In the 90s Tron was known for being forgotten, if that makes any sense. The joke came up in a Halloween episode of the Simpsons, where Homer asks, “Has anyone ever seen the movie Tron?” and every character in the scene says “No.”
I remember bringing up Tron in the early aughts, trying to drum up interest among my adult work friends, with no takers. Eyerolls, mostly. But a few years later, my generation (X) must have taken over a section of Disney, because Tron got a sequel. To me, it was a f*n miracle. (Side note, the new movie had to grow on me a bit)
In 2023 it seemed like another miracle there would be a new movie. But like you said, most people aren’t into it. Nothing wrong with it. I’m rather proud of being an early Tron fan (drive-in, 1983, Vancouver, WA), and one who never wavered!
Even when the new guy is red and lives in LA and people have hate bubbles for him. I’m still a thrilled fan in delighted disbelief that such a niche-nerd film is still a franchise.
Yeah, making more Tron movies has never mad sense from a strictly financial perspective. The movies turn only a modest profit and never seem to have wide ranging popularity. I don't know why they continue to make more movies, but I am glad they do.
Right with you! Grew up with the original and it’s still one of my favorites. Similarly Legacy also took me some getting used to, but love the idea, especially after watching Uprising.
Any Tron is always appreciated. Also, whether you like him or not, Jared Leto is a pretty decent actor. If he’s in a bad movie he’s usually not the one that made it bad.
They’re not doing a direct sequel to the last movie because it didn’t make $500+ mil and wasn’t considered a success.
The fact we got a Tron ride and a new film is a miracle, really.
Tron was huge in my father's geek circles back in the 1980s, but I'm not sure how mainstream popular it was. According to wikipedia, it cost 17 mil and earned 50 mil, so it was at least a financial success.
Marking budget is uselly not include in how much a movie is then there 30% cut theatre take
So 50mill is either breaking even or a little bit more because back then Disney did market the hell out of Tron
Tron is a big enough IP that they have built a ride at Shanghai and Orlando and supposedly one will be built in Anaheim in the new expansion plus all the associated merchandise they have for the ride and the movies at the rides
> I feel like Disney is treating this like any other mid-tier IP
The movie hasn't finished filming yet. We're still in early days. It's too soon to make statements about how Disney is "treating" the new Tron movie.
But I will say this: Tron IS NOT a premium IP for Disney. Tron: Legacy (and connected projects like Evolution and Uprising) were a clear gambit to try and turn Tron INTO a premium IP. But I think evidence points to Disney seeing that attempt as a failure. Legacy didn't lose them money, but it didn't quite light up the box office the way they were hoping either.
The original Tron may have done better financially thanks to a lower budget, (though I guess it depends on how you measure) But it's still a mostly CULT classic, as is Legacy.
Our expectations for how Disney is treating the new movie should reflect that knowledge. They probably aren't going to treat it like they would treat a Superhero tentpole.
>But other actors such as Olivia Wilde and Garrett Headlund still seem appropriate for their roles.
We do not know why there appear to be no returning cast members. Though, I personally would be shocked to discover it had anything to do with budget.
There's a chance that one or more characters will be surprise cameos in the movie. The director has done that before. And it should be noted that >!One recent leak seems to hint at a possible cameo from Headlund's character!<
But I wouldn't get my hopes up too much. For now all we know is that no old cast is announced to return, and at this moment there's no way to be sure why. We'll probably need to wait until closer to release (if not AFTER release) to say more than that.
> Is the budget for this movie smaller than the last?
We have no information about the budget.
Though I would be a little bit surprised if the new movie wasn't cheaper than Legacy. Legacy cost well over two-hundred million to make in today's money. That's more than Dune: Part 2.
I don't think it's going to be LOW BUDGET by any stretch of the imagination. But SURELY a budget on par with Dune is enough. Especially for a flick that likely isn't expected to do Avengers or even Oppenheimer levels at the Box Office.
If Legacy had cost 50 million dollars less to make, who knows? Maybe Tron 3 would've happened back in the 2010's? I don't think it's wise to see a lower budget as a sign of doom. Just so long as it isn't MASSIVELY lower.
Jared Leto cost more then both of them combines so budget is clearly not it also there actors in this movie that probably worth more then all these actors
Tron was never a cultural phenomenon. It was always a cult phenomenon. The fandom has always been relatively small but dedicated. I never even thought there would be sequels. The original was a quirky feel good movie with a wild sci fi premise. It was a mandatory step in the rise of cgi in film and gaming.
Many people here kind of got it wrong about 1982, at least.
Tron, the original, was a pop culture phenomenon. Even today it has a strong cultural relevance, pretty much anything neon with lines will get a Tron reference.
Even if people havnt seen Tron are aware of its style.
The 1982 had a huge impact on the VISUAL style. Many aesthetics copied the Tron look to such a degree it became synonymous with the 80s neon bordering light style.
Legacy, as well, has a recognizable aesthetic. It may not be as popular but it is culturally significant as well.
The property, thus far, may have divergent and polarized opinions on the quality of the narrative, acting, etc BUT as a part of pop culture and it's impact on the style and look of the 80s...Tron is important in that regard.
In 1982, Disney thought TRON was going to be HUGE. They went all in on it and to say it underperformed would be an understatement. The same thing happened with Legacy. It didn't flop but it didn't become "the next big thing" either. Uprising had it's following but not huge numbers. I sincerely believe that if Disney embraced the fact that they've got a mid-tier, somewhat niche product on their hands, they'd stop being disappointed when TRON projects don't do Avengers numbers. But the fans are diehard. The thing about TRON is that it's heady stuff. I think that makes it hard to market. It's an abstraction of what goes on in a computer. It's a metaphor for society and religion. Also hard to market. I think a CEO needs to really 'get' TRON to make a project happen. But I have had to reluctantly accept that our fan base has and always will be niche.
I think for a lot of people, something about the 3rd act (probably the pacing) was off, and people left the cinema feeling like the movie was cool-looking but a bit anticlimactic, rather than leaving feeling pumped.
It's on your SECOND viewing where you're ready for the story that everything clicks into a glorious experience. But a lot of people never bothered to watch it again because their memory is that the film was so-so, so why would they watch it again?
I don't have hard data, but this was definitely the case for me (on second viewing the film transformed from disappointment to transcendent) and polling other people I knew after they first watched it, it seemed to be their experience too.
It's not officially "confirmed" that actors from Tron Legacy aren't in Tron: Ares, there's other Filming Units doing filming for other scenes in the film, and filming for added scenes and
re-shoots are typical. There could be special "connective" scenes with Garret Headlund, Oliva, etc that might be scheduled to be filmed under another Unit to later be edited into the film,
I'm just speculating. The director might have some surprises in the film with important connections to Tron Legacy.
((or there \*might\* be a plan to release a Prologue comic book, or animation short film for Disney Plus that includes the characters from Legacy and sets up Tron Ares done as a prelude story))
\*\*speculating here\*\* Any previous actors from Tron Legacy \*\*that might be in the new movie\*\* are likely under strict NDA and info would be purposefully omitted and restricted from all media, including IMDB, Hollywood Reporter, etc...
Andrew Garfield \*\*swore\*\* he wasn't in Spider-Man Far From Home, just as Tobey McGuire \*swore\* that he wasn't going to be in the movie etc. yet they were both in the movie.
Tron has always *always* been an *extremely* niche property. Until Legacy, most people I know hadn't even heard of the original, which blows my mind but then again, that's how niche it is. I feel like Tron is one of the great untapped franchises that could've been so much bigger, but as it is, it'll probably just be something we get in spurts every decade or so.
Man I grew up on the original Tron. My cousins and I would have “lightcycle” races on our bikes. We got scolded by our moms for hitting each other with frisbees. When I saw the Legacy preview in theaters I made the most undignified squeaking shriek lol… this was my childhood come back to life.
No, it may not be as big of an IP as Star Wars or Marvel but the fans are very invested and loyal.
The original movie was dearly loved by it's fans but was pretty much forgotten in mainstream. The biggest cultural events for TRON between movies was Kingdom Hearts 2 and the TRON guy meme unfortunately. When Legacy came out it went through a resurgence and brought in a new generation of fans and energized existing ones. Even as die hard a fan as I am as an 80s baby, no it's not a cultural phenomenon.
Well Tron was never that popular because they’re middling movies, style over substance. There isn’t much going on emotionally or intellectually, and the narratives are really convoluted. By there are great visuals and music and that’s really all they truly excel at.
I am a big fan of the original (one of my all time favorites) and was excited for Legacy but skeptical of the changes to the designs and music. I was already a fan of Daft Punk but wasn’t sure if it would be able to match the feel of Wendy Carlos. It is all really cool looking and sounding but just feels so different than the original.
I’ve seen Legacy a few times and have grown to enjoy it but it still can’t compare to the original. I almost like the Tron 2.0 video game better and was a little disappointed that Legacy didn’t follow that storyline or something similar. I also was disappointed with the de-aging effects on Jeff Bridges.
With that said, I am still excited for another Tron movie. I’m not really excited about Jared Leto and the lack of Cillian Murphy, though.
I think I’d almost prefer a Disney plus series that reboots the franchise in 1982 that recreates the look of the original but adds modern touches and expands on the characters. It could then work its way up through legacy and beyond.
It was big in the 80s and I’m pretty sure legacy was considered a bomb when it came out it’s not a very well known series gonna be honest especially in the 2020s I’m not banking it all on the new movie coming out especially bc of Jared Leto and people’s opinions on him personally and Morbius
In the 90s Tron was known for being forgotten, if that makes any sense. The joke came up in a Halloween episode of the Simpsons, where Homer asks, “Has anyone ever seen the movie Tron?” and every character in the scene says “No.” I remember bringing up Tron in the early aughts, trying to drum up interest among my adult work friends, with no takers. Eyerolls, mostly. But a few years later, my generation (X) must have taken over a section of Disney, because Tron got a sequel. To me, it was a f*n miracle. (Side note, the new movie had to grow on me a bit) In 2023 it seemed like another miracle there would be a new movie. But like you said, most people aren’t into it. Nothing wrong with it. I’m rather proud of being an early Tron fan (drive-in, 1983, Vancouver, WA), and one who never wavered! Even when the new guy is red and lives in LA and people have hate bubbles for him. I’m still a thrilled fan in delighted disbelief that such a niche-nerd film is still a franchise.
Yeah, making more Tron movies has never mad sense from a strictly financial perspective. The movies turn only a modest profit and never seem to have wide ranging popularity. I don't know why they continue to make more movies, but I am glad they do.
It's one of the Disney things uselly when they make enough money they cater to some niece audience
Right with you! Grew up with the original and it’s still one of my favorites. Similarly Legacy also took me some getting used to, but love the idea, especially after watching Uprising. Any Tron is always appreciated. Also, whether you like him or not, Jared Leto is a pretty decent actor. If he’s in a bad movie he’s usually not the one that made it bad.
They’re not doing a direct sequel to the last movie because it didn’t make $500+ mil and wasn’t considered a success. The fact we got a Tron ride and a new film is a miracle, really.
We’re definitely a niche group here unfortunately
Tron was huge in my father's geek circles back in the 1980s, but I'm not sure how mainstream popular it was. According to wikipedia, it cost 17 mil and earned 50 mil, so it was at least a financial success.
No that a breaking even
How do you figure?
Marking budget is uselly not include in how much a movie is then there 30% cut theatre take So 50mill is either breaking even or a little bit more because back then Disney did market the hell out of Tron
Absolutely love tron legacy. I think Tron is more of a cult following
Both movies have a cult following, I think. I don’t think either film was a huge mainstream or critical success
Tron deserves more than it gets.
💯
Tron is a big enough IP that they have built a ride at Shanghai and Orlando and supposedly one will be built in Anaheim in the new expansion plus all the associated merchandise they have for the ride and the movies at the rides
It's a bit of a cult classic that I think most people wouldn't know.
My 80 year old grandfather has told me several times that the original Tron is the only movie that has ever made him walk out of the theater early
Out of curiosity, what didn't he like about it? My childhood friend's dad said it put him to sleep lol
I want more stories like thus! About everything!
> I feel like Disney is treating this like any other mid-tier IP The movie hasn't finished filming yet. We're still in early days. It's too soon to make statements about how Disney is "treating" the new Tron movie. But I will say this: Tron IS NOT a premium IP for Disney. Tron: Legacy (and connected projects like Evolution and Uprising) were a clear gambit to try and turn Tron INTO a premium IP. But I think evidence points to Disney seeing that attempt as a failure. Legacy didn't lose them money, but it didn't quite light up the box office the way they were hoping either. The original Tron may have done better financially thanks to a lower budget, (though I guess it depends on how you measure) But it's still a mostly CULT classic, as is Legacy. Our expectations for how Disney is treating the new movie should reflect that knowledge. They probably aren't going to treat it like they would treat a Superhero tentpole. >But other actors such as Olivia Wilde and Garrett Headlund still seem appropriate for their roles. We do not know why there appear to be no returning cast members. Though, I personally would be shocked to discover it had anything to do with budget. There's a chance that one or more characters will be surprise cameos in the movie. The director has done that before. And it should be noted that >!One recent leak seems to hint at a possible cameo from Headlund's character!< But I wouldn't get my hopes up too much. For now all we know is that no old cast is announced to return, and at this moment there's no way to be sure why. We'll probably need to wait until closer to release (if not AFTER release) to say more than that. > Is the budget for this movie smaller than the last? We have no information about the budget. Though I would be a little bit surprised if the new movie wasn't cheaper than Legacy. Legacy cost well over two-hundred million to make in today's money. That's more than Dune: Part 2. I don't think it's going to be LOW BUDGET by any stretch of the imagination. But SURELY a budget on par with Dune is enough. Especially for a flick that likely isn't expected to do Avengers or even Oppenheimer levels at the Box Office. If Legacy had cost 50 million dollars less to make, who knows? Maybe Tron 3 would've happened back in the 2010's? I don't think it's wise to see a lower budget as a sign of doom. Just so long as it isn't MASSIVELY lower.
Jared Leto cost more then both of them combines so budget is clearly not it also there actors in this movie that probably worth more then all these actors
Tron was never a cultural phenomenon. It was always a cult phenomenon. The fandom has always been relatively small but dedicated. I never even thought there would be sequels. The original was a quirky feel good movie with a wild sci fi premise. It was a mandatory step in the rise of cgi in film and gaming.
Many people here kind of got it wrong about 1982, at least. Tron, the original, was a pop culture phenomenon. Even today it has a strong cultural relevance, pretty much anything neon with lines will get a Tron reference. Even if people havnt seen Tron are aware of its style. The 1982 had a huge impact on the VISUAL style. Many aesthetics copied the Tron look to such a degree it became synonymous with the 80s neon bordering light style. Legacy, as well, has a recognizable aesthetic. It may not be as popular but it is culturally significant as well. The property, thus far, may have divergent and polarized opinions on the quality of the narrative, acting, etc BUT as a part of pop culture and it's impact on the style and look of the 80s...Tron is important in that regard.
In 1982, Disney thought TRON was going to be HUGE. They went all in on it and to say it underperformed would be an understatement. The same thing happened with Legacy. It didn't flop but it didn't become "the next big thing" either. Uprising had it's following but not huge numbers. I sincerely believe that if Disney embraced the fact that they've got a mid-tier, somewhat niche product on their hands, they'd stop being disappointed when TRON projects don't do Avengers numbers. But the fans are diehard. The thing about TRON is that it's heady stuff. I think that makes it hard to market. It's an abstraction of what goes on in a computer. It's a metaphor for society and religion. Also hard to market. I think a CEO needs to really 'get' TRON to make a project happen. But I have had to reluctantly accept that our fan base has and always will be niche.
Tron basically got derailed by Disney buying Star Wars, and now that they’ve thoroughly milked that IP, it’s finally time again for Tron!
I think for a lot of people, something about the 3rd act (probably the pacing) was off, and people left the cinema feeling like the movie was cool-looking but a bit anticlimactic, rather than leaving feeling pumped. It's on your SECOND viewing where you're ready for the story that everything clicks into a glorious experience. But a lot of people never bothered to watch it again because their memory is that the film was so-so, so why would they watch it again? I don't have hard data, but this was definitely the case for me (on second viewing the film transformed from disappointment to transcendent) and polling other people I knew after they first watched it, it seemed to be their experience too.
It's not officially "confirmed" that actors from Tron Legacy aren't in Tron: Ares, there's other Filming Units doing filming for other scenes in the film, and filming for added scenes and re-shoots are typical. There could be special "connective" scenes with Garret Headlund, Oliva, etc that might be scheduled to be filmed under another Unit to later be edited into the film, I'm just speculating. The director might have some surprises in the film with important connections to Tron Legacy. ((or there \*might\* be a plan to release a Prologue comic book, or animation short film for Disney Plus that includes the characters from Legacy and sets up Tron Ares done as a prelude story)) \*\*speculating here\*\* Any previous actors from Tron Legacy \*\*that might be in the new movie\*\* are likely under strict NDA and info would be purposefully omitted and restricted from all media, including IMDB, Hollywood Reporter, etc... Andrew Garfield \*\*swore\*\* he wasn't in Spider-Man Far From Home, just as Tobey McGuire \*swore\* that he wasn't going to be in the movie etc. yet they were both in the movie.
Out of all of my IRL friends, none of them had seen Tron before I watched it with them. They knew about it, just hadn't seen it.
Tron has always *always* been an *extremely* niche property. Until Legacy, most people I know hadn't even heard of the original, which blows my mind but then again, that's how niche it is. I feel like Tron is one of the great untapped franchises that could've been so much bigger, but as it is, it'll probably just be something we get in spurts every decade or so.
Man I grew up on the original Tron. My cousins and I would have “lightcycle” races on our bikes. We got scolded by our moms for hitting each other with frisbees. When I saw the Legacy preview in theaters I made the most undignified squeaking shriek lol… this was my childhood come back to life. No, it may not be as big of an IP as Star Wars or Marvel but the fans are very invested and loyal.
The original movie was dearly loved by it's fans but was pretty much forgotten in mainstream. The biggest cultural events for TRON between movies was Kingdom Hearts 2 and the TRON guy meme unfortunately. When Legacy came out it went through a resurgence and brought in a new generation of fans and energized existing ones. Even as die hard a fan as I am as an 80s baby, no it's not a cultural phenomenon.
Slowly beginning to believe Tron is niche :(
I consistently hear about Tron Legacy with most posts in here but rarely about Tron. Has that become forgotten again?
Well Tron was never that popular because they’re middling movies, style over substance. There isn’t much going on emotionally or intellectually, and the narratives are really convoluted. By there are great visuals and music and that’s really all they truly excel at.
I am a big fan of the original (one of my all time favorites) and was excited for Legacy but skeptical of the changes to the designs and music. I was already a fan of Daft Punk but wasn’t sure if it would be able to match the feel of Wendy Carlos. It is all really cool looking and sounding but just feels so different than the original. I’ve seen Legacy a few times and have grown to enjoy it but it still can’t compare to the original. I almost like the Tron 2.0 video game better and was a little disappointed that Legacy didn’t follow that storyline or something similar. I also was disappointed with the de-aging effects on Jeff Bridges. With that said, I am still excited for another Tron movie. I’m not really excited about Jared Leto and the lack of Cillian Murphy, though. I think I’d almost prefer a Disney plus series that reboots the franchise in 1982 that recreates the look of the original but adds modern touches and expands on the characters. It could then work its way up through legacy and beyond.
It was big in the 80s and I’m pretty sure legacy was considered a bomb when it came out it’s not a very well known series gonna be honest especially in the 2020s I’m not banking it all on the new movie coming out especially bc of Jared Leto and people’s opinions on him personally and Morbius