Tron is a film franchise that seems destined to keep the title of cult classic. The nearly 30-year-old original film was a moderate success, but it built up enough of a fan base over the years as more and more people finally saw it that it actually did spawn an eventual sequel in Tron: Legacy, that debuted 10 years ago. That movie did well enough at the box office that a sequel was greenlit, but then it was axed by Disney before filming began. This has made the odds of a third film in the franchise a long shot to say the least, but Tron: Legacy director Joseph Kosinski says such a thing is always possible.
While there might be a feeling that Disney just isn't interested in making another Tron movie, Joseph Kosinski tells ComicBook.com that's not entirely true. In fact, there seems to be a lot of love within Disney for Tron, as can be witnessed by the fact that Disney Parks are seeing Tron themed attractions. He thinks that, when the time is right, a new chapter in the Tron story is quite possible. According to the director...
There's always been an interest since Legacy [for a sequel]. There's always been talk and murmuring of doing another and continuing the story. I was in China a few years ago and saw them building the TRON ride in Shanghai, which, apparently, is pretty amazing, I would love to experience that at some point. I think it's still a nice jewel in the crown of Disney IP and I think there are fans and people petitioning and pushing to continue it inside the halls of Disney. So I think it could happen. Like anything, it just needs the right confluence of ... it's all about timing and the right elements and everything's got to come together for a movie to happen. I think it's possible and I think it's worthy of it. I think there's enough ideas in the franchise, and the fact that it is so unique and nothing else looks or sounds like it, that TRON story. There is, I think, a future for the franchise and I hope they keep making them.
Tron: Legacy made $400 million around the world when it was released a decade ago, which is exactly the sort of business that one would expect would result in a sequel. In fact, a third film was in pre-production five years ago, but following the box office disappointment of Tomorrowland, the project was cancelled.
Since then, there have been occasional rumblings of other Tron projects, including a film that would have starred Jared Leto, but not been a direct sequel to Legacy, and apparently there was even consideration of making a Tron series for Disney+, but all those ideas have collapsed before anything came of them.
And Joseph Kosinski's point is a valid one. Disney built a Tron themed roller coaster at Shanghai Disneyland only a few years ago, and an identical version of the attraction is being built at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom right now (well, not right now) so clearly Disney doesn't have an issue with Tron as an IP, the company does see value in it.
And if Tron can get a sequel decades later that can still make $400 million, surely, the same thing can still happen to Tron: Legacy. Maybe we will get that third movie at some point down the road. See you on the grid.
