Disney is moving forward with Tron 3 starring Jared Leto at long last with Pirates of the Caribbean 5's director joining the project. Disney relaunched the Tron franchise in 2010 with Tron: Legacy starring Garrett Hedlund, Olivia Wilde, and Jeff Bridges. The movie proved to be a decently sized hit, earning $400 million worldwide. However, the studio has struggled for years to get a sequel off the ground. Original director Joseph Kosinski had plans to make Tron: Ascension, but they never transpired. Jared Leto then joined the effort to make Tron 3 in 2017, which was at that point described as a reboot for the franchise, but also stalled through development.
Now, Disney is finally moving forward with Tron 3 plans, as Deadline reports Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales director Joachim Rønning is in talks to helm the next installment, which is titled Tron: Ares and has Leto attached as the lead. According to the report, Tron: Ares is considered by Disney to be a sequel to Tron: Legacy instead of a franchise reboot. The movie is currently assembling a crew with a plan for production to begin in August 2023 based on a script by Jesse Wigutow. Tron 3 marks the latest collaboration between Disney and Rønning, who also directed Maleficent: Mistress of Evil and has Young Woman and the Sea on deck for the studio.
Why Tron 3 Has Taken So Long To Happen
Disney has been trying to make Tron 3 happen since before Tron: Legacy even debuted in theaters. Writers were originally hired in April 2010, eight months before the franchise restarter debuted. Tron 3 cycled through several writers from this point on as Joseph Kosinski attempted to get the sequel moving. At one point, Garrett Hedlund and Olivia Wilde were slated to return with Kosinski directing and a 2015 start to production planned. However, Disney then canceled Tron: Ascension in May 2015 before filming could begin, even though talks were also underway at this time for Jared Leto to play an undisclosed role. That led to the reports in 2017 that Jared Leto was attached to a Tron reboot.
The reason that Tron 3 has taken so long to happen is due to Disney and the creatives behind the franchise failing to come to an agreement on what was best for the franchise's future. This can be seen with how Tron: Ares has moved through development, as Rønning is the second director attached (after Garth Davis) and the new positioning of the film as a Tron: Legacy sequel instead of a reboot. Disney is at fault for some of the delays, as Hedlund mentioned that Tomorrowland's box office bombing led to Tron 3's cancelation, while Kosinski puts some of the blame on the rise of Marvel and Star Wars shifting Disney's focus.
Will Any Tron: Legacy Characters Return For Tron 3?
Now that Tron 3 is moving forward and will be a continuation of some sort to Tron: Legacy, there is a possibility that the franchise's most recent stars could return. Garrett Hedlund and Olivia Wilde were both open to returning as Sam Flynn and Quorra, respectively, in the past. If Tron 3 builds on the Tron: The Next Day short film in any way, then seeing Hedlund and Wilde's characters again could happen. Of course, Jeff Bridges will not come back as Kevin Flynn. If any other Tron: Legacy characters do return for Tron 3, those announcements could come later this year - hopefully along with news that Daft Punk will provide the score again.
Source: Deadline