his co-composer Atticus Ross, weren’t sure they could do it at first, but Fincher stayed on them and we’re all lucky for it. The pulsating soundtrack, which reminds us of Nine Inch Nails, but definitely isn’t,  is one of the many reasons the movie’s seemingly mundane story crackles to life on screen. 

Tron: Legacy

The original Tron was a groundbreaking film in its use of CGI, and so for the sequel, which was almost three decades in the making, the filmmakers knew they had to make a splash. Hiring EDM legends Daft Punk to score the film was a stroke of genius. While the soundtrack only has fleeting moments of the duo’s signature sound, it’s completely outside the box of what one expects from a soundtrack and fits the movie’s CGI look perfectly. 

28 Days Later

According to director Danny Boyle, he had the post-rock band Godspeed You! Black Emperor “in his head” the whole time he made 28 Days Later. While one of the cult band’s songs, “East Hastings” appears in the film, they did not write the foreboding soundtrack. Still, composer John Murphy's soundtrack evokes GY!BE brilliantly, and it makes for a seriously scary soundtrack, in all the best ways. 

A Clockwork Orange

Groundbreaking composer and musician Wendy Carlos’ first foray into film scoring came in Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange. The combination of her Moog-heavy electronic sounds with the classical music (mostly Beethoven) in the movie is spot on for the dystopian future the film portrays. Carlos would work with Kubrick again on the eerie soundtrack for The Shining as well. 

Punch-Drunk Love

Classical music critic Greg Sandow calls the soundtrack to Punch Drunk Love “sounds” as much as music in his glowing review. He’s completely right, as composer Jon Brion used field recordings as much as music to create the soundtrack, to amazing effect. It’s unlike any other rom-com soundtrack you’ve ever heard, which is what you expect from a movie directed by P.T. Anderson. 

Dredd

Most of the soundtrack to Dredd has a fantastic heavy synth/industrial sound which is pretty unique on its own, but what sets this soundtrack truly apart from others is the music set to the “slo-mo” scenes. The composer, Paul Leonard-Morgan, took inspiration from a Justin Bieber song he heard that was slowed down so much that one minute represented 10 minutes of music in real-time. The ethereal effect is astounding. 

Requiem for a Dream

Kronos Quartet is one of the most avant-garde classical music so if they are going to agree to perform on a soundtrack, you know it’s going to be interesting. The work they do on composer Clint Mansell’s Requiem for a Dream soundtrack is wild and unsettling, just like the movie. It’s impossible to think of the film with any other music. 

Psycho

Without Bernard Herrmann’s legendary score for Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho, it’s safe to say that it’s a completely different film. It’s easy to watch Psycho today and giggle at what seems like tropes in the filming and the music (the violin screeching in the shower scene), but you have to remember it was all cutting edge in 1960. It’s one of the scariest scores to one of the scariest films ever. 

Metropolis

Metropolis was originally released as a silent movie in 1927, but in 1984, the great composer Giorgio Moroder reimagined the film with an entirely new and modern score. Moroder wrote the music and enlisted some of his friends, like Freddie Mercury and Loverboy, to perform the music. While it was panned at first, it’s gone on to achieve cult status and is definitely a unique take on an old movie. 

Sicario

The music for Sicario first makes its presence felt in a very real way in the scene just before the main characters cross from Texas to Mexico for the first time. “Presence” is the best way to describe it, because audiences feel the music as much as they hear it. The rumbling bass and minimalist music convey the perfect sense of dread the scene needs. 

The Virgin Suicides

The soundtrack for Sofia Coppola’s The Virgin Suicides, composed and performed by the French electronic duo Air, has been hailed by numerous publications as one of the best of all time, and with good reason. Despite the movie, released in 1999, being set in the 1970s, the music is very much of the era in which it was released, and its bright-yet-dark, fresh sound sets a perfect tone. 

Thor: Ragnarok

Marvel movies aren’t the first place most people would think of looking for a unique soundtrack, but Thor: Ragnarok isn’t a run-of-the-mill superhero movie, either. Director Taika Waititi brought in former Devo leader and long-time film composer Mark Mothersbaugh to do the soundtrack. Mothersbaugh is probably best known for his work on Wes Anderson movies but for Thor: Ragnarok, he incorporated more synth than usual and went out of his way to create a different-sounding Marvel movie, and boy does it work.

Blade Runner

Vangelis, a Greek composer whose career started in the 1960s is best known today for his avant-garde work in the early ‘80s on soundtracks like Chariots of Fire and Blade Runner. His electronic sound was the perfect compliment to the dark future presented in Blade Runner and without it, with a more traditional score, the movie would have been very different. 

Flash Gordon

There are a few reasons Flash Gordon has remained a cult classic over the years and one of the big ones is the amazing soundtrack. Written and performed by Queen, it has remained one of the most interesting soundtracks ever made and is just as listenable as an album as it is backing the movie. 

Rushmore

Composer Mark Mothersbaugh and director Wes Anderson have formed one of the most fruitful partnerships in modern Hollywood. Mothersbaugh's quirky music fits Anderson's style to a T and the music has been as much a part of Anderson's style as the production design and camera angles. When you hear a Mothersbaugh score, you know immediately who wrote it. Their first project together was Bottle Rocket but it was on Rushmore that the former member of Devo found his true voice within Anderson's world. 

Hanna

One surefire way to get a unique soundtrack is to task The Chemical Brothers with creating it. Hanna's soundtrack is spectacular and the pulsing rhythms and dream-like movements drive the movie forward like they are part of the main character's psyche. Without the soundtrack, it just wouldn't have the urgency that it has throughout. 

Friday Night Lights

Post-rock band Explosions in the Sky has a big, bold, triumphant sound. It's a style that fits Friday Night Lights perfectly. It's not the kind of music you'd expect to accompany a movie set in West Texas, or about high school football for that matter, but it just works so well. It moves you as much as the movie does. 

2001: A Space Odyssey

The score for 2001: A Space Odyssey is notable on this list because it's the only one that used predominately previously recorded works. It was very rare at the time for movies to forgo original scores and yet Stanley Kubrick did, choosing to use the music that inspired him to make the movie, rather than the original score by Alex North. It's hard to imagine the ending of 2001 with another other than György Ligeti's "Atmospheres"

Suspiria

One of the most underappreciated soundtracks on this list is Suspiria, written and performed by the Italian prog band Goblins. It's like no other soundtrack on this list and is one of the best to listen to on its own if you are a fan of '70s prog rock, though you've probably never heard anything like it. The 2018 remake of Suspiria also features an incredible and unique soundtrack written by Radiohead's Thom Yorke. 

The Amazing Spider-Man 2

The soundtrack for The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is probably the most conventional on this list, but even though it was composed by the great Hans Zimmer, it still falls outside the box of most of his work. Zimmer worked with a supergroup to co-write and record the music that included Pharrell Williams, Johnny Marr, Mike Einziger, Junkie XL, and others. 

The Third Man

In 1949, when The Third Man was produced and released, music in movies was generally written for, and performed by large orchestras. Composer Anton Karas was a zither player, and as such, he wrote much of the music for that unique instrument. It has a jangly, post-war jazz style to it that was very different for its time and it's just lovely. 

The Warriors

The cult classic The Warriors has a soundtrack full of ominous synths and driving beats that composer Barry De Vorzon expertly crafted to fit the style and plot of the movie. While there are a number of pop songs included, it's the score itself that best represents the action on the screen. It is jarring at the best of times and keeps the audience on the edge as the gang navigates the city towards the safety of Coney Island. 

The Revenant

The late Ryuichi Sakamoto was a true pioneer in electronic music. Beginning with the Yellow Magic Orchestra in Japan in the late 1970s, Sakamoto was always pushing the envelope musically, and that includes his work on movie scores, especially The Revenant. For the score, he teamed up with Alva Noto and The National's Bryce Dessner to create something unique and special. 

Forbidden Planet

The soundtrack to Forbidden Planet, written by Bebe and Louis Barron, was like nothing that had come before it. It is considered the first entirely electronic score and it literally set the tone for sci-fi soundtracks for decades. 

Annihilation

The music in Alex Garland's Annihilation is haunting and eerie, just like the movie. Made up more of evocative sounds than a true score, it's still a work of genius by co-composers Ben Salisbury and Geoff Barrow. The two have teamed up a number of times to work with Garland including the incredible 2024 release, Civil War.

Hereditary

Horror films often incorporate interesting and nontraditional scores and Hereditary is a perfect example. It oozes feeling and dread in the best way. Written by multi-instrumentalist Colin Stetson, who is known for his work with bands like The Arcade Fire and TV on the Radio, the soundtrack is sparse but powerful. 

Midsommar

Midsommar's writer and director Ari Aster found inspiration while writing the movie in the music of electronica artist Bobby Krlic, also known as The Haxan Cloak. Aster naturally hired Krlic to compose the score and it's a home run, and not what you would expect from the movie, yet fitting perfectly. 

The Road

Indie music legend Nick Cave is not someone you might expect to compose the music for a dark, post-apocalypse movie like The Road, yet his work, alongside co-writer and fellow Bad Seeds member Warren Ellis, is as haunting, terrifying, and beautiful as the story the movie tells. 

Friends and readers, the IMAX format is on a hot streak. 2024 movies like Dune: Part Two and Civil War have been hyping up that particular venue in their marketing, which is great news for the future. But what's even more exciting are the re-releases, like Christopher Nolan’s Tenet, that have been attracting moviegoers to take part in the large format 70mm magic outside of the crop of incoming blockbusters.

With that particular scenario in mind, I’d like to suggest some long overdue re-issues that the IMAX format could benefit from. Though mostly, I’ve crafted this list as a love letter to fond outings of the past, as well as some titles I missed for one reason or another that I’m still looking to catch. So let’s start the countdown, and go big with these delightful IMAX releases that deserve another spin on the platter.

Speed Racer

You can bet I caught The Wachowskis’ Speed Racer back when it was released in IMAX the first time around. But now, with the film’s critical reappraisal, it feels like the perfect time to bring that large format magic back to the biggest screens possible, if only to encourage a 4K remaster and home video release to follow.

Tron: Legacy

As we make our way to Tron: Ares’ upcoming Disney movie release date of October 10, 2025, people are going to want to revisit 2010’s Tron: Legacy. The IMAX 3D variant is hands down the best way to experience Joseph Kosinski’s awe-inspiring cult classic, and a revival could fuel the next entry in the Tron franchise timeline’s journey to the big time.

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol

Sometimes a major motion picture like Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol films special scenes in IMAX format, but doesn’t send that version to home video. As the series continues to be quite popular, despite Dead Reckoning’s box office performance, Ghost Protocol lighting the fuse in IMAX is quite an opportunity to remind people why the format works so beautifully.

Fantasia 2000

In the absence of further installments of what was supposed to be a Fantasia franchise, bringing back Fantasia 2000 for a new generation would take total advantage of people seeking out IMAX 70mm entertainment. It could also spark the want for a fresh installment, which in turn could be a major movie event waiting to happen. Also, "Rhapsody In Blue" in true IMAX would especially make my day.

The Polar Express

As far as my money is concerned, IMAX 3D is the superior third-dimensional experience at the movies. And while I’ve seen periodic re-issues of The Polar Express in regional IMAX showings, this year’s 20th anniversary basically begs for this holiday favorite to ride the rails on a wider scale.

Treasure Planet

Treasure Planet is another Disney movie that seems to have amassed more love over time, and it was also part of the early era of IMAX conversions for the studio’s work. If you can convince me Jim Hawkins’ coming of age journey through space wouldn’t look and sound brilliant in this format, I’ll stop asking for it... but good luck trying.

Tangled

One of several IMAX titles offered in 3D internationally, to have Tangled re-released for the rest of the world to experience nice and huge would be a beautiful sight. Even though I fully understand it's hard to see third-dimensional thrills through tears of joy, I think this would certainly be worth the extra cash on the big, big screen.

No Time To Die

Yes, I have another international IMAX 3D variant to plug, because while the company has seemed to distance itself from wide spanning releases in the format, movies like No Time To Die still get to enjoy such versions. Standard 3D was a treat for Daniel Craig’s James Bond swan song, so I could only imagine the premium format expansion of the picture being even more exciting to behold.

Dune

Much like No Time To Die, the first half of Denis Villeneuve’s Dune also received the IMAX 3D treatment in certain international markets. With the 70mm variant of Dune: Part Two already returning to rake in the IMAX cash, having a double feature that includes this version of the previous part of the story just makes business sense.

Real Steel

While we continue to wait for some sort of movement on the Real Steel Disney+ series, Shawn Levy’s rock ‘em sock ‘em sci-fi flick has become a streaming champion. The fanbase seems to be there, so why not let people indulge in some massive robot fighting action on an IMAX screen?

Ford v. Ferrari

A lot of the movies on this list are admittedly some pretty huge genre undertakings, which usually makes for the majority of movies that are presented in IMAX. However, learning that Ford v. Ferrari had a limited run in large format only makes me want to relive the heartbreak and the triumph of Matt Damon and Christian Bale’s journey through auto racing.

The Martian

If The Martian’s IMAX 3D variant could be brought back to premium auditoriums worldwide, I’d gladly be seated to see Mark Watney’s journey to survive the wilds of Mars at least a handful of times. Also, this would make for a perfect Matt Damon double feature with either Ford v. Ferrari or Interstellar, which actually is returning to IMAX this November!

Top Gun: Maverick

While I got to see Top Gun: Maverick in a Dolby auditorium, I missed out on experiencing this Tom Cruise legacy-quel in the IMAX format. If we’re going to get the world as hyped for a potential Top Gun 3 as Mr. Cruise happens to be, a re-issue of this box office goliath is a good first step.

Beauty And The Beast (1991)

The original animated Beauty and the Beast was Disney’s first IMAX re-issue of a classic from the vaults. As if that wasn’t enough incentive to send this tale as old as time back to the movies, this variant also happens to be the Special Edition, which reinstates the oft-overlooked and yet best Beauty and the Beast song “Human Again.” I need to see and hear this movie on an IMAX system, and I especially need that tune to be a part of the experience.

Alita: Battle Angel

There was an IMAX re-release of Alita: Battle Angel as part of an early effort to get fans back into movie theaters in late 2020. But if 20th Century Studios really wanted to take advantage of the re-issue craze that seems to be going on right now, as well as try to gauge the popularity of Robert Rodriguez’s cult favorite manga adaptation, another roll of the dice in IMAX 3D would certainly be welcomed.

Turning Red

Yes, I know Turning Red was re-released into theaters this spring. However, there are two versions that sadly never got to shine in its hugely altered 2022 theatrical exhibition: 3D and IMAX. Seeing that the movie was optimized for large format when first watching it on Disney+ broke my heart, as the gigantic finale alone would have been worth the ticket price.

Our girl Mei deserves her day in IMAX, and the 2024 theatrical landscape has plenty of room. With plenty of other titles on this list set to get their premium ticket due, there’s certainly a wide swath of options to entice moviegoers to keep fueling the recent boom in this format.

What do movies about time travel and films set in some version of the future have in common? Well, besides taking up a crazy amount of spots on the list of best ‘80s movies, these sci-fi flicks, comedies, and dramas tend to feature some truly bonkers and ridiculous outfits from the near and distant future.

Over the years, classics like Back to the Future Part II, Demolition Man, and the Mad Max franchise have all introduced some outrageous costumes, uniforms, and other outfits that leave many of us scratching our heads all these years later. Let’s take a look at 32 of those ridiculous wardrobe decisions… 

Zed's Wardrobe (Zardoz)

Though the late Sean Connery will always be remembered for his portrayal of James Bond, let’s not forget the iconic Scotsman’s performance or outfit in Zardoz. His portrayal of Zed in the 1974 sci-fi fantasy cult classic is something to behold, as was the costume he wore. The ponytail, the thigh-high boots, and the crossed suspenders that only seemed to draw attention to his chest hair were all ridiculous and ridiculously awesome.

Ruby Rhod's Wardrobe (The Fifth Element)

Chris Tucker stole the show in The Fifth Element with his portrayal of Ruby Rhod, the over-the-top and fabulous radio show from the 1997 sci-fi cult classic. We couldn’t settle on just one outfit, so we just had to include his entire wardrobe. The leopard print, the hair, the jewelry, the flowers, they’re all so much.

Biff's Bully Uniform (Back To The Future Part II)

Back to the Future Part II had some wild ideas for the future, with everything from Pizza Hut to transportation to communication methods being updated in the 1989 sequel. But one of the biggest statements was made with the fashion, especially Biff’s costume. The gold zebra print jacket is one thing, but that metal helmet just puts this over the top.

The United Planets Uniforms (Forbidden Planet)

Though it would be cool to visit Altair IV from Forbidden Planet, we would have to do something about those United Planets uniforms. Not the most absurd sci-fi outfit by any means, but the strange padding and muted colors make this a strange choice, especially for a movie set hundreds of years into the future.

Simon Phoenix's Overalls (Demolition Man)

Wesley Snipe’s Simon Phoenix looked like he stumbled into a Buggle Boy story on his way to the future in Demolition Man, but it works for the absurd nature of his character. The haircut, which inspired Dennis Rodman to make a big change, is a wild and cool choice, but those overalls are truly something else. 

Judge Dredd's Uniform (Judge Dredd)

Judge Dredd came out in the mid-90s, which explains why Sylvester Stallone’s titular crimefighter’s futuristic costume looks like something out of a toy line. Does it look good? Yes, but the shoulder pads, helmet, and uniform make the comic book character look like something out of Street Fighter. But still, Dredd looks ridiculously cool.

Neo's Coat (The Matrix Reloaded)

The Matrix movies have always had some wild fashion choices whether the story is taking place in the simulation or back in the real world in Zion. While Keanu Reeves’ Neo has had some cool (and nu-metal) outfits, his coat in The Matrix Reloaded is another story. It looks like a duster, a priest’s vestment, and a Coal Chamber album were fused together.

Lord Humongous' Bondage Wear (Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior)

George Miller took dystopian fashion to the extreme in Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior. Though Mel Gibson’s Max Rockatansky looks like he could be from any remote outpost in the Outback, the film’s villain, Lord Humongous is like something out of a fever dream. That hockey mask, the bondage wear, the exposed skin that is surely burnt to a crisp by the sun, it’s all wild.

The Three Most Important People (Bill And Ted's Excellent Adventure)

Played by Clarence Clemons, Martha Davis, and Fee Waybill, three legendary musicians, the Three Most Important People from Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure have some wild, crazy, and outrageous outfits in this 1989 comedy classic. They’re so futuristic, righteous, and straight-up excellent.

Barbarella's Outfit (Barbarella)

Jane Fonda was already an established star by the time she was cast in the titular role in Barbarella, but her take on the space adventurer gave her “icon” status. Though each of the costumes worn by the actress throughout the movie is undeniably ridiculous and not mild-mannered, there’s a reason the cult classic is still a popular watch 50-plus years later.

Carl Jenkins' Military Attire (Starship Troopers)

Upon its release, not a lot of people understood that Starship Troopers is a biting satire that goes way beyond just a story about humans fighting extraterrestrial bugs. Just look at Neil Patrick Harris’ character, Carl Jenkins, and his military attire. If you aren’t getting Nazi vibes from this look then you’re in for a rude awakening when you discover why the main characters are all from Argentina.

Immortan Joe (Mad Max: Fury Road)

Immortan Joe in Mad Max: Fury Road has to be one of the most outrageous characters in George Miller’s iconic franchise. Though he’s a tad bit silly and ridiculous, the big bad in this 2015 Oscar winner looks so freaking cool with this mask, strange see-through chest armor, and those various tubes and medals.

Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg (The Fifth Element)

Though not necessarily one of the best Gary Oldman characters, Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg from The Fith Element is one of the Academy Award winner’s most absurd and ridiculous villains. The futuristic costumes are one thing, but that hair and goatee look like it belongs to an MLB slugger with 35 home runs but 200 strikeouts in a season who’s still collecting a deferred salary.

Terl (Battlefield Earth)

Do you know what’s more bonkers than John Travolta’s line delivery in Battlefield Earth? Well, you’d be right if you guessed the fashion choices. Nearly a quarter of a century after this dreadful sci-fi film’s release, we’re still trying to make sense of it all. And by all, we mean everything about the movie. 

Dynamo's Costume (The Running Man)

The Running Man, one of the best sci-fi films from the ‘80s, is mostly remembered for Arnold Schwarzenegger’s performance or maybe Jesse “The Body” Ventura’s great turn, but let’s not forget the truly out-there fashion choices. Like, look at Dynamo, one of the show’s stalkers, and his clear helmet that looks like it has Lite-Brite pegs glued all over it. Still, this costume is pretty righteous.

The Droogs' Uniforms (A Clockwork Orange)

A Clockwork Orange is set in the future, but the Droogs in Stanley Kubrick’s dystopian crime thriller look like they left home in their underwear and nothing else on a cold morning. The shirts and pants are one thing, but the odd-looking jock straps they wear over their clothes are just utterly ridiculous. 

Andrew Martin's Strange Futuristic Pajamas (Bicentennial Man)

Chris Columbus’ Bicentennial Man takes place over the course of 200 years (hence the name), and during that time, Robin Williams’ Andre Martin watches as loved ones, cherish memories, and various trends come and go. When the android is finally recognized as a human in 2205, he sporting these futuristic pajamas that look like something out of a Star Trek parody. 

Effie Trinket's Reaping Day Suit (The Hunger Games)

Elizabeth Banks steals just about every scene featuring her Effie Trinket character in The Hunger Games, and the outfit that rises above the rest when it comes to pure ridiculousness is the violent getup she wears on the first Reaping Day scene. The contrast between her and Katniss Everdeen makes it all the better.

Prince Vultan (Flash Gordon)

Flash Gordon, like a lot of sci-fi movies from the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, is full of costumes that range from cool to wild to straight-up bonkers. Prince Vultan fits into that final category with his attire that looks like it’s from a failed attempt to make a Thor movie decades before the MCU got off the ground.

Castor (Tron: Legacy) 

Okay, Michael Sheen’s Castor is supposed to be a computer program and look all crazy in Tron: Legacy, but that doesn’t make his digital Ziggy Stardust appearance look any less ridiculous. The character was one of the bright spots of the 2010 sequel and one we can’t forget… maybe because of that monochromatic look.

Associate Bob's Kimonos (Demolition Man)

Associate Bob is only a minor character in Demolition Man, but his fashion choices make him the star attraction of any scene in which he’s featured. Dr. Raymond Cocteau’s right-hand man is always in some loud, color, and undeniably ridiculous outfit, and more times than not, it’s a kimono of some sort. Taking part in some futuristic virtual meeting? Kimono. Taco Bell dinner? Kimono. Dealing with Simon Phoenix? You know the answer…

Jack Harper's Yankees Cap/Mechanic Suit (Oblivion)

If Tom Cruise’s Jack Harper were to only be wearing his futuristic mechanic suit in Oblivion, we probably wouldn’t see him on this list. But you add an old Yankees cap that looks so out of place in the movie’s futuristic setting and you have yourself an iconic and ridiculous look.

Rollerball Uniforms (Rollerball)

One of the most absurd and greatest James Caan movies, Rollerball (the 1975 version, not the terrible 2002 remake) is one of those wild dystopian future movies where everything, including sports, is about violence and corporate greed. But with all that money, you think they could get some better uniforms for the teams, especially Houston with their Halloween-espe attire.

Æon Flux's Mask (Æon Flux)

There’s a scene in the 2005 Æon Flux movie in which Charlize Theron’s character walks around a futuristic city on an important mission, but it’s hard to keep track of everything because of the bizarre outfit. The movie is set far into the future, so why does she look like a kid wearing their mom’s hose on their head?

Jason's New, Futuristic Outfit (Jason X)

Near the bottom of Friday the 13th movie rankings, Jason X is set nearly 500 years into the future, which means everyone’s favorite hockey mask-wearing killer is going to get some new digs. And boy, that futuristic metal mask and everything else is something. A good something? We’ll let you be the judge…

The Spacing Guild's Suits (Dune - 1984)

There are a lot of really cool costumes and sets in David Lynch’s Dune, but those outfits worn by the Space Guild are truly something else. These guys waltz in looking like they’re wearing trash bags at a music festival after they forgot to pack a poncho.

Bibi Phillips' 'Speed' Costume (The Apple)

The 1980 sci-fi musical, The Apple, takes place in the futuristic time of 1994 and follows pop singer Bibi Phillips as she becomes an international superstar. If you’re trying to imagine what society would look like in the movie’s version of the future, just imagine an Abba music video but much longer and with more silver and metallic clothing choices.

The Ice Pirates' Costumes (The Ice Pirates)

Do you remember the 1984 sci-fi comedy The Ice Pirates? Well, this cult classic about a dystopian civilization where ice cubes (yes, ice cubes) are a form of currency due to the scarcity of water. So, with a lack of water, an angry populace, and bandits, it’s easy to imagine there being some wild outfits. And that there are, as just about everyone in Stewart Raffill’s movie dials up the ridiculousness to the max.

Sub Zero's Attire (The Running Man)

Sub Zero, The Running Man character and not the Mortal Kombat staple, found a way to combine hockey and combat sports better than just about anyone else in the 1987 Stephen King adaptation. Yeah, the hockey garb is a bit ridiculous and wild to see on screen, but it’s that over-the-top nature of the movie, and its stalkers, that makes the look so cool.

The Duke's Uniform (Escape From New York) 

Isaac Hayes’ take on The Duke in Escape from New York is ICONIC and one of the best characters from John Carpenter’s filmography. The brutal and charismatic crime boss of New York has such a ridiculously cool uniform with those tassels and gold chains. But you know what’s even better? His car with has chandeliers as hood ornaments.

James Cole's Hazmat Suit (12 Monkeys)

Terry Gilliam’s 12 Monkeys is one of the wildest sci-fi movies of the ‘90s, so you know it’s going to feature some absurd outfits. Well, you don’t have to wait long, as the film opens with Bruce Willis’ James Cole walking through a devastated Philadelphia wearing an outrageous hazmat suit. While most of the movie takes place in the past, this opening sequence after a deadly virus wiped out almost all of humanity is something else.

Auntie Entity's Wardrobe (Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome)

The late Tina Turner looked marvelous as Auntie Entity in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, a film that saw her wear some outrageous outfits while ruling Bartertown. More refined than Lord Humongous and Immortan Joe and pretty much any other villain in the franchise, Auntie looked great albeit a tad bit ridiculous.

For better or worse, these are some of the most ridiculous outfits from movies set in the future. Sure, some are cooler than others, but they all have a place in cinematic history.

For my money, one of the best sci-fi movie franchises in existence is Disney’s Tron. At once ahead of the curve, but also on the bleeding edge of today, the series explores the relationship between technology and humanity. Tron: Ares is about to do that once again, with Jared Leto’s titular Program representing a first contact scenario between the otuside world and The Grid. 

As if that wasn’t a strong enough connection between the upcoming Disney movie and the world it hails from, a pretty sizable Easter egg is already putting the hype machine into motion. What it is, and what it could mean for director Joachim Rønning’s big three-quel could be massive, especially for Tron: Legacy fans. So prepare for some speculation on the game that Tron 3 looks to be setting into motion.

Tron: Ares’ Surprisingly Sneaky Easter Egg

Our first look at Tron: Ares gave us a good look at Ares, albeit with his helmet still firmly secured. In case you didn’t get a good look at this new Program in all of his resplendently red nature, gaze at the full photo below: 

That still looks pretty awesome, and I’m still pondering over almost a week later just what that triangular Identity Disc is supposed to do. Which is exactly where we're going to be focusing our attention on today, as there's something interesting that should be noted hidden on that object. As reported by Gizmodo, there’s been a detail hiding in plain sight on Ares’ ID disc this whole time.

Looking at the top of that disc, Tron: Ares gave us our first clue towards the future thanks to its central character being branded as property of Dillinger Systems. Deep-coded Tron fans are probably marveling at this revelation, and I wouldn’t blame them. For those of you who might not be as far in the cycles as they are, let’s talk about why that’s important and why this is a moment that's been coming for a long time.

Why Is Dillinger Systems Important?

In the original Tron, a pretty huge rivalry was put in play. Thanks to his overthrow of former CEO Edward Dillinger Sr. (David Warner), Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) pushed the man who tried to steal his work outside of the ENCOM circle. This prompted the villain behind the Master Control Program to build his own sandbox with spreadsheets and megalomaniacal AI programs. 

No, seriously, Dillinger Systems’ big claim to fame, at least from what we know about them, was releasing a spreadsheet program back in the late ‘80s. Literally giving ENCOM a run for its money, the rival company became the other big game in town. Say what you will about the competition, but it had the optics game cornered as its CEO wasn't missing/presumed insane. 

The more Dillinger’s company seemed to eat ENCOM’s lunch, the less faith the company’s board had in interim CEO Alan Bradley (Bruce Boxleitner), leading to the point in the Tron franchise timeline where ENCOM encountered massive layoffs and restructuring, with Alan resigning as CEO. But how do we know all of this? 

Where Dillinger Systems Has Previously Popped Up In Tron Canon

I’ll admit, the lore of Dillinger Systems isn’t something simply laid out in Tron: Legacy’s cinematic narrative. As far as the film itself goes, that particular legacy shows up in the presence of Edward Dillinger Jr. (Cillian Murphy), who is somehow working for ENCOM and not considered a conflict of interest. 

Digging deeper into the special features package of the sadly out of print Blu-ray, a whole bunch of historical gaps are filled in between the events of Tron and Tron: Legacy. This includes the first mention of Dillinger Systems and its history disrupting the burgeoning personal computing and software market of the late ‘80s. 

Apparently this was also a key set up for future battles to be fought in frontiers of the digital and boardroom variety. With a conversation between Edward Sr. and his son proving the family was still very much up to its old tricks, those unknown schemes still hang heavily in the air. 

Encom v. Dillinger Systems: The Grudge Rages On

I still have questions after Tron: Legacy that still need answers, but this new Tron: Ares Easter egg seems to have started connecting the threads. With both legacy tech companies poised to keep slugging it out, Ares looks to be a new pawn in the long game between Dillinger Systems and ENCOM.

Since we apparently know which side he’s on, could Jared Leto’s character be the killer app that Dillinger Systems needs to win the day? Also, what’s up with the triangular shape of his Identity Disk? Is this a new programming quirk that’s supposed to signify some sort of new computing power and/or abilities developed by Dillinger’s labs? 

Hey wait… who’s running the show if Edward Jr. is working with ENCOM?! It's enough to send one spiraling into creating a diagram of red string and pushpins, laying out the entire sordid chain. But for now, I think it's time to leave the playing field, as there's a lot of runway between now and whenever we'll potentially see Tron: Ares arrive in theaters. 

I doubt I’ll be getting answers to any of these questions any time soon, but I'd actually settle for learning whatever Tron: Ares' 2025 release date is supposed to be. The upcoming Disney movies schedule is going to become rather handy when trying to figure out when the best release window for the next Tron film happens to be. 

Plus, I’ll probably be throwing Tron: Legacy into my Blu-ray player yet again to comb over those special features extra carefully. Who knows what other clues for the road ahead are hiding in plain sight? Tron fans, we're just getting started, and if we don't pace ourselves, one could easily de-rezz before reaching the finish line that is Tron: Ares.

If you don’t have the Tron: Legacy Blu-ray, then you’ll have to search elsewhere to try and view “The Next Day,” and all of the other cool special features previously included. However, with a Disney+ subscription, you’ll be able to at least watch both Tron movies, as well as Tron: Uprising, yet another source of unanswered questions on The Grid. End of Line. 

As filming on Tron 3 is currently underway, director Joachim Rønning is building the future of The Grid as we speak. It’s something that’s bittersweet, because while a new sequel to one of Disney’s best sci-fi movies has been long anticipated, it’s not the original concept that director Joseph Kosinski would have been working with on his follow-up to Tron: Legacy. 

However, a new interview confirms that while he’s not involved, Kosinski has spoken with Rønning, and the reason why is something I’ve been thinking since day one. While the filmmaker took part in a Top Gun: Maverick watch-along shared on Happy Sad Confused’s YouTube channel, host Josh Horowitz rather naturally asked about Joseph’s massive directorial debut. Part of the updates that came from Joseph Kosinski included this quote about how much he knows about what some have been calling Tron: Ares: 

Yes, it sucks that the initial incarnation of Tron’s threequel isn’t exactly coming to pass, and I’d still very much like someone to make Ascension’s script available to the fans in some shape or form. At the same time, when Jared Leto accidentally revealed that potential title for Tron 3 upon his casting, I had a strong feeling it wasn’t totally discarded. 

What little we know about Tron: Ares (if that’s its real name) is that Jared Leto’s character is an AI who’s about to make contact with a human race unprepared for his arrival. As you might remember from Joseph Kosinski’s past Tron: Ascension rundown, there was talk of an invasion from the machine world into ours. So right there, the relation between ideas is clear.

That's not only the perfect prelude to an invasion, as it also primes Ares to continue the nasty work CLU attempted to get underway in Tron: Legacy. With that in mind, the Tron 3 cast just might turn out to be a roster of “us versus them” combatants after all. 

Furthermore, what Tron 3’s potential title could be telling us is that this “different point of view” means we’re following our villain’s journey on The Grid. This also stems from the original pitch for Tron: Ascension, as Joseph Kosinski did tease that it would have included a "character exploration" on how Olivia Wilde's Quorra fit into our world. It’s a lot of speculation, but the more I parse out what Mr. Kosinski has told us above, those few details seem to lead to some pretty major ideas.

There’s no clue as to when the world should expect Tron 3/Tron: Ares to cross over into our world. In the meantime, Disney+ subscription holders are more than welcomed to sort through the Tron Timeline in its current form, thanks to both films and a spinoff series currently streaming. 

Music is a vital source of energy for any movie, whether it’s a carefully selected soundtrack or a bespoke musical score. In the case of that second option, there are so many moments one can trace back fond memories of pictures like Jurassic Park and James Bond movies, right down to the scene. With that in mind, we’re about to get nostalgic and recall scenes that are dramatically enhanced by their musical scores. 

The Visitor’s Center Showdown - Jurassic Park (John Williams)

The legendary John Williams’ resume of music is nothing short of mythical, especially through his efforts in films such as Jurassic Park. If you’ve never felt a swell of excitement when Roberta the T-Rex swoops in to save the day, then maybe you need to listen to the cue “T-Rex Rescue and Finale” again, just to be sure. 

Arthur Fleck’s Killing Joke - Joker (Hildur Guðnadóttir)

Composer Hildur Guðnadóttir’s score for Joker isn’t a traditional soundscape, but rather an element as off-kilter as its own dark protagonist. When Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) tells his infamous killing joke to late-night host Murray (Robert De Niro) the unrelenting tension of melodic elements heard on cues like “Escape from the Train” propel this scene to its fatal, horrific conclusion. 

The Adventures Of Carl And Ellie - Up (Michael Giacchino)

It’s ok if you tear up just reading the words “Married Life,” as Michael Giacchino’s legendary opener for Disney/Pixar’s Up has associated that title with the greatest heartbreak imaginable. As we watch Carl and Ellie Frederickson’s courtship move through the years, the tune carries these dialogue-free scenes with all of the required emotional weight. 

Hiccup And Toothless’ Test Drive - How To Train Your Dragon (John Powell)

Heroes and buddies alike need their theme music, especially when an adventure like the How To Train Your Dragon series is afoot. Through John Powell’s sweeping cue “Test Drive” on the soundtrack of the 2010 franchise starter, we see Toothless and Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) finally teaming up to be the dragon/rider combo that eventually find themselves part of a greater adventure. 

“Avengers Assemble” - Avengers: Endgame (Alan Silvestri)

“Portals” is yet another sterling addition to composer Alan Silvestri’s career as a renowned artist. Starting as a faint glimmer of hope, and building towards Avengers: Endgame’s big moment where Captain America (Chris Evans) gets to finally say “Avengers…assemble!”, you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn’t remember those in-theater reactions we’ve seen through numerous Avengers reaction videos. 

Define Dancing - Wall-E (Thomas Newman)

“Define Dancing” is not only the name of a very important cue that changed during Wall-E’s production, it’s also one of the best moments of the entire picture. As Wall-E and Eve get to know each other through dance, and even begin to get closer to a mutual love, composer Thomas Newman’s blend of electronic and traditional melodies lets the audience share that beautiful weightlessness this budding couple is experiencing. 

“The Name’s Bond…James Bond” - Casino Royale (David Arnold)

The theme to the James Bond movies is as iconic as the character itself, so it’s a touch-balance to know how and where to use Monty Norman and John Barry’s classic tune. In Casino Royale, it was an important 007 cornerstone saved for the end of the film. Watching Daniel Craig’s Bond confront the villainous Mr. White (Jesper Christensen) became even more impressive, thanks to David Arnold’s modern arrangement closing out this origin story with a punch. 

"Ok, Let's Do This One Last Time" - Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse (Daniel Pemberton)

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is a multiversal dramedy that allows more than one Spider-Person to claim themselves as the one and only. So it’s natural that a track named "Only One Spider-Man" would be the basis for the many variations that composer Daniel Pemberton put together to showcase each of these MCU-adjacent heroes. Each time it happens, the laughs grow louder, and the tune never gets any older.

The Shower Scene - Psycho (Bernard Herrmann)

Everybody knows Bernard Herrmann’s short, sharp tune from what’s colloquially known as “the shower scene” in Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho; and as they should. Not only is the scene signaling the demise of Janet Leigh’s Marion Crane an oft-parodied moment, but that very musical sting, or some imitation of it, is usually along for the ride.

The Bank Heist - The Dark Knight (Hans Zimmer And James Newton Howard)

"Why so Serious?" Acting as the iconic question frequently asked by Heath Ledger’s Joker in The Dark Knight, it’s also the title of the Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard piece that helps introduce him in the film. Propelling the scene with the sweet guitar riff and percussive pressure needed to welcome us back to Gotham, it’s the unnerving notes played on the violin that tie everything together in an epic example of fear. 

Bear Bath - Paddington (Nick Urata)

As if Paddington wasn't a movie with enough adorable joy packed into its finished product, it has an adorable "give the bear a bath" sequence. With Nick Urata's cue "Bear Bath" playing over this moment of good-natured humor, the whimsy really shines through in this bright and bouncy tune.

Tish And Fonny’s Love Story - If Beale Street Could Talk (Nicholas Britell)

Nicholas Britelll's "Agape" from If Beale Street Could Talk is, quite frankly, love in a song. As it accompanies the recollection of Tish (KiKi Layne) and Fonny (Stephan James) in their early courtship, there's a tenderness that's so moving you're bound to tear up. Seriously, you are going to cry listening to this.

A Very Sweet Introduction - Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory (Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley)

The main titles to 1971’s Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, on top of looking delicious enough on their own, also happen to double as a menu for Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley’s assortment of tunes from the picture. Fudge is rippling and chocolate is churning while audiences get their first taste of “Pure Imagination” thanks to this delicious confection.

The Jupiter 1’s Launch - Lost In Space (Bruce Broughton)

“The Launch” is quite a busy tune from composer Bruce Broughton’s Lost in Space score. As this piece of music is playing while the Robinson family is preparing to make their journey among the stars, the 1998 reboot of the famed ‘60s sci-fi series goes all out with only the most top-notch effects and Matt Le Blanc's Major West as its pilot. All the while, this stirring tune takes the recurring melody that pops up throughout the film and turns it into a most heroic event. 

“Get Off My Plane!” - Air Force One (Jerry Goldsmith)

With one line, and one commanding action, Harrison Ford’s presidential lead in Air Force One saves himself, and the plane. Dispatching of Gary Oldman’s terrorist threat is a well-earned triumph that comes after the cat-and-mouse game that played out before it. And when the moment finally arrives, the movie’s signature Jerry Goldsmith melody kicks in, boosting the patriotism in even the most jaded film viewer.

Emergency Docking With The Endurance - Interstellar (Hans Zimmer)

It’s an honest crime that the track “No Time For Caution” is only on the collector’s edition of Interstellar’s Hans Zimmer score. Not only is it a gorgeous tune on its own, but after watching Matthew McConaughey wrangling an entire space station back into control, you might feel a bit out of breath yourself. Blame those fantastic blaring organs that really set the scene towards the end. 

“You’re the man now, dog!” - Finding Forrester (Terence Blanchard)

As Finding Forrester's protagonist Jamal (Rob Brown) becomes the pupil of reclusive author William (Sean Connery), the process of refining his author’s voice includes score and soundtrack cues. But one of the most powerful is in the scene that launched the meme, as Terrence Blanchard’s score subtly boosts Brown’s typing and Connery’s proclamations of “You’re the man now, dog.”

Kevin Flynn’s Sacrifice - Tron: Legacy (Daft Punk)

One of the most heartbreaking moments on the Tron timeline is the day that Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) sacrificed himself to allow his son Sam (Garrett Hedlund) to return home. Daft Punk’s score for Tron: Legacy gets plenty of merit for its bombastic electronica pieces like “Derezzed” or “The Game Has Changed,” but “Flynn Lives” is the orchestral triumph that still brings fans to tears. 

George And Lorraine’s First Kiss - Back To The Future (Alan Silvestri)

Ok, so “Earth Angel (Will You Be Mine?)” isn’t a track exclusive to Robert Zemeckis’ Back to the Future. However, thanks to composer Alan Silvestri working some melodic magic to heighten the tension, then relief, of George (Crispin Glover) and Lorraine (Lea Thompson) taking this huge step into their futures, a ‘50s pop song and a first kiss become the most important things in the world at that moment. 

Dinner Rush At Gusteau’s - Ratatouille (Michael Giacchino)

Michael Giacchino’s “Dinner Rush” from the Ratatouille score comes at a subtly brilliant moment in the Disney/Pixar classic. As Remy (Patton Oswalt) is running a dinner shift with his fellow rats in the kitchen, the action comes fast and furious; which is reflected in this very tune. A triumphant repeat of “Le Festine’s” melodic signature that almost acts as an indicator that Remy’s realizing, in real time, that his dreams have come true.

Andy Dufrenese’ Shower Of Freedom - The Shawshank Redemption (Thomas Newman)

Some moments are truly unforgettable in a classic like The Shawshank Redemption. One such highlight is the moment that Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) breaks out of a sewage tunnel and into the free world. Thomas Newman’s “Shawshank Redemption” theme heralds that moment with such a bittersweet beauty, which ultimately gives way to victorious horns. 

Tony’s Close Call In Monaco - Iron Man 2 (John Debney)

Some of the best moments in music come when you’re invoking other legends of the craft. Iron Man 2’s John Debney gives us an example of that phenomenon with the cue “Mayhem in Monaco,” which plays as Tony (Robert Downey Jr.) first squares up against Whiplash (Mickey Rourke) on an F1 track in Monaco. Close calls, tons of destruction, and a ticking clock are all baked into this tune; but it’s the Jerry Goldsmith-style theme that’s fully realized on the track “I Am Iron Man” that really gives this MCU moment its punch.

The Opera Chase - The Man Who Knew Too Much (Arthur Benjamin/Bernard Herrmann)

 Composed by Arthur Benjamin and arranged by Bernard Herrmann, a certain spot in “Storm Clouds Cantata” is marked for death, as an attempt on a diplomat’s life is set to take place. Watching Jimmy Stewart and Doris Day trying to fend off this attempt in Alfred Hitchcock’s The Man Who Knew Too Much is a pure, wordless thrill - until Day's shrill cry of terror shatters the moment in proper Hitchcockian fashion.

The Throne Room Ceremony - Star Wars (John Williams)

If you didn’t already know this one through watching Star Wars countless times, then maybe riding Disney Parks' various Star Tours attractions has you primed for this next entry. Either way, John Williams' music from the end of A New Hope is one of the most memorable cues from this particular galaxy. Even if the debate over Chewbacca’s lack of a medal was eventually settled in franchise lore, this moment still sticks out.

The Reunion Of Friends - Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets (John Williams)

The franchise theme that recurs in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets gets a bit of an upgrade in John Wililams' "Reunion of Friends." While it sneaks in and starts with its traditional softness, the melody eventually amps up into an elevated version of "Hedwig's Theme." It was so powerful it found its way into the trailer for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, as that extra spark meant "adventure" in this series' musical language.

“Can you hear the music, Robert?” - Oppenheimer (Ludwig Göransson)

Early on in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, one singular cue fans the flame of scientific discovery and progress in the mind of J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy). Ludwig Göransson’s “Can You Hear The Music” starts off as a soaring melody, the tempo picks up as the imagery gets a bit more intense. Before you know it, it feels like you’re watching and listening to chemical reactions at work, in real time.

“I’m sorry, Wilson!” - Cast Away (Alan Silvestri)

Ever cried over a volleyball before? Cast Away’s limited musical score from composer Alan Silvestri will change that pretty quickly. As Chuck (Tom Hanks) laments the loss of his volleyball friend in the ocean, just as he’s setting off to freedom, the music only helps loosen those tear ducts for this sad parting.

The Indoraptor Rises - Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (Michael Giacchino)

A simple musical statement that plunges everything headlong into terror, “World’s Worst Bedtime Storyteller” is a cue that bathes in holy dread. As a choir sings ominously, accompanied by Michael Giacchino’s Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom cue, the mighty Indoraptor climbs to the top of Lockwood Manor and roars in a scene that feels like something out of the creepiest Universal Monsters movie.

Gotham’s Introduction By Night - Batman: Mask Of The Phantasm (Shirley Walker)

The opening to Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, on a visual level, is merely a tour through the Gotham City skyline at night. However, thanks to Shirley Walker’s powerful main title theme to the film, that tour turns into a hunt for the Batman. He doesn’t appear, but by the time this track is over, you’ll still feel like you’ve visited Gotham City and barely escaped some sort of terror.

The Tunnel Chase - The Italian Job ‘03 (John Powell)

John Powell knows the thrill of scoring speeding cars rather well. Throughout his time on the Bourne films, chase sequences became a stock in trade for his musical skills. But before he gave the world “Bim Bam Smash” from The Bourne Supremacy, Powell delivered an adrenaline rush with The Italian Job’s “Tunnel Run,” which injects a chase through the sewers of L.A. with even more urgency. 

Maximus’ Battle Of Antiquity - Gladiator (Hans Zimmer)

Hans Zimmer loves long cues of sweeping scope and intensity, as you’ll hear in Gladiator’s “Barbarian Horde." Playing during the raging battle where Maximus (Russell Crowe) and his fellow gladiators change historical records through tactics, an action-packed scene became the stuff of legends through the accompanying music helped land Sir Ridley Scott’s action epic in pop culture history.

Darth Vader’s Rampage - Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (Michael Giacchino)

In a sequence that shows off Darth Vader in perhaps his most threatening Star Wars appearance yet, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story includes a short cue called “Hope” that accompanies Vader’s rampage. As a menacing choir sings amidst Michael Giacchino’s threatening, then hopeful, score, the Sith Lord is seen at his most threatening. 

Music makes the images play fonder, and the examples that we've just discussed are only a drop in the bucket of cinema's best moments. So the next time you head to the movies, or flip on one of your old favorites at home, keep your ears and eyes open for moments like these classic showstoppers.

Music can sometimes make or break a scene in a movie, but there are some films that take that idea to the next level and feature soundtracks that take on a life of their own. Sometimes they are an amazing way to reflect on a feature’s best moments, and other times, they produce a very special vibe on their own.

While far from exhaustive, this is a list of movies that take their use of music to special levels and both inspired and produced fantastic soundtracks.

Reservoir Dogs

More than just a collection of needle drops from the movie, the Reservoir Dogs soundtrack is distinctive in that it’s curated as though it’s beaming the radio show featured in the film: K-Billy’s Super Sounds Of The '70s. From George Baker Selection’s “Little Green Bag” to Harry Nilsson’s “Coconut,” every song is a delight – but the true centerpiece is Stealer’s Wheel' “Stuck In The Middle With You."

Tron: Legacy

There’s only one issue with the Tron Legacy soundtrack, and that’s that it is too short. Daft Punk made its debut as film composers for the 2010 sci-fi sequel, and listening to it instantly immerses you in The Grid. The highlights are the two tracks in the middle of the track listing: “End Of Line” and “Derezzed.”

High Fidelity

You’d expect any movie about the influence and power of music to have an influential and powerful soundtrack, and that’s one of the many great aspects of Stephen Frears’ High Fidelity. As depicted in the film, “Dry The Rain” immediately instigates curiosity about The Beta Band; Bob Dylan’s “Most Of The Time” is used to brilliant effect as John Cusack’s Rob Gordon reflects on his greatest relationship in the pouring rain; and Jack Black’s performance of “Let’s Get It On” (as part of Barry Jive And The Uptown Five) is unforgettable.

The Social Network

Arguably the best movie of the 21st century partially earns that credit because it has arguably the best film score of the 21st century. The music for David Fincher’s The Social Network let the world know that Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross are among the best composers on the planet, and that was properly recognized with an Academy Award. The soundtrack sucks you in with “Hand Covers Bruise” leading to “In Motion,” and by the time "In the Hall of the Mountain King" hits, your mind is wholly blown.

Drive

Everything about Nicolas Winding Refn’s Drive is a feast for the ears. The movie’s sound design and editing is genius, and there is a terrific blend of score and needle drops on the soundtrack. Composer to Cliff Martinez delivers an endlessly cool atmosphere, but the true MVPs here are "Nightcall" by Kavinsky feat/ Lovefoxxx, "A Real Hero" by Electric Youth College, and "Under Your Spell" by Desire.

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World

Though Beck is the primary inspiration of the fictional band Sex Bob-Omb in Edgar Wright’s Scott Pilgrim vs. The World and the source of some amazing original songs, the entire soundtrack is an wide-ranging wonder that at one moment rocks with The Black Lips'  “Katarina” but then hypnotizes with T. Rex's “Teenage Dream." It should also be noted that the cover of “Black Sheep” sung by Brie Larson is even better than the Metric recording.

The Graduate

Easily one of the most iconic soundtracks of all time is the music of Mike Nichols’ The Graduate – and there’s an argument that it’s one of the best albums of all time. “The Sound of Silence,” “Mrs. Robinson”, “April Come She Will,” and “Scarborough Fair/Canticle” by Simon & Garfunkel will forever be tied to the classic coming-of-age story of Dustin Hoffman’s Benjamin Braddock.

True Romance

How amazing is the soundtrack to Tony Scott’s True Romance? It only takes hearing a couple notes played on a marimba to identify Hans Zimmer’s “You’re So Cool” and reflect on one of the badass movies of the 1990s. The score is also brilliantly paired with the thumping beat of Nymphomania’s “I Want Your Body” (memorably used during the confrontation with Gary Oldman’s Drexl Spivey) and the soothing sounds of Robert Palmer's “(Love Is) The Tender Trap."

8 Mile

Eminem was at the height of his powers in 2002 when he starred in Curtis Hanson’s 8 Mile, and equally as anticipated as the semi-biographical film was the soundtrack that would accompany it. Fans were most definitely not disappointed, as the tracklist is outfitted with excellent Marshall Mathers originals (including “Lose Yourself” “8 Mile” and “Rabbit Run”) alongside killer contributions from D12, 50 Cent, Nas, and Macy Gray.

Star Wars

This list could be primarily populated with the music of John Williams, but Star Wars deserves special recognition if not simply because of how many of the tracks register as iconic. The blast of trumpets that start the film with the title card is by itself an important piece of cinema history, and everything that follows is magic.

Almost Famous

With a personal history that includes time as a writer and editor at Rolling Stone, Cameron Crowe knows a thing or two about music, and that deep knowledge is beautifully reflected in his semi-autobiographical hit Almost Famous. The soundtrack is a stellar arrangement of songs from some of the 20th century’s greatest artists, including Simon & Garfunkel, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Cat Stevens and David Bowie, but the most memorable track, of course, is Elton John's “Tiny Dancer."

The Shining

Would the opening helicopter shots of Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining have anywhere near the same kind of impact if it weren’t for the blaring synth-heavy score from composer Wendy Carlos? The answer is an obvious, “no,” and the same can be said of the rest of the music she made for the beloved horror film. The impact that the music has on the atmosphere of The Overlook Hotel is incalculable and it perfectly ratchets up tension and horror as Jack Nicholson’s Jack Torrance further descends into madness.

Do The Right Thing

Spike Lee wastes no time musically telling the audience what Do The Right Thing is all about, kicking off the powerful 1989 film with Rosie Perez pumping her arms, shuffling her feet and jamming to the sound of Public Enemy's “Fight The Power." It sets the table for what is an all-around exceptional soundtrack with additional hits including Perri's “Feel So Good” and Guy's “My Fantasy."

Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas

In Terry Gilliam’s fantastic adaptation of Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas, dedicated fans of Gonzo legend Hunter S. Thompson will recognize hits directly mentioned in his beloved book, but the audible experience from the cinematic wonder also bends your mind with three wild Tomoyasu Hotei & Ray Cooper instrumental recordings and songs like "Mama Told Me Not to Come" by Three Dog Night and "Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again" by Bob Dylan.

(500) Days Of Summer

What are the songs for falling in and out of love? That’s a question that demands a subjective answer, but director Marc Webb and his collaborators do a pretty incredible job curating that experience with the soundtrack for (500) Days Of Summer. Two songs by The Smiths are the big standouts – “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out” and “Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want” – but the eclectic track listing also features everything from The Black Lips, to Hall & Oates to Wolfmother.

Blade Runner

Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner is a visual spectacle, with the mind-blowing work of neo-futurist concept artist Syd Mead and the production team transporting audiences to a captivating vision of Los Angeles in the year 2019 – but taking the who experience to new levels is the dark, synth-centric score from Vangelis, which makes for a particularly special listen on a rainy day.

O Brother Where Art Thou

The soundtrack for Joel and Ethan Coen’s O Brother Where Art Thou would be included on this list if the only song it featured was The Soggy Bottom Boys’ “I Am A Man Of Constant Sorrow” (performed by Dan Tyminski, Pat Enright, & Harley Allen), but the truth is that the entire film is filled with wonderful bluegrass, country and folk music that make for a gentle listen whenever the world is feeling stressful.

Shaft

The spectacular soundtrack for Gordon Parks’ Shaft is pure testament to the unyielding grooviness of Isaac Hayes. The “Theme From Shaft” is one of the greatest piece of movie music ever made, and the funky bass lines and horns in the score helps define Richard Roundtree’s titular detective as a king of cool.

Dazed And Confused

Released in 1993, Richard Linklater’s Dazed And Confused is recognized as one of the great films throwing back to the 1970s, and that’s accomplished through plot, costumes, production design, and definitely music. The legendary song that opens the film, Aerosmith's “Sweet Emotion," isn’t featured on the commercially released soundtrack, but the tracklist is packed with rock n’ roll royalty including Kiss, Black Sabbath, Alice Cooper, Foghat and War.

Empire Records

Rex Manning Day (a.k.a. April 8) most definitely isn’t the only day that cinephiles should celebrate the soundtrack for Allan Moyle’s Empire Records. It’s an awesome ‘90s throwback with alternative rock from bands like The Cranberries and Better than Ezra, but it hits its peak with Track 15: Coyote Shivers' “Sugarhigh."

Kill Bill Vol. 1

Want to feel like the coolest person in the world? All you need to do is throw on a pair of headphones, put on Tomoyasu Hotei's “Battle Without Honor Or Humanity," and go for a walk. It’s the highlight of Quentin Tarantino’s perfect soundtrack for Kill Bill Vol. 1, but every chosen track is a proper brain-melter – from the whistling in Bernard Herrmann’s “Twisted Nerve” to the hyper trumpets of Al Hirt’s “Green Hornet.” Just be careful listening to “Woo Hoo” by The 5.6.7.8's, as it will get stuck in your head for days.

Guardians Of The Galaxy

There are many great scores and themes for superhero movies, with John Williams’ work on Superman: The Movie and Danny Elfman’s music for Batman being examples that immediately spring to mind, but James Gunn crafted something extraordinary with his collection of carefully curated needle drops in Guardians of The Galaxy. From “Come And Get Your Love” by Redbone to “O-o-h Child” by The Five Stairsteps, you can put this album on loop for hours and never grow sick of it.

Inside Llewyn Davis

Anyone who has watched Oscar Isaac in film or television knows that he is a talented actor, but Joel and Ethan Coen’s Inside Llewyn Davis adds a whole new dimension to the performer – showing that he can really sing. The whole soundtrack is a true folk music-laden treat, but I would challenge anybody to listen to “Please Mr. Kennedy” by Justin Timberlake, Oscar Isaac and Adam Driver and not at least crack a smile.

Pulp Fiction

Many of the soundtracks listed here open with a bang, but in the fight to pick which one’s the best, it’s hard to vote against Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction and the crazy guitar skills of Dick Dale demonstrated with “Misirlou.” The album keeps those surfer vibes going with The Tornadoes’ “Bustin Surfboards,” The Revels’ “Comanche,” and The Lively Ones’ “Surf Rider,” but also mixed in is great soulful tracks like Al Green's "Let's Stay Together," Kool & The Gang's "Jungle Boogie" and Dusty Springfield's "Son Of A Preacher Man."

Garden State

The legacy of Zach Braff’s Garden State is mixed one, but far less controversial is the film’s marvelous needle drops – the album it spawned very much earning the Grammy it won for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album. It’s a fascinating collection of cerebral indie rock with two tremendously well-utilized songs by The Shins (“Caring Is Creepy” and “New Slang”) living alongside Zero 7’s “In The Waiting Line,” Cary Brothers’ “Blue Eyes” and Simon & Garfunkel’s “The Only Living Boy In New York.”

A Hard Day’s Night

Director Richard Lester’s A Hard Day’s Night was an essential part of Beetlemania in the 1960s, with the soundtrack being their third studio album and a key part of their place in music history. It’s 60th anniversary will be celebrated in 2024, and the titular song along with “Can’t Buy Me Love” remain an indelible part of pop culture.

Footloose

A big part of the intention of Herbert Ross’ Footloose is trying to get audiences to get up and dance, and while part of that effort is accomplished with fun on-screen choreography, the other half is an outstanding soundtrack. Obviously the titular track by Kenny Loggins is the headlining song, but "Let's Hear It for the Boy" by Deniece Williams, "Bang Your Head” by Quiet Riot and "Hurts So Good" by John Mellencamp all get your pulse racing.

This Is Spinal Tap

It’s one thing to make a funny rock and roll mockumentary, but it’s a completely different thing to make a funny rock and roll mockumentary that also truly rocks. Rob Reiner’s This Is Spinal Tap is very much that, as the full soundtrack of songs (all written by Christopher Guest, Harry Shearer, Michael McKean, and Rob Reiner) is a roster of excellence – with standouts including “Tonight I’m Gonna Rock You Tonight” and “Gimmie Some Money.”

Waiting To Exhale

In the 1990s, R&B was one of the biggest genres in the music world, and with Whitney Houston being a major force behind it, it’s no surprise that the soundtrack for Forest Whitaker’s Waiting To Exhale (starring Houston) plays like an all-star assembly. Toni Braxton, Aretha Franklin, Brandy, TLC, Mary J. Blige, and more showcase their remarkable voices in the compilation, and Houston’s song "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" ended up winning the Grammy for Best R&B Song.

Trainspotting

In addition to supporting a stunning film that is reflected on as one of the best of its decade, the soundtrack to Danny Boyle’s Trainspotting is an experience unto itself – taking audiences on a journey through genres and time. The impressive significance of the work is illustrated in the fact that the album inspired its very own sequel (which came out 20 years before the release of Danny Boyle’s cinematic sequel, T2: Trainspotting)

Pretty In Pink

New wave music, particularly in John Hughes scripted/produced films, has a way of transporting listeners back to the 1980s, and that’s certainly part of the magic of Pretty In Pink. The eponymous song from The Psychedelic Furs is well joined on the soundtrack by great bands like INXS, Echo & The Bunnymen, New Order, and The Smiths.

Velvet Goldmine

The soundtrack for Todd Haynes’ Velvet Goldmine doesn’t feature any tracks by David Bowie despite the fact that he was a major influence for the film, but the album is still a tremendous celebration of glam rock full of originals and covers – with music from Lou Reed, T. Rex, the New York Dolls and more.

A truly great soundtrack can turn a good film into an excellent film, and an excellent film into a classic, and all of the titles listed here prove that fact.

The Tron franchise has had such a rough time that it’s constantly amazing that it has become a franchise at all. The first Tron movie was a financial failure after it failed to find an audience at the box office. Decades later a sequel called Tron: Legacy would finally be made. And while that flick was a modest hit, a follow-up would not be forthcoming quickly. Finally, after all this time, a third Tron movie was set to go into production, but now the writers’ and actors’ strike has indefinitely delayed the movie.

Director Joachim Rønning, who previously helmed Maleficent: Mistress of Evil and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales for Disney, is set to handle yet another Disney live-action sequel in Tron: Ares, the upcoming sequel that will star Jared Leto as the title character. The movie had been rumored for years, so its exact status was unclear but with several actors joining the Tron: Ares cast, it seemed clear production was set to begin soon.  Rønning revealed on Instagram yesterday that principal photography was set to begin then, but obviously is not due to the ongoing strike. He explained… 

Rønning is clearly frustrated by the situation. While he doesn’t publicly blame one side or the other for the ongoing impasse in negotiations, he encourages all involved to get to the table and work out a deal that everybody is happy with so that everyone can just get back to making movies. He included several images of him directing his various films, saying that these are his favorite moments as a director and he wants to get back to them. Check out his post below.

So with the planned start date of Tron: Ares in the past, it puts the movie’s future into legitimate question. At some point, the strikes will end, but when that happens there will be a lot of movies and TV projects looking to get back underway, so it’s far from certain that Ares would start filming immediately once the option was available. And with so much looking to get started, Tron could be put on the back burner once again.

A sequel to Tron: Legacy was first planned years ago, and the decision not to move forward had nothing to do with the movie itself. It was the failure of other Disney live-action films that killed the movie known as Tron: Ascension. Tron 3 has never been a priority for Disney, and it’s hard to imagine it will be now. Some movies may get canceled entirely to make room for others when the strike finally ends. Hopefully, this won’t be one of them 

Greetings, Programs! As we make our way through the 2024 movie schedule, there’s one title from next year that sticks out in our minds: Tron: Ares. Scheduled to debut at some point in 2025, Tron 3’s cast and plot continue to make the Jared Leto installment of this Disney legacy franchise feel more real than ever. 

But there’s an entire history that leads from the formation of a fictitious computer company a little over 50 years ago to the current state of the Tron timeline. So to understand the future, now feels like a good time to review this chain of events from the first spark to the end of the line. 

There’s a lot of ground to cover, and that's on top of the fact that this story is ever developing! So let’s turn the clocks back to 1972, and dig into the legacy of one of the best sci-fi movies ever, Tron. 

1972 - 1982: The ENCOM Legacy Begins

Before Tron, the history of ENCOM was shaped by two men who had very different visions for the future of technology. 

1972 - Dr. Walter Gibbs Starts ENCOM

Beginning the legacy of ENCOM in his garage, Dr. Walter Gibbs (Barnard Hughes) created a company that would branch out as a leading innovator in software and hardware. His company would eventually be bought out, with Dr. Gibbs still continuing his work. Running the operation fell under the new overseer of ENCOM, Edward Dillinger Sr. (David Warner).

1979 - Edward Dillinger Sr. Writes The Master Control Program / Kevin Flynn Is Fired

Dillinger takes ENCOM to new heights, turning that small business into a multinational powerhouse of computing. One of the crown jewels is the Master Control Program, written by Edward himself. A ruthless piece of software, it eventually grows 2,415 times smarter than its initial build.

Together, Edward Dillinger Sr. and the MCP rule ENCOM with an iron fist, and as a result, five games written by programmer Kevin Flynn are stolen and credited to Dillinger. Flynn is fired when he challenges this development, and eventually runs an arcade that some of the games he rightfully wrote call home.

1982 - 1989: Kevin Flynn Changes The Game

Tron was only the beginning of Kevin Flynn’s story, as the events that followed would trigger even greater change.

1982 - Kevin Flynn First Visits The Grid, Changing His Life

The events of Tron kick off here, when Kevin Flynn teams up with friends Dr. Alan Bradley (Bruce Boxleitner) and Dr. Lora Baines (Cindy Morgan) to find the proof of Dillinger’s theft. Inadvertently, ENCOM becomes the first company to ever digitize and transport a person into the computer world, as the Master Control Program sends Flynn to The Grid. 

Flynn fights the MCP’s ruthless conquest and theft of programs with the programming avatars of his friends, Tron and Yori. Emerging victorious, and proving his claim of creating arcade games like Space Paranoids, Flynn ousts Edward Dillinger Sr., and becomes the CEO of ENCOM. A new day is dawning, and Flynn even finds time for romance, as this year is when he meets and marries architect Jordan Canas.

1983 - First Contact With The ISOs / Sam Flynn Is Born

Two very important events would take place not too long after Kevin Flynn’s takeover of ENCOM, and both are chronicled in the graphic novel Tron: Betrayal. As mentioned in Tron: Legacy, he would begin experimenting with The Grid, making regular visits to push the boundaries of what he would call “The Digital Frontier.”

In the computer world, this led to Flynn creating CLU (Codified Likeness Utility) to help him and Tron navigate the perfect system. Soon enough, he would encounter the first isomorphic algorithm, or “ISO” for short: lifeforms that were created out of nothing on The Grid itself. This “miracle,” as well as the birth of his son Sam in the real world, would start to change Flynn’s views on perfection; something that would put him at odds with his own creation. 

1985 - Jordan Canas Dies / Flynn’s Obsession Grows

Two years after Sam Flynn’s birth, his mother, Jordan Canas, would pass away. The causes were unknown, but it left Kevin to depend on his parents to help raise his young son. In these dark days, Flynn’s time as ENCOM CEO continued to create controversy, as his obsession with the world of The Grid only grew. In this time, Kevin would write the cornerstone text of his work, The Digital Frontier: Mapping The Other Universe. In just a few short years, the mystique surrounding his work would hit its peak on one fateful night. 

1989 - 2009: Flynn Lives?

The heart of Tron: Legacy starts here, thanks to a shift in power that saw human and machine square off with dire consequences. 

November 3, 1989 - Kevin Flynn Disappears / CLU Launches His Coup

On approximately November 3, 1989 (per a date displayed at the beginning of Tron: Uprising’s episode recaps) Kevin Flynn went to his office at Flynn’s Arcade, and never returned. The disagreement between he and CLU over whether the ISOs could be trusted came to a head, with Flynn’s own creation betraying him.

CLU seized power of The Grid, almost totally wiping out the ISOs in an event that would become known as “The Purge.” Despite trying to resist, Flynn would eventually retreat to hermitage. Tron was also presumed dead, though that event wasn’t as instantaneous as one would have thought. 

In the events of Tron: Uprising, the security program tried to train a successor to the mantle, mechanic program Beck (Elijah Wood). Unfortunately, Tron was shown on borrowed time, as his corruption into Rinzler progresses throughout the series.

Most importantly, Flynn’s disappearance would see his son Sam left to grow up without a father. While raised by his grandparents, the event would have a massive impact on his life from that point.

November 29, 1990 - ENCOM Faces Corporate Restructuring In Flynn’s Absence

After Kevin Flynn’s disappearance, Dr. Alan Bradley stepped into the post of interim CEO at ENCOM. It wouldn’t last for long, as the company’s already shaky financial fate would trigger massive layoffs, which prompted Dr. Bradley’s resignation. 

Coincidentally, Dillinger Systems became a huge competitor in this era. Created by Edward Dillinger, Sr., the company continues to be a thorn in ENCOM’s side. At least, that seems to be the suggestion made by Tron: Ares’ first official image; which brands the program Ares (Jared Leto) as property of that very company. 

1996 - 2009: The Flynn Lives Movement Grows

An underground movement convinced of Kevin Flynn’s continued existence, the “Flynn Lives” camp, came into existence almost immediately after his disappearance. The cause would pick up even more steam in 1996, when a computer virus spread awareness for the group. As the short film Tron: The Next Day would clarify, two people were key to the movement’s success: “ZackAttack” and “IsolatedThinker.” 

To the public, their identities were never revealed. But, at the end of that short, it’s shown that ENCOM stalwarts Roy “Ram” Klineberg (Dan Shor) and Dr. Alan Bradley were “ZackAttack” and “IsolatedThinker,” respectively. Their faith that Flynn was still out there kept hope alive in the decades that followed, with one man rising to claim his place in it all.

2009 - Present Day: Sam Flynn Reclaims The Family Legacy

Flynn's son comes into his own, as Sam takes the ultimate steps towards truly carrying on his father's legacy. 

2009 - Sam Flynn Starts Pulling Annual Pranks On ENCOM

Taking after his old man’s spirit of playful disobedience, Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund) began to pull yearly pranks on the company he technically owned. As the largest sole shareholder in ENCOM, Sam would show his defiance of how the company was being run by pulling pranks on its leadership. 

April 2nd, 2010 - Sam Flynn Crashes ENCOM’s Wondercon Presentation

During 2010’s Wondercon festivities, Dr. Alan Bradley was supposed to be introducing ENCOM’s Space Paranoids Online to a mass of eager fans. But that presentation was cut short thanks to Sam Flynn, who crashed the party by parachuting over the event with the help of the Flynn Lives movement. With their voices raised higher than ever, all it took was one page sent to Alan’s beeper to start the next major conflict in the Tron timeline. 

November/December 2010 - Sam Flynn Visits The Grid, Finds His Father

After his annual prank on the ENCOM board released the ENCOM 12 operating system to the world, for free, Dr. Bradley had to bail Sam out of jail. Revealing he received a page that supposedly came from Sam's dad, Alan inspires the young man to head to the deserted Flynn’s Arcade. Through a total accident, the Flynn's son is sent to The Grid, a new piece on the board of a game that had been raging for decades.

It isn’t long before Tron: Legacy’s events reveal that Tron wasn’t dead after all, but rather repurposed as Rinzler, CLU’s right hand lieutenant. Teaming with his father Kevin, and Quorra (Olivia Wilde), the last remaining ISO in existence, the three attempt to thwart CLU’s plan to invade the human world. 

Sacrificing himself so that Sam and Quorra could escape, Kevin merges with CLU, eliminating both entities in an explosive event. It should also be noted that Tron plays a part in this victory, as he seems to snap out of his reprogramming and saves the heroic trio in the process.

Returning to the world of the User, Sam is a changed man. Naming Dr. Alan Bradley the chairman of the board, Sam is ready to take back ENCOM from the management that’s turned it into a corporate husk of its former self. In turn, Alan brings Roy Klineberg back to the fold as well. With the Dillingers plotting something in their own darkened halls, the game has changed, but it’s far from over.

2016 & 2023 - Sam Flynn Begins Opening Portals To The Grid Around The World

Our story ends, for the moment, in Shanghai and Orlando. The story of both incarnations of the Tron Lightcycle Run state that Sam Flynn has begun his own experiments with The Grid, thanks to the portals he’s opened in both of those locations. Thanks to the ENCOM SHV 20905 laser array (also known as the Shiva), people can now be digitized and transported to The Grid, taking part in a lightcycle battle against Rinzler himself! 

The Future of Tron

As Tron: Ares finally has a confirmed title and 2025 release window, the game is about to begin all over again. With Legacy director Joseph Kosinski confirming Tron: Ascension’s original plot as inspiration for Ares, a bright future on The Grid once more feels possible. 

But there’s still a lot we don’t know about, especially when it comes to the titular Program. Since Jared Leto’s Ares is an A.I. that is crossing over into our world, a moment that humanity is apparently unprepared for, does he fight for the User? Or is he just another soldier to the forces that would seek to conquer the world of humanity? 

How or who we'll be fighting this new presence off with is yet to be seen, as most other character details have been kept pretty tightly under wraps. But you can still relive the Tron series journey that's come before this point in time; and through a pretty convenient manner. Those who want to dive deeper into the world of Tron can start with a Disney+ subscription, where both films and the animated series Tron: Uprising await to reveal even more of the history that got us here today. End of line.

The Magic Kingdom is about to get a little more digitized thanks to Tron Lightcycle Run’s impending debut as part of everything new coming to Walt Disney World. While a soft opening is currently underway, April 4th marks the full startup sequence for anyone who wants to jump into the world of Tron. 

Having already done so myself, I can say that Tron Lightcycle Run is worth the wait for thrill seekers of all sorts. However, as a massive fan of this cult favorite universe, I spotted an easter egg in the ride that has me asking some pretty big questions. So let's digitize ourselves into The Grid once more and discuss how one surprising cameo opened an entire can of programming worms. 

Tron Lightcycle Run’s Massive Tron Legacy Easter Egg

As I was on hand during Walt Disney World’s “All The Disney Thrills” press event, riding this new attraction introduced me to some new people from the Disney Parks family. One such person was Steven Miller, the Senior Manager of Corporate Social Responsibility at Disney Parks, who has also been a mega fan of Tron since his childhood.

Geeking out together over this underrated franchise, Steven told me to look out for something in my next ride through; more specifically, he told me to look out for Rinzler (Bruce Boxleitner). This, naturally, caused my jaw to drop a little bit, especially when recalling Rinzler’s fate at the end of Tron: Legacy. But before I questioned it any further, I had to spot him for myself; and as you can see in the photo above, I totally did! 

While standing in the impressive queue of Tron Lightcycle Run, you’ll be able to see the roster of Team Orange in full detail as you wait to battle them. Every so often, a random teammate’s stats will come up, showing facts like their ranking, how many wins/losses they’ve had and, of course, how many derezzes they’ve racked up. While I couldn’t capture Rinzler’s stats on this visit, I can at least say that his name is on the list of competitors, which puts one huge question on the table.

How In The Grid Is Rinzler Still Alive?

So how in the world is Rinzler still alive? The right-hand program to the evil CLU (Jeff Bridges), we met Rinzler in Tron: Legacy, and it was revealed that he was a reprogrammed version of none other than The Grid’s staunch protector, Tron. That’s pretty important, because the last time we see Rinzler/Tron is after he’s supposedly defeated CLU, flickering from orange to blue as he sinks into the Sea of Simulation.

Complicating matters further, it looks like when Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) wiped out CLU in his final sacrifice, the world of Tron: Legacy was somewhat reformatted. One huge question now leads to two follow-ups. On top of questioning why Rinzler is still walking around, as Tron Lightcycle Run is set in a post-Legacy time period, I was also left wondering whether the version of The Grid we saw in director Joseph Kosinski’s follow-up still exists to a certain extent. And, of course, whether or not Tron has reverted to his Rinzler programming or not is the second concern I had in mind. 

Sam Flynn May Have Resurrected Rinzler For A Purpose

The story of Tron Lightcycle Run states that Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund) has been following in his father’s footsteps. Opening portals onto The Grid in Shanghai Disneyland, as well as Orlando’s Magic Kingdom, the User hero of Tron: Legacy is sharing the digital frontier with visitors who take him up on the offer. In the case of this experience, riders are treated to a friendly, but competitive and brutal lightcycle race, with Rinzler racing as part of the opposing team. Normally, I’d see this as a dangerous prospect, and not exactly a welcome sign for the future.

However, I can only think of one reason Sam would resurrect his foe from Legacy: competition. Rinzler is a formidable foe, especially when you remember that he’s a brainwashed Tron, so Tron Lightcycle Run includes this baddie in its roster of opponents to up the stakes. How better to keep oneself sharpened as a digital combatant than to continuously study the moves of your opponent?

Sam Flynn more than likely has brought Rinzler back as a way to prepare for any further conflicts in the world of The Grid. Training with the deadliest warrior of this universe is a good strategy to keep everyone on their toes. Also, as riders of the Tron Lightcycle Run, being able to say you beat Rinzler is a pretty awesome feat. Even more thrilling is the potential this hypothesis has for the future of the Tron saga, as everything’s connected, and the consequences could be both good and bad. 

What Effect Could This Have On Tron 3?

Evolution is something we’ve seen happen throughout the history of Tron, most notably in Tron: Legacy. Lifeforms have been created through spontaneous evolutions in the digital world, as seen in the 2010 legacyquel’s introduction of ISOs. Even CLU himself changed to become a dark mirror of Kevin Flynn’s ambitions, corrupting a pure purpose with a zeal that all but wiped out those emerging creations. 

Since Rinzler is still in play, there’s no telling how his presence could shape the next Tron movie’s potential story. Could Tron actually still be alive, with Sam rescuing him and splitting Rinzler into a different entity? Is Rinzler’s existence what helps created the potential protagonist in what’s become known as Tron: Ares? Most importantly, if Tron 3 is borrowing concepts from the concept of Tron: Ascension, could Tron’s evil mirror image the key to an all out invasion of the human world? 

Anything truly is possible, as no one would have expected to see this vicious program’s return any time soon. It’s also potentially true that Rinzler is merely an easter egg to Tron: Legacy that’s included to spice things up in the Tron Lightcycle Run queue. I’m willing to bet on the side of this surprise cameo meaning something, as Disney has shown time and again it loves to throw in references and ties to attractions into films, and vice versa.

We’ll have plenty of time to dig into what Tron Lightcycle Run has to offer the world, as it’s currently in a soft opening to Magic Kingdom guests until April 2nd. The attraction will open fully on April 4th, so keep your button pressing fingers warmed up, as Lightning Lane and virtual queue reservations are already as competitive as you’d think. In the meantime, you can revisit the entire Tron legacy of films and TV if you happen to have a Disney+ subscription. End of line. 

The newest addition to Disney World’s Magic Kingdom is almost here. Tron: Lightcycle Run has been running in previews ahead of its grand opening in a couple of weeks. When that happens guests from anywhere will be able to enter The Grid, but a few special guests got an early peek at the attraction last night when stars from the original Tron film, Bruce Boxleitner and Cindy Morgan, reunited at Disney World for a special event.

Walt Disney World is hosting its #AllTheDisneyThrills media event right now, CinemaBlend’s own resident Tron nerd Mike Reyes is in attendance. But the guests of honor for any fan of Tron had to be Bruce Boxleitner who played Alan Bradley/Tron, and Cindy Morgan, who played Dr. Lora Baines/Yori. With Jeff Bridges as Kevin Flynn, they made up the main trio of heroes in the original film. While the whole trio wasn’t there, the two that were clearly happy to see each other.

It’s really cool to see the stars of Tron on hand to see Lightcycle Run. While the original Tron wasn’t a massive financial success, its groundbreaking use of computer effects made it an incredibly unique film that made it a cult classic. Eventually the popularity of Tron did spawn a sequel, Tron: Legacy, and now pre-production is moving forward on a third Tron movie.

But attractions at a theme park like Magic Kingdom show that Tron has reached an even more important milestone of popularity. A movie can be made, and if it’s ultimately not successful, the studio can simply move on and largely forget about it. We've certainly seen Disney bury movies before. But spending millions on a major E-ticket attraction like Lightcycle Run, which is going to exist for decades, shows that Disney has faith in Tron as a brand to not only bring in guests now but continue to do so for a long time to come.

I’ve spoken to a lot of people who have created characters in films or on TV and they have often told me that seeing their characters come to life in a more tangible way as part of a theme park attraction is simply different than seeing them on screen.  From the physical structure to the dozens of Disney World Cast Members dressed in their Tron uniforms, simply seeing all this has to be incredible for Morgan and Boxlietner. Even Mickey and Minnie went full Tron last night.

Due to the pandemic delays and simply the massive scope of the attraction. Fans have been waiting a long time for this one. Having ridden Tron: Lightcycle Run, our Mr. Reyes has some thoughts that will likely get everybody pumped for the ride’s grand opening on April 4. 

Well, fans of The Grid recently got a big reason to get excited because, after years of anticipation, a third Tron film is finally coming to fruition. The threequel, which is subtitled Ares, will see Jared Leto play the lead, and Joachim Rønning is reportedly in talks to direct. There are plenty of unknowns that surround the project, and deals are reportedly still being made as well. That hasn’t stopped fans from speculating on potential storylines, though. While the movie will obviously build on what was established in the original 1982 film, one has to wonder how much it’ll tie into the events of the 2010 sequel, Legacy. That remains to be seen, but I’m already of the belief that one character absolutely needs to return – and it’s not Sam Flynn.

Garrett Hedlund’s Sam – the son of Jeff Bridges’ Kevin Flynn – was the protagonist of Tron: Legacy, with his father and Quorra (played by Olivia Wilde) serving as supporting characters. The young man was left in an interesting position by the end of the film, as he set out to introduce the newly freed Quorra – a game-changing program known as an ISO – to the world. It’s clearly a plot thread that many would like to see wrapped up, and I wouldn’t mind that myself. However, I’m more concerned about another plot point that was teased during Joseph Kosinski’s film – the presence of Edward Dillinger Jr.

Who Is Edward Dillinger Jr., And How Does He Connect To The Original Film?

Fans may remember that acclaimed actor Cillian Murphy cameoed as Dillinger early in the film. The character is the son of disgraced former ENCOM Senior Executive Ed Dilinger Sr., who was played by the late David Warner in the ‘82 movie. In that film, the elder Dillinger served as a secondary antagonist, as he forged a dangerous alliance with the all-powerful Master Control Program (MCP). Their machinations, along with Dillinger’s past hijackings of Kevin Flynn’s work, are ultimately made public, and he’s eventually ousted. (His demise is extremely satisfying and one that Warner played so beautifully on the screen.) 

His son takes on a less villainous role in the 2010 follow-up, where he’s revealed to b  the head of ENCOM’s software design team. He’s present when Sam sabotages the launch of the company’s new operating system by having it go live for free. While other members of the board are rattled, Edward simply suggests that the corporation deem it as an act of goodwill for the public. The character is later mentioned in the short film Tron: The Next Day, when Roy Kleinberg asks Alan Bradley (Bruce Boxleitner) if Dillinger should remain with the company. Bradley asserts that he’s earned his place, but that may not be the best idea – based on what was planned for the future.

Why Should Edward Dilinger Jr. Should Return For Tron: Ares?

Before Jared Leto’s Tron 3 began making progress, another film went into development shortly after Legacy’s release. The movie, called Ascension, would’ve brought back Garrett Hedlund, Olivia Wilde and Bruce Boxleitner. Joseph Kosinski explained that the film would’ve been about Quorra’s introduction to the real world as well as the ramifications of Sam’s actions within The Grid. The filmmaker also made it clear that Cillian Murphy was to return as Edward, which wasn’t surprising, as it was quite clear that he was being positioned for a major role later on.

The little information that we know about the Ascension script, and previously released media from the franchise, suggests that Dillinger Jr. was to serve as an enemy for Sam. A bonus scene that’s available on the Blu-ray release of Legacy most notably shows him having a virtual chat with a user known as “MCTRL_751,” who may or may not be a new version of the MCP. And because he refers to it as “Dad,” one also has to wonder whether it’s a digitized version of his father from the Grid. Regardless of the specifics, it sounds like something dastardly was being cooked up, and I’d still like to see it. 

While David Warner has since passed away, his character certainly could live on virtually. The sheer idea of having the relationship between the Dillingers be a focal point would be intriguing and serve as an apt counterbalance to the previous installment, which hinged on the bond between Sam and Kevin Flynn. I’d be personally interested in getting some background on Jr.’s corporate rise as well and specifically see if (or how) his father’s actions might have hampered him in the early aughts of his career.

Is There A Real Chance That Tron 3 Will Utilize Edward’s Arc?

It’s certainly not impossible that the upcoming movie would bring back the character. After all, who wouldn’t want to take advantage of a character played by Cillian Murphy? Also, the title Tron: Ares suggests that it could be a villain-centric, which would be perfect for Dillinger. I mean, who’s to say Jared Leto isn’t playing a new program known as Ares, which has been created by Edward for nefarious purposes? There are plenty of possibilities, all of which could end with Dillinger causing serious damage to ENCOM and even the world. It’s all speculation at this point, but it’s certainly worth discussing and hoping for. 

Ultimately though, all we know for sure is that the film will provide fans with a (presumably ripped) Jared Leto and some stunning visual effects. You also have to wonder whether the forthcoming Lightcycle Run coaster will have any narrative ties to the feature film. (That may seem like a long shot, but it’s always a possibility.) But in terms of the main topic at hand, one can only hope that Edward Dillinger and even other aspects of Legacy come back into play as well. 

Those waiting for more updates on Tron: Ares can check out the first two films in the meantime by streaming them with a Disney+ subscription. You can also dive into CinemaBlend’s schedule of 2023 new movie releases for a list of the biggest movies headed to theaters this year.

In just a few short months, Walt Disney World is finally going to open the Tron Lightcycle/Run attraction to its parkgoers. While dates are still forming up for preview events welcoming cast members and other VIPs to try out the ride for themselves, April 4th is the big day that The Grid will officially come online in Orlando. 

The legacy of one of the best sci-fi movies of all time is about to take a new and exciting shape yet again. What’s even more exciting is that the lore behind this Tron connected ride is the first big step towards hope for a Tron: Legacy follow-up after all. Looking at the story behind Tron Lightcycle / Run, as well as some recent franchise developments, the 2010 legacy-quel might not be abandoned after all. 

To start things off, let’s take a look at where the Magic Kingdom’s latest thrill ride fits into the grand scheme of things.

The Official Lore Behind Tron Lightcycle / Run

The announcement of Tron Lightcycle / Run’s opening day came from a post on the official Disney Parks blog. Providing the basic details on what’s Tomorrowland’s new hot spot will be encompassing, the lore of the ride was laid out through the following details:

Connecting both Orlando and Shanghai’s Tron roller coasters, both rides are connected in their purpose. Thanks to the lore of Tron Lightycycle / Run, the connection runs deeper, and leaves some important doors open to continue Tron: Legacy’s story. 

Sam Flynn’s Story Is Still In Play

The development of the Jared Leto-starring Tron movie has at times been talked about as a project independent of the history Tron: Legacy was continuing. With that concern in mind, you could imagine that the Tron Lightcycle / Run story might want to stay away from any explicit mention of Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund), whom we saw taking his place at Encom at the end of his Joseph Kosinski-directed origin story. 

Now that Tron Lightcycle / Run has doubled down on the Sam Flynn connection originated at Shanghai Disneyland Park, we can see that Sam’s story is still in play. Why bring up the Son of Flynn to begin with if it wasn’t something that Disney still saw an active interest in pursuing? Even though it may not tie too terribly into the appearance and actual ride theming and vehicles, Disney Parks canon is clearly a door that opens both ways. 

Jared Leto’s New Tron Movie Looks Like It’s Tying Into Tron: Legacy’s Events Too

Surprisingly, those earlier reports about Tron: Legacy being left out of the cinematic fun seem to have been reversed. The latest information on Tron: Ares, the presumed title for Jared Leto’s new foray into the franchise, mentions that this next chapter will be a sequel, rather than a reboot or spinoff, to the existing Tron canon. 

While the threads may not be woven too tightly just yet, the overall universe of Tron and its sequels/spinoffs seems to be coming together. Having a movie and a theme park ride working hand in hand is a strategy Disney has used before through the growing presence of the Star Wars franchise in the parks. 

Pieces Of Tron Lightcycle Run Sound Reminiscent Of Tron: Ascension’s Plot

Those of you who’ve been fixated on the ideas that could have been fulfilled through the scrapped script of Tron: Ascension are probably celebrating right now. Looking into that lore presented in the Tron Lightcycle / Run’s expansion of the Tron: Legacy story, the central concept of the ride seems to be informed by ideas from that previous concept for a third film. 

Sam Flynn’s portals are one bridge in particular that have a promising connection to that story, as it could lead to some pretty bad news in the future. From what we know about Tron: Ascension, the plan was to show “multiple worlds of Tron” in the leadup to a massive war between humanity and the Programs of the machine world. 

The invasion that kicks off that fight would have come from portals into the digital frontier, and that’s exactly what Sam is opening up with his experiments. It’s all fun and games now, but who knows what sort of clues could be hidden in Tron Lightcycle / Run that might tie deeper into the tale Tron: Ascension could tell.

Renewed Interest In Tron Might Save Tron: Ascension

The Tron franchise hasn’t seen any new projects since the 2012-2013 run of the TV spinoff Tron: Uprising. That’s not for lack of fan interest, it’s just that the apparent results of Tron: Legacy’s box office take weren’t all that exciting to the powers that be. Not to mention, Joseph Kosinski believes that Disney’s focus shifted to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Star Wars franchises at that time. 

Hope for the project remained online for some time, with Tron: Ascension seemingly cancelled in 2015. Coincidentally, 2016 marked the opening of the first Tron Lightcycle / Run attraction at Shanghai Disneyland. The second portal's opening is exciting enough as a new Disney Parks attraction, especially as the first permanent one to be brought to the U.S. parks. 

If the new ride excites people’s imaginations enough, this could lead to Tron: Ares doing particularly well at the box office upon its arrival. The potential equation of a hit Magic Kingdom attraction and a motion picture success could be the jumpstart that Tron needs to put Ascension back on the board.

It’s only a few more months now until April 4th’s opening of the Tron: Lightcycle / Run potentially ushers in a new era for the classic Disney franchise. Parkgoers still have a wait ahead of them, which means there’s an opportunity to fight for the User and stoke the fires of interest in another way. 

Those with a Disney+ subscription can revisit Tron and Tron: Legacy, as well as Tron: Uprising, through the streaming frontier that service has to offer. Reviewing the past is a good tactic in preparing for whatever the future will bring. End of Line. 

Olivia Wilde has made quite the name for herself since her breakout role as night club manager Alex Kelly on Season 2 of The O.C. That mid-’00s recurring role helped launch Wilde’s career on the small and big screen, where the actress has racked up credits in dozens of well-known movies and television shows, co-starred opposite beloved stars such as Hugh Laurie, Harrison Ford, Oscar Isaac, Anna Kendrick, Chris Pine, and many more. 

In fact, Wilde will be reuniting with Pine in her return to movie theaters in late September, when her second directorial effort, Don’t Worry Darling, makes its debut as part of the 2022 new movie releases. With the actor and director now firmly ensconced both in front of and behind the camera, it seemed like a good time to give those who love watching Wilde’s work a handy list of the movies and series they should check out when they want to see the star in action. Now, let’s get to what you should watch if you like Olivia Wilde!

House (Peacock)

The misanthropic Dr. Gregory House (Hugh Laurie) leads a team of medical diagnosticians at a teaching hospital in New Jersey, where he frequently clashes with them, his bosses, and sometimes his patients because of his unconventional methods and rude attitude. 

Olivia Wilde joined the House cast in Season 2 as a new member of the eponymous doctor’s team, Dr. Remy “Thirteen” Hadley, and it would be fairly accurate to say that this is the part that catapulted Wilde to stardom. Her Thirteen, as the character was most widely known, was rather mysterious and extremely slow to reveal any personal details about herself, but was also unfailingly compassionate and brave (or, sometimes, reckless) in the face of her own serious illness. This is definitely a great place to start to get an early look at what Wilde is capable of on screen.

Stream House on Peacock.
Buy House on Amazon.

Drinking Buddies (Hulu)

Luke (Jake Johnson) and Kate (Olivia Wilde) are co-workers and best buddies who work at a small Chicago brewery and happen to have great chemistry that could easily turn into something besides friendship, except they are both seeing other people.

It would be fair to say that Olivia Wilde has honed a cool chick vibe over the course of her career (mostly fueled by playing a number of characters who are really good at what they do and totally unapologetic about it), and Drinking Buddies has certainly added to that allure. Wilde does a great job playing someone whose professional life is great, but has a bit of turmoil when it comes to dealing with her feelings for her friend, as well as handling his feelings for her.

Stream Drinking Buddies on Hulu.
Rent/Buy Drinking Buddies on Amazon.

Rush (Netflix)

Formula One race car drivers James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) and Niki Lauda (Daniel Brühl) begin a years-long rivalry in 1970, which eventually spurs each man to compete at higher and higher levels amid a number of personal difficulties, both large and small. 

Rush is a biographical drama that covers the real-life feud between Hunt and Lauda, which features Olivia Wilde in a relatively small part as Hunt’s wife, model Suzy Miller. While Wilde is not on screen for long, it doesn’t take long for her to make Suzy much more than a fashionable side character, as we can see clearly how tough and uncompromising she was when dealing with her husband once professional setbacks began to sour their relationship.

Stream Rush on Netflix.
Rent/buy Rush on Amazon.

Tron: Legacy (Disney+)

Decades after video game developer Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) goes missing, his son, Sam (Garrett Hedlund) ends up lost in the same virtual reality that his father created and was trapped in all of those years ago.

Tron: Legacy saw the cult hit, Tron, finally get the sequel fans were hoping for after almost 30 years. The movie is a thrilling addition to the lore, and that’s thanks in a large part to Olivia Wilde’s badass role as the virtual reality warrior Quorra, who helps Sam and Kevin fight for survival in the dangerous world.

Stream Tron: Legacy on Disney+.
Rent/Buy Tron: Legacy on Amazon.

The O.C. (Hulu)

At risk teen Ryan Atwood (Ben McKenzie) finds a saving grace in his public defender, Sandy Cohen (Peter Gallagher), who takes him home to live with his family in his wealthy Orange County, California neighborhood, where Ryan ends up embroiled in the complicated relationships there.

There’s nothing quite like a teen soap opera, and The O.C. started out very strong on Fox in 2003. The first season made stars out of the young and mostly unknown cast members, and it shows just how strong of a performer Olivia Wilde is that her smart, tough, and independent Alex Kelly was able to become a standout when she debuted in Season 2. If you want to see the roots of Wilde’s cool girl charm, head here.

Stream The O.C. on Hulu.
Buy The O.C. on Amazon.

Love The Coopers (Rental)

The dysfunctional Cooper family, headed up by Charlotte (Diane Keaton) and Sam (John Goodman) reunite for Christmas as they deal with a number of wacky situations and personal troubles.

Love the Coopers is one of those family dramedies that focuses on a number of characters, most of whom are played by beloved actors like Keaton, Goodman, and others like Ed Helms, Marisa Tomei, and Amanda Seyfried, among others. But, as usual, Olivia Wilde stands out as beleaguered Cooper daughter Eleanor, who’s in a relationship with a married man and so desperate to arrive home with a significant other that she enlists the help of a soldier (Jake Lacy) she just met in the airport to pose as her fake boyfriend.

Rent/Buy Love the Coopers on Amazon.

Booksmart (Hulu)

When teens Molly (Beanie Feldstein) and Amy (Kaitlyn Dever) realize that keeping their noses to the grindstone to achieve academically has unnecessarily put them behind when it comes to their social lives, they decide to spend the last night before graduating from high school to catch up on all the wild fun they missed, leading to a chaotic adventure.

Olivia Wilde came out strong with her feature length directorial debut, Booksmart, which premiered in May 2019. The movie was praised by critics and audience goers alike for its ensemble cast, smart storytelling, and heart, which still managed to provide lots of laughs. Absolutely a must-watch for anyone interested in Wilde’s work, it’s already made its way into the pantheon of epic teen movies.

Stream Booksmart on Hulu.
Rent/Buy Booksmart on Amazon.

Vinyl (Digital Purchase)

American Century Records founder and president Richie Finestra (Bobby Cannavale), tries to keep his company afloat in the 1970s as the love for rock and roll gives way to punk, rap, and disco, as his own commitment to his job is reignited because of a major event that just might be his ultimate downfall.

As Richie’s wife, Devon, Olivia Wilde once again proves that she excels at playing tough, capable women who refuse to back down from challenges and won’t succumb to acting as a victim when others’ poor decision-making threatens to mar her future.

Buy Vinyl on Amazon.

BoJack Horseman (Netflix)

After losing his once successful sitcom to a sudden cancellation, ‘90s TV star (and anthropomorphic horse) BoJack Horseman attempts to regain his pop culture cred by releasing an autobiography, all while dealing with addiction and depression.

Netflix’s BoJack Horseman dealt with a lot of serious issues for an animated show, even one made for adults, but Olivia Wilde’s Charlotte Carson (an anthropomorphic deer) was a good and wise friend to the titular character whenever possible, despite her realization that she couldn’t get too caught up in BoJack’s usually self-destructive life.

Stream BoJack Horseman on Netflix.

Richard Jewell (Rental)

This drama follows the real events surrounding the Centennial Olympic Park bombing at the 1996 Olympics, which saw security guard Richard Jewell find the device, alert authorities, and then be wrongly accused of the bombing himself.

Olivia Wilde took on the role of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter, Kathy Scruggs, who wrote the article which revealed that Jewell was under suspicion for the bombing by the FBI. Her part is the one aspect of the film that was seen as controversial upon its release, but Wilde still does a remarkable job as a woman who’s trying to stay ahead of what might be the biggest story of her career.

Rent/buy Richard Jewell on Amazon.

Life Itself (Rental)

This 2018 drama connects several different couples across multiple generations, with everyone being linked by one, major event.

Olivia Wilde is, once again, at her cool, smart, tough lady best in Life Itself (which also stars Oscar Isaac, Annette Bening, Antonio Banderas, and many other big names), but a marked difference here is that her Abby gets to be part of a happy couple.

Stream Life Itself on Amazon.

In Time (Rental)

In a society where time is used as currency and every person has a clock on their body telling them how long they have to live, everyone also stops aging at 25.

While she doesn’t get much to do with her role as Rachel in In Time, you can bet that Olivia Wilde makes the most of her, um… time while playing the mother of Justin Timberlake’s character.

Rent/Buy In Time on Amazon.

This is just a small sampling of the movies and TV shows that Olivia Wilde has appeared in during her time in the spotlight, and you will rarely go wrong when choosing to watch a project that this talent has starred in.

No matter how much fans of Tron: Legacy hoped to see the originally intended sequel pop up on the roster of upcoming movies, director Joseph Kosinski’s intended follow-up just never happened. It’s a subject that’s been discussed time and again, ever since the original Tron 3 concept was given the axe. Almost a decade since that announcement, Kosinski has returned to the discussion to explain why things fell apart, and how Star Wars and Marvel Studios were both involved.

In connection to the release of his latest box-office smash Top Gun: Maverick, Joseph Kosinski got to revisit a subject that’s bittersweetly fond to him. Speaking with Vulture, the director of Tron: Legacy confirmed pieces of the story we’d heard before, while also adding the following context:

While he doesn’t explicitly confirm what Tron 2 star Garrett Hedlund said about the cancellation, it once again sounds like Tomorrowland’s disastrous 2015 release is a contributing factor to Tron: Ascension’s demise. With Disney’s acquisition of Marvel Studios in 2009, which was followed by the purchase of Lucasfilm Ltd. in 2012, Joseph Kosinski’s angle that the sci-fi world was covered also tracks. It also explains how determined he was to make the third Tron film happen, as he was able to keep hope alive for years after those landmark takeovers.

Though it makes total business sense, especially in light of how those multibillion dollar investments paid off and then some, it doesn’t soothe the hearts of those wanting to return to The Grid. After learning what Tron: Ascension was going to be about, and the implications it had for Sam Flynn and Quorra’s future adventures, this cancellation feels like even more of a sore spot for those that feel Disney puts a higher priority on certain franchises than others. 

Flash forward to today, and Joseph Kosinski has made movies like Oblivion, Only the Brave and Top Gun: Maverick, which all have their own followings. Meanwhile, Disney looks to have somehow found room for Tron to exist on its production slate yet again, even with Star Wars and the MCU continuing to make up a majority of what’s on the way. The art student may be returning to the forefront, but it sounds like Disney's given them a bit of a makeover for the occasion. 

As for Jared Leto’s Tron 3, which he assures us is getting “closer and closer,” no firm production or release dates are set. We’ll continue to keep track of what’s going on with this Tron movie, and hope that promising news is on its way in the near future. Should this discussion have put you in a nostalgic mood for the Tron franchise or any titles from the Star Wars and MCU franchises, Disney+ subscribers can currently binge those works to their heart’s content.

People love video games, and people also love movies. So it's really no shock that when Hollywood goes looking for popular IP to turn into films, it looks at video games frequently, despite the fact that the vast majority of movies based on games are unpopular or unsuccessful, or both. However, there is a subset of the video game movie that has proven to be, generally speaking, more popular and more successful than Tomb Raider or Assassin's Creed. Those are the movies that aren't based on existing game properties, but instead take place inside games in largely original worlds. Ryan Reynolds' Free Guy is the most recent success story here.

There have been some great movies set inside the world of games. In some, video game characters come to life. In others, real people enter the world of video games and must learn to follow those rules. I'd argue nothing on this list is actually a bad movie, but only one of them can be the best.

8. eXistenZ

Ok so, eXistenZ is... weird. It's a David Cronenberg movie, and that's really all you need to know to know just how weird it is. Because it's a weird Cronenberg movie, it's not the sort of thing that everybody is going to love. However, if you love weird-ass movies and you missed this one, it's worth checking out. It has Jennifer Jason Leigh and Jude Law, and that right there is a pairing you don't want to miss. It's a movie where video games are played on biotechnology game pods that look like lumps of melted flesh. Then you jack into them like The Matrix, even though that looks like the last thing in the world a sane person would want to do.

7. Ready Player One

Ready Player One was an incredibly popular book that went hard on the 1980s nostalgia. It created an online video game that basically consumed the entire internet and turned the whole thing into a pop culture reference machine. When Steven Spielberg took on the movie, he was able to reshape the reference-fest into a surprisingly strong movie. It follows a collection of gamers as they scour the four corners of their massive online game for the clues that will solve a puzzle and give them total control of the game. The movie is the superior version of the story, and the references are great if you're into them.

6. Jumanji: The Next Level

The third Jumanji movie is the second one to use a video game structure in its plot. While it's maybe not as good as its predecessor, Jumanji: The Next Level is still a fun movie. It adds some brand new characters, which allows the video game avatar versions of those characters to do more and stretch their acting chops a bit. It also still has all the fun video game action that we've now come to expect from this franchise.

5. Tron

There was an era when setting a movie inside of a video game was essentially impossible. Once upon a time, games either didn't exist or were so simple that you couldn't build characters there. Arguably, this was still the case in 1982, and yet Tron was born and it worked. The grandfather of all the movies on this list, Tron see Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) transported inside a computer, where he travels among the programs, like Brice Boxleitner's Tron, in an effort to take down the Master Control Program. Tron wasn't a massive hit in its day, but it was a technical achievement that paved the way for computer-based effects, which nearly every movie relies on today.

4. Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle

While the first Jumanji movie brought a board game to life, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle upgraded the premise for the digital age. It brought four characters inside a video game world with a quest to complete. Each avatar had special abilities and weaknesses that needed to be managed. All the mechanics of video games play into the story, allowing the movie to go big with the action in every conceivable way. And with a "rock" solid cast that includes Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan and Jack Black, Welcome to the Jungle is just too much fun.

3. Tron: Legacy

Tron: Legacy was the sequel that we never thought we'd see. While the original film became a cult hit, those don't often get expensive sequels. While Legacy might not have pushed movie special effects into an entirely new world the way the original film did, it was among the early examples of digital de-aging technology (which, I'll admit, has aged poorly, but was still impressive in its day). And Tron: Legacy is honestly better than its predecessor in every other way. The action scenes are stronger, the characters feel more, well, alive, and the soundtrack is one of the all-time greats. Now if we could only get that third movie.

2. Wreck-It Ralph

There may be many movies that take place inside actual video games, but Wreck-It Ralph is one of the few that doesn't try and send a normal human inside the game somehow in order to give the audience a reason to care. Wreck-It Ralph is entirely about the characters that live inside the game, but there's no way we're not going to end up caring about them. The movie follows the titular Ralph, the pre-programmed bad guy of a classic '80s style game who is tired of playing the villain and goes looking for a way to be the hero. While the movie has plenty of the required classic game references, it's in the original characters and the original worlds that the movie truly shines.

1. Free Guy

The newest movie to be set largely inside a video game is, almost certainly, the best. Free Guy follows Guy, played by Ryan Reynolds, who is an NPC inside a video game who begins to grow and evolve on his own. It's funny and it's emotional. It has great video game-based jokes and references, but there's no requirement that you understand any of it as the story works regardless. It's not just a great video game movie, it's a great movie, period. Some of the movies on this list are funny, some have heart and some build strong video game worlds, but Free Guy does all of the above, and also includes a hilarious Chris Evans cameo.

A couple of the movies on this list have already spawned sequels, and the word is Free Guy might get one too, so we certainly haven't seen the end of movies set inside video games. In the end, every movie on this list is better than the majority of movies based on actual game titles. Someday the code will be cracked on movies based on actual game properties, but until then, we'll have these movies that show us the best parts of games and the best parts of movies together.

We have officially reached the end of an era - an “epilogue,” if you will - pioneered by a pair of French musicians whose impact on pop culture, beyond even just music, cannot be exaggerated, inspiring memorable needle drops (such as in Iron Man 2) and giving TRON: Legacy one of the coolest film scores in years. Their revolutionarily eclectic styles and unique guise of anonymity made Daft Punk key to bringing electronic dance music into the mainstream - an achievement some may not have comprehended to its full extent until just recently.

On February 22, 2021, Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter revealed that they were calling it quits after first forming in Paris in 1993. The announcement came in the form of an excerpt from the duo’s 2006 film Daft Punk’s Electroma in which the band members’ dramatized counterparts (depicted as actual robots and portrayed by different actors) are walking in the desert when Bangalter silently requests Homem-Christo  to initiate his self-destruct function before going their separate ways. Even for the few who have managed to see the rare avant-garde, sci-fi cult favorite, the clip is a haunting eight minutes, especially when associated with their mysterious split.

Ironically, Electroma, which the Daft Punk directed, does not include any of their own music, but the films and TV series to which they have contributed their talents would only make them harder, better, sometimes even faster, and definitely stronger. In honor of their 28 years changing the face of music without showing their faces, we look back on five of those memorable moments, starting with another “break-up,” of sorts, between two heroes in shiny, metal masks.

Iron Man 2 (2010) - “Robot Rock”

About halfway into Jon Favreau's sequel to his 2008 MCU kick-off film, James "Rhodey" Rhodes (Don Cheadle) puts an end to Tony Stark's (Robert Downey Jr.) birthday party by donning the Mark II (his future War Machine suit) and challenging his troubled friend, being reckless with his Iron Man armor, to a fight. The drunken billionaire then asks his DJ to give him "a fat beat to beat [his] buddy's ass to," setting off a medley that concludes, at the quarrel's most destructive peak, with Daft Punk's "Robot Rock."

While the lead single of the duo's third studio album, Human After All, lasts only mere seconds in Iron Man 2, its explosive fusion of classic metal with dizzying electro remains one of the most memorably and humorously appropriate tracks to appear in a film whose official soundtrack was an AC/DC compilation. Of course Daft Punk were the primary musical source for another blockbuster that year.

TRON: Legacy (2010) - The Entire Soundtrack

Daft Punk had never done the score for a feature-length motion picture (at least as a collaborative effort) before first-time director Joseph Kosinski approached them with the idea of composing his 2010 sequel to Disney's TRON. The film, which currently has another follow-up in the works, sees Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund) reunite with his long-lost father, Kevin (Jeff Bridges), in the competitive world of a computer simulation he was once trapped in years earlier, which has received a major update.

Daft Punk actually looked to Wendy Carlos, composer for the original 1982 sci-fi classic, for inspiration when crafting the music for TRON: Legacy, in which the duo appear as DJs who bump on their chart-topping single "Derezzed" when a fight breaks out in a Grid night club owned by the villainous Zuse (Michael Sheen). The soundtrack received a Grammy-nomination, hit gold in record sales, and received better reviews overall than the film it originated from.

The Colbert Report (2013) - “Get Lucky”

Two Grammy Award wins and multi-platinum sales were achieved with "Get Lucky," the lead single off of Daft Punk's fourth (and final, as it would turn out) studio album Random Access Memories. The groovy and elating mega-hit, featuring Pharrell Williams, would show up in many works of media in 2013, and in years to follow, but none so uniquely and infectiously as on an episode of The Colbert Report in a now iconic moment that almost never happened.

When the duo was forced to cancel their appearance on the Comedy Central series at the last minute, Stephen Colbert and company made up for lost time by shooting a montage of the host dancing to "the song of the summer" on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, The Charlie Rose Show with the cast of Breaking Bad, in a stairwell with TRON: Legacy's Jeff Bridges, and elsewhere. The clip became an immediate viral sensation and proved that, even in their absence, Daft Punk can still strike gold and Colbert could still, indeed, get lucky.

I May Destroy You (2020) - “Something About Us”

There is not much that is groovy or elating about I May Destroy You, creator and star Michaela Coel's autobiographical account of her struggles to overcome her experience with sexual assault. However, the BBC One/HBO original drama is not without moments that gave the audience a breather, thanks in part to Daft Punk.

The group's 2001 single "Something About Us," from their breakthrough sophomore album Discovery, plays twice in the miniseries, most notably at the end of its third episode, which sees Arabella (Coel) watching the sunset on a beach with drug dealer Biagio (Marouane Zotti), who pulls out his phone to play the soft funk love ballad. This would turn out to be one of the last pleasant moments they would share. Yet, with the music of Daft Punk, a tender, endearing memory it would remain.

Wherever “One More Time” Is Heard

Speaking of endearing memories, how many from your own life can you think of that do not involve Daft Punk's celebration of the act of celebration itself? "One More Time," another track from Discovery which, arguably, made them superstars, is a dance club staple that has also become a reliable source to add a little extra excitement to some films and TV shows

The ceaselessly repeatable song was first used on the fifth season of Daria (and was the third Daft Punk song to appear on the MTV cartoon), which was followed by a 2006 episode of Veronica Mars, was one of four songs by the duo to appear in Eden (a 2014 drama about the French House music movement in 1990s), and, by then, it would become a tradition at sporting events, too. While "Get Lucky" has clearly become their more frequently used Daft Punk in pop culture by now, "One More Time" still never fails to get rise out of people.

After this week, fans around the world would be living the high life if Daft Punk would come back together at least for one more time. Yet, it seems the game has changed and the illustrious, innovative hitmakers have reached the end of the line. Until we could one day get lucky to see them reconcile, at least you can still lose yourself to dance with these hits that will remain kept alive as fragments of time throughout pop culture.

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With Tron 3 finally in development after over a decade of waiting, fans are already thinking about all of the things they want to happen in this long-awaited threequel. Unfortunately, after a recent announcement that’s shaken the internet to its core, Daft Punk returning to create the musical score is one of those things that just doesn’t look like it’s going to happen. However, the legendary music duo did break up in a spectacularly epic way that’s a perfect callback to their earlier career.

Through a snippet of footage from their 2007 movie Electroma, Daft Punk band members Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo posted a video entitled “Epilogue,” intended to signal their retirement after almost 30 years of action. Through the repurposing of the big self-destruct scene from towards the end of that film, a rather hopeful tone is hinted at the end as “Touch,” a song from the band’s last album Random Access Memories, kicks in with the surviving Punk walking into the distance. See the video for yourself, below:

It’s an epic break-up that sees Daft Punk separate on their own terms, with their own message and music being used in the process. But that unfortunately means that the film known widely as Tron: Ares will need to look for another composer or musical act to bring that next chapter to sonic life. Just when things were looking up in terms of potentially getting new Daft Punk music into the world through the auspices of Tron: Ares, news like this had to go and break everyone’s hearts. At this moment, it looks like director Garth Davis has his work cut out for him when it comes to finding a successor.

There is an upside to Tron: Ares’ soundtrack hopes, even without Daft Punk operating as a techno-fueled duo to provide a sonic sequel to their iconic work on Tron: Legacy. Composer Joseph Trapanese is just as familiar with the world of music on The Grid, as he not only collaborated with the group on their Tron: Legacy soundtrack, but Trapanese also scored the short lived Disney XD series Tron: Uprising. While it’s important to note that no one has been hired for Tron: Ares’ scoring duties, there’s already a really good prospect in the world for continuing Tron’s musical legacy.

Daft Punk fans are obviously mourning the split with fresh sorrow, and that’s to be expected. But their history in music, especially when it comes to revitalizing the Tron: Legacy, will never fade away. Hiring a new act to take their place isn’t going to be an easy feat, but as long as that decision is made with the same sort of care that saw Daft Punk become a part of Disney history, whatever comes next will be a welcomed surprise.

A decade has passed since Disney’s Tron: Legacy reintroduced the legacy of Kevin Flynn and The Grid to audiences old and new. While the final box office result has left a cinematic follow-up in limbo up until recently, the iconic soundtrack by electronica masters Daft Punk has been something that’s endured in the years since its initial release. But up until now, you’ve only gotten part of the musical story, as the standard Tron: Legacy soundtrack was the only version available to stream. Today that changes, as if you’ve been dreaming of a world you didn’t think you’d ever hear again, the complete soundtrack is now available.

In honor of Tron: Legacy’s 10th anniversary, there’s been some news that’s led to celebration by its fans. This week was no exception, as it was revealed that Spotify had a brand new listing for Tron: Legacy – The Complete Edition available for listening. It’s news that couldn’t have come at a better time, because in order to listen to the “complete” experience previously, you’d have to do some digging or flash some cash.

Earlier this year, Mondo ran a newly remastered printing of the Tron: Legacy score, with snazzy artwork and beautiful colored vinyls to complete the look. Unfortunately that run was limited, and it was sold out almost completely that very day. So not only were fans left in the lurch, but they’d have to purchase the original out of print editions of the Tron: Legacy vinyl, or look up tracks like “Sea of Simulation” or “Sunrise Prelude” on YouTube.

The reason for that latter inconvenience is the fact that songs like those were used as retailer exclusives when selling fans the Tron: Legacy soundtrack. To get “Sea of Simulation,” you had to buy the CD through Amazon; and to nab “Sunrise Prelude,” you’d have had to buy Daft Punk’s score through the Nokia Music Store. Eventually, the 2013 vinyl release would be the one ID disc to rule them all... or so we thought.

Looking back at the Mondo soundtrack release of Tron: Legacy from earlier this year, there are 29 tracks available across the two 45’s. However, Tron: Legacy – The Complete Edition has 31 tracks to its credit. So even with this sought after item in your hands, you’d still be missing out on “Father and Son” and “Outlands, Part II;” both of which aren’t listed on the Mondo edition’s track list. We’ve talked about it enough, but now prepare to gaze upon the glory that is the complete edition of Tron: Legacy’s soundtrack, provided below:

At this point, one has to wonder if Tron: Legacy’s soundtrack sales rival the money that Tron’s arcade game raked in back in 1983. Whether that answer is true or false, the impression this musical landscape has made with film fans is enough for people to want to see Daft Punk return for scoring duties on the proposed Jared Leto film, tentatively known as Tron: Ares. It’s something to definitely consider for the future of Tron, and it’s going to be even harder to deny with this music out on the internet, ruling harder than ever on many a playlist to come.

Known to modern audiences as a cult classic with a loyal fanbase, Disney’s Tron was a surprising success when you really look at the box office numbers. On a $17 million budget, the Jeff Bridges starrer made $33 million in its theatrical release domestically during the busy box office year of 1982. By those standards, you could technically call the film a hit. However there’s a wild-yet-sad fact that was noted as part of the celebration of Tron: Legacy’s 10th anniversary: Tron’s arcade game actually made more money by 1983 than the film did in the domestic market.

Fandango released a video today highlighting facts pertaining to both Tron and Tron: Legacy, as the latter film has now reached the decade milestone. Discussing all things Tron, one of the most interesting stats to come up about the performance of the 1982’s groundbreaker is the fact that $45 million in revenue was raked in by the official Tron video game. While it sounds impressive for the game, it’s a downer when compared to the movie’s healthy, but not overwhelming success total success.

Tron’s arcade game was even quicker on the draw in terms of getting its own sequel, as Discs of Tron would be released into arcades a year later in 1983. Tron: Legacy, on the other hand, once held the record for being the longest gap between a sequel and its predecessor, clocking in at 28 years. That’s got to be a ridiculous amount of cycles in The Grid, when you crunch the numbers.

Much like Tron: Legacy, Tron’s slow but steady path of decent returns prevented a sequel from being talked out in the halls of the Disney studio lot. Though, much like fellow box office bombs of 1982 Blade Runner and The Thing, director Steven Lisberger’s movie saw home video keep it in the hearts and minds of fans for the almost three decades in between. Of course, there were still tie-in projects, like comics and other video games like Tron: Killer App that branched out into the deeper mythology of what happened after Kevin Flynn came back from The Grid.

While there hasn’t been a game as iconic as the original Tron arcade cabinet, the fanbase for the film has continued to thrive on the hopes of a third film. With the new Jared Leto-fronted project gathering steam, it looks like audiences won’t have to wait another 18 years to see how the world Tron: Legacy has inspired will move forward into the future. That being said, there’s plenty of time to get a new and exciting video game underway, while waiting for those developments to pan out.

Tron and Tron: Legacy are both available on Disney+, if you’re feeling a little nostalgic and want to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Joseph Kosinski’s epic follow-up. Though if you want to play the original Tron video game, and you are near a retro arcade you feel safe enough to visit, you just might be able to return to 1982 in your own special way.

2020 can just go crawl in a hole and die. There's little argument that this hasn't been a rough year for basically everybody, but because of all the big stuff that has hit us all, every new shot hits that much harder. And now The Dude has cancer. Yesterday actor Jeff Bridges of The Big Lebowski and Tron revealed that he has been diagnosed with lymphoma. The seven-time Oscar nominee, and one-time winner, is one of those actors that basically everybody seems to love. You never hear a bad word about him, and so it's no shock that the support for him at this moment has been incredible.

From fellow performers to total strangers, from former co-stars to entire entertainment companies, many have begun to make statements regarding their public support for Jeff Bridges in his brand new fight. Jeff Bridges has been acting since the 1950s and over the decades he has amassed an incredible resume that has put him with some incredible actors. His Tron: Legacy co-star Olivia Wilde responded to the announcement with a simple statement of love.

And Olivia Wilde isn't the only person who worked with Jeff Bridges who has sent out thoughts of love for the actor. Rosie Perez starred alongside the actor in 1993's Fearless and she also responded to the actor's announcement with positive encouragement.

But of course the support for Jeff Bridges isn't coming exclusively from those he has worked with. With over 400,000 likes on the tweet, which, under the circumstances, we can assume represent "support" and over 25,000 comments, a lot of people are wishing Jeff Bridges well in what must be something of a difficult time. While the actor says his prognosis is good, there still has to be some worry in the situation, but fans and friends are assuring Bridges that he'll be able to get through this.

For many, Jeff Bridges and his character, The Dude from The Big Lebowski, are inseparable. Whether Bridges was always The Dude or simply became him is unclear, but so many fans look at the actor and see the supremely cool Dude that everybody wants to see such a person get better.

Even entire entertainment companies are wishing Jeff Bridges well. One particular corner of the Walt Disney Company, comprising FX, Touchstone Television, Hulu and FXP, the division running Bridges' upcoming Hulu series The Old Man, released the following...

You can catch a glimpse of the new series in the video below.

CinemaBlend will add its voice to the well wishes too. We certainly will be hoping for a speedy recovery for Jeff Bridges. He certainly has a lot more to give the world and we know he'll have the chance to do that.

Today, the potential for Tron 3 to get the full green light just got upgraded to "realistic." It’s all thanks to the fact that Lion and Mary Magdalene director Garth Davis has been officially tapped by Disney to bring the sequel into further stages of development. With the potential threequel having already gotten Jared Leto to commit as a star, this is a huge sign that has us excited for the potential Tron follow-up. To celebrate this announcement, here’s 5 reasons we’re absolutely delighted that this news has come to light.

Tron 3 Finally Has A Director To Shepherd It Into Development

As much talk as we've heard surrounding Tron 3’s development in recent years, it all felt like wishful thinking. Without a central filmmaker or director to help move the project along with a singular vision, what existed as merely a script and a potential star/production team wasn’t a lot to pin one’s hopes on. But now, with Garth Davis being put into the driver’s seat for those crucial stages of pre-production, it all feels legitimately real now.

Thinking about the process undertaken by Robert Rodriguez and James Cameron that allowed them to hone Alita: Battle Angel as a refined and developed pitch that could shoot months after approval, Tron 3 really only benefits from having a captain at the helm of the ship. And what’s more, with Garth Davis apparently impressing Disney with his pitch for the project without experience directing any project on a similar scale, this new hire could bring the legacy of Tron into a new era.

Jared Leto Seems To Be Confirmed For Tron 3

Along with Garth Davis’ hiring to develop Tron 3 into fighting shape, it also seems that Jared Leto is the confirmed lead in the film. What that means exactly isn't entirely clear,though when he was in early talks for the role it was rumored he would be playing a program named Ares. Whatever the case, Leto’s involvement with Tron 3, both as a star and producer, feels like another step in the right direction for the project.

It’s also a good sign that Jared Leto has stuck around with the project for so long, particularly at a time when he’s poised to potentially become a bigger player in the superhero world with his lead role in Morbius. With major commitments such as that of a potential director/star team in play, the tone for this new Tron film can start to take shape; and if Jared Leto is known for anything, for better or for worse, it's keeping things interesting.

At This Time, The Tron: Ascension Draft Looks Like It’s Still In Play For Tron 3

At the time of the announcement for Tron 3’s hiring of Garth Davis, it was mentioned that the most recent draft written by Jessie Wigutow is still the one that’s currently in circulation – the one that was initially planned as a sequel for Tron: Legacy and was developing under the title Tron: Ascension. Wigutow has been associated with this potential Tron sequel for quite some time now, specifically since at least 2012 when Tron Legacy director Joseph Kosinski was still connected to the project.

Even if the rumored Tron Ascension draft that was supposed to start filming in 2015 isn’t totally intact, its basic architecture could still be intact and used as the story for Garth Davis' Tron 3. This means that we might get the war between the human world and The Grid after all. The downside, however, is that since it’s been reported that Disney scrapped the chances of a direct sequel, we might not be seeing this happen with most of, if not any, of the leads from Tron: Legacy, a.k.a. Garrett Hedlund and Olivia Wilde.

Disney’s Finally Taking A New Tron Sequel Seriously

The fact that Disney is even spending the time hiring Garth Davis to develop Tron 3 is a decision that says a lot about how they feel about that project at this moment. The interest doesn't seem to be making a direct follow-up to Tron: Legacy, but it's exciting that the property itself is something that the studio is fond of revamping. Even engaging in these early stages of development shows that Tron 3 is something that Disney sees as potentially viable, much like their twin development branches on a Johnny Depp-less Pirates of the Caribbean.

The Tron brand is something that’s lodged itself into the minds of fans for decades, which means that while the approach may change from time to time, the property is still a valued piece of Disney history. Right now, putting a director, a star, and a script into development all mean that it looks like the hibernation the brand has seen itself in for almost a decade could be coming to an end.

The Studio’s Hopes For Tron 3 Could Lead To Bigger Things

Should Tron 3 get off the ground and be successful, it could me a lot for the future of the property. For example, Disney could revisit the possibility of a direct sequel to Tron Legacy should the fans flock to this new installment, and perhaps also start generating spin-off media like video games, comics, and TV series. It could even mean positive potential futures for other brands that currently aren't being given the love they may deserve.

If Disney is getting serious about a franchise like Tron, there just might be a chance that the powers that be could find themselves pondering over the Alita: Battle Angel sequel that’s been in question since that film released to the public in 2019. Surely if Disney can have two different Pirates of the Caribbean movies in play at once, Tron 3 and Alita: Fallen Angel could hypothetically co-exist for fans of both worlds to rejoice in.

It’s all speculative at this point, as Tron 3 does not have a solid greenlight from Disney at this point. There’s a chance that the project could find itself never leaving development hell, waiting for the next brave talent to tackle the project in their own impressive way. For now, though, we’ll just have to wait and see. If you’re curious to revisit the glory days of the franchise, Tron and Tron Legacy are currently available to stream on Disney+.

At the end of the day, the entertainment industry is a business, and that means that the success of films is judged ultimately not by critical acclaim or awards, but by box office success. At the box office, a movie is a hit or a bomb, or someplace in between. However, sometimes films don't find their real success until much later. A movie that people didn't see in theaters is discovered on cable television or home video, and suddenly a movie that nobody saw is now a movie that everybody has seen and loves. We tend to call these movies cult classics.

But then sometimes the cult classic label isn't quite enough. The Princess Bride isn't really a cult classic anymore, it's just a classic. It's an incredibly popular movie with nearly everybody, even though it underperformed on its initial release. Sometimes, movies can become so well regarded later in their life that studios decide to try to revitalize the franchise by giving that movie a sequel. After all, the original film is so popular now that there must be millions of people who would love to see another one, right?

Not always. Sometimes we discover that even though a particular movie might be seen today as a great film, that doesn't mean that anybody is looking for another one. Here are the times that studios tried to build a franchise with a sequel that did about as well as the first movie.

Blade Runner 2049

Blade Runner is widely considered today to be one of the great science fiction movies ever made (we put the movie at number four on our Top 30 of All-Time list a few years ago). But at the time, the film certainly wasn't viewed that way. More cerebral science fiction certainly has its audience, but it's often viewed as less important for the big screen theatrical experience than the action-focused sci-fi.

Still, for a movie that asks so many questions about the nature of life, a sequel that might provide answers, or at least a new crop of questions, seemed like something that might work out. And with the director of Arrival on board, both fans of classic Blade Runner and modern thought-provoking science fiction would seem to be in for a treat with Blade Runner 2049. But nobody ran out to see this sequel. While incredibly well-reviewed, and an Oscar winner, when adjusted for inflation, the sequel did about as well as the original at the box office.

Doctor Sleep

What the original Blade Runner is for science fiction, The Shining is for horror. Any list of great horror movies that don't include the Stanley Kubrick film is of dubious merit, or at the very least in need of significant explanation (for the record, we called it the best horror movie of all-time). At the time of release, The Shining wasn't necessarily a flop, but it certainly wasn't viewed in the terms it is today.

But today, both the original book and movie are so well regarded that making an adaption of Doctor Sleep, Stephen King's book sequel, seemed like an obvious choice. The film version of Doctor Sleep is as much a sequel to the Kubrick film as it is King's novel, and even King, who famously doesn't love Kubrick's movie, thought the sequel was great. People are only now discovering how good Doctor Sleep is at home, after most of them failed to make it a hit in the theaters.

Tron: Legacy

Tron is well known for its groundbreaking digital effects and the unique visuals that came with the film in the early 1980s, but the actual story didn't work for many and Tron had a lukewarm box office experience. It's likely because of those special effects that Tron was a movie that seemed to be a survivor; always remembered, and eventually, remembered well.

The growing popularity led to the property actually getting a sequel in 2010. Tron: Legacy wasn't a flop. It actually did reasonably well at the box office, and talk of a Tron 3 was happening at one point, and still is actually. But if Legacy had actually been the sort of hit Disney was looking for, the follow-up never would have been canceled.

Fantasia 2000

The original Fantasia was a passion project for Walt Disney, but like most passion projects, it was a little outside the mainstream. The combination of classical music and animation was what Walt believed would finally help animation be seen as a true art form, and it was, but not in its day. The movie was a financial failure, though at least part of that, it must be said, had to do with international markets being closed to the film due to war.

Decades later, Walt's nephew, Roy E. Disney, now the head of Walt Disney Animation Studios, decided it was time to revive Walt's concept, and using the profits from the company's new "home video" division, he spearheaded Fantasia 2000. While history looked kindly on the original by the new millennium, that didn't mean people were crowding theaters to see the new version. Even showcasing the budding technology of IMAX, or perhaps because of it, the concept died once again. Then-Disney CEO Michael Eisner is said to have called the film "Roy's Folly."

The conventional wisdom is that people are more likely to go and see movies that they are already familiar with. It's the mentality that leads to almost every new movie being a potential franchise, but all these examples show that familiarity clearly isn't enough. Even when we're talking about a movie with a connection to a title that is generally associated with quality, success is far from guaranteed.

In fact, it's quite the opposite. It seems that in these cases, there's a reason that the original movies didn't meet with initial success, a reason which followed on to the sequel as well. Some of these sequels seem to be well on their way to becoming "cult classics" themselves, or perhaps even something more, but even if the whole world eventually agrees that Doctor Sleep is one of the greatest movies of this century, I'm not sure anybody should plan to make another one, just to be safe.

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For a concept that seems to have been brought up at several points in the past decade, only to fall back into the Disney Vault every single time, a Tron Legacy sequel looks to be gathering steam yet again in Hollywood. Maybe this is the moment where Disney brings back the world of the Flynn family dynasty for the long rumored threequel, providing a chance to finally close out one of the many would-be trilogies fans have yet to see brought to completion. Playing on the assumption that Tron 3 is going to finally happen this time out, it’s time to consider the points that Disney should keep in mind before greenlighting the project into reality.

Tron: Ascension’s Script Is Sitting Right There, Waiting To Be Used

While Tron 3 is moving forward without any new writers being mentioned in connection, there’s still a question of whether or not the script previously known as Tron: Ascension is still in play. With Tron: Legacy director Joseph Kosinski talking up the potential story of that script, involving a gigantic all-out war between our world and the world of The Grid, it sounds like there’s already a proper conclusion that would close out the loose threads of this particular saga. So whether or not new writers are brought onto the project, or if the last known rewrites from scribe Jesse Wigutow, based on a previous script from writer Dave DiGilio are still in the cards, the ideas from Tron: Ascension should be used to lead the way. It’s just one of the many components that could help Tron 3 bring the entire franchise to a fitting end.

If Possible, Bring Back As Many Cast Members From Tron: Legacy As Possible

The doubt that’s clouded the potential for Tron 3 to be brought into the world has led to various cast members who have been in Tron and/or Tron: Legacy wavering in their intent to return for a go picture. Reactions ranging from Olivia Wilde’s humorous reflection that she won’t have to “live off of seaweed juice and tofu dust” to participate, to Bruce Boxleitner’s loss of faith in the project ever happening have been peppered through this decade of waiting for Tron 3 to turn on the lights at Flynn’s Arcade. While there’s always hope that both Wilde and Boxleitner, as well as Tron: Legacy star Garrett Hedlund, may find their way back to the world of The Grid, at the very least, Disney should try its hardest to get this winning team back on the field.

At The Very Least, Bring Back The Dillingers To Tie Up Their Tron Arc

One of the most promising, but still vastly untapped threads that Tron: Legacy brought to the table was that of the Dillinger family, more specifically their story in the aftermath of David Warner’s Edward Dillinger Sr’s arrest at the end of Tron. While most fans only know of the inclusion of Edward Dillinger Jr. (Cillian Murphy) as the thread that Tron: Legacy was dangling in front of its fans, there’s more to the story in the special features for the film’s home video release. Father and son are planning to square off against the Flynn dynasty at ENCOM, and if there’s one thread that needs to be tied up above all others in Tron 3, it’s this one.

Speaking Of Loose Threads, Dr. Lora Baines-Bradley Should Come Back To Tron As Well

Save for her appearance at 2010’s WonderCon “press conference” as part of Tron Legacy’s ARG campaign, we haven’t seen Cindy Morgan’s Dr. Lora Baines-Bradley return to the cinematic universe of Tron. Should Bruce Boxleitner really not want to come back, or should he only return in his digital form as Tron, there’s a major case to be made for Morgan’s return in Tron 3. As Alan and Lora have been a part of the Tron universe since their first adventure with Jeff Bridges’ Kevin Flynn, and Tron wasn’t featured all that much in Tron: Legacy, Dr. Baines-Bradley’s return could be the answer to the potential of an Alan-less sequel.