(upbeat music)
- [Narrator] In 2010, "Tron: Legacy"
became the first sequel to be released
more than 20 years after its predecessor
as Jeff Bridges had to wait 28 years
to return to The Grid.
A rash of franchises were dusted off from 2015 onward,
with "Mad Max: Fury Road"
releasing 29 years after "Beyond Thunderdome,"
"Blade Runner 2049" dropping 35 years
after "Blade Runner," "Mary Poppins Returns"
landing 54 years after "Mary Poppins" in 2018,
and "Doctor Sleep" coming 39 years
after "The Shining" in 2019.
But, unlike the aforementioned films,
Tron's cult following of self-described
users has also been a little more niche,
which is why it's taken more than a decade
to receive any substantial news
on a third "Tron" film.
The fact that "Tron" had the longest-sequel gap
is appropriate for Tron's unique space in fandom,
it's a franchise that's always ahead
of the technological curve
and it always understands the power of nostalgia
when it comes to blockbuster film making.
- Hey, who's that guy?
- That's Tron, he fights for the users.
- [Narrator] Even so, "Tron" is always fighting
to be taken seriously.
- Did anyone see the movie Tron?
- No.
- [Narrator] While the franchise
is always going through fits and starts,
there does appear to be a flicker
on The Grid in 2020 with news of Jared Leto
confirming a third "Tron" movie
to be directed by Garth Davis.
So on the 10 year anniversary of "Tron: Legacy"
join us as we look back at the complete franchise
from its start as one of the earliest CGI-heavy films
through new reports on the third film.
Who knows, by the end of this video
you might be looking up
how to make your own Tron costume.
They're actually really cool.
"Tron" came from the mind
of writer-director and animator, Steven Lisberger.
Lisberger's first film,
"Animalympics," was a two-part
animated TV special commissioned by NBC
to spoof the Winter and Summer Olympics
as promo for the actual 1980 Moscow Olympics.
However, the US ended up boycotting
the Summer Olympics that year
after Russia invaded Afghanistan
and the Summer special never aired as intended.
The combined movie did, however, receive
a small theatrical release.
"Animalympics" is noteworthy
because many involved went on
to make major films for Disney.
For example, Art Director Roger Allers
becoming co-director of "The Lion King,"
animator Brad Bird went on to make
"The Incredibles 1 and 2,"
but it was Lisberger who first landed
at the mouse house after "Animalympics," with "Tron."
Though Lisberger initially conceived of Tron
as an animated film,
Disney green-lit the project
based on a test reel done by Lisberger
that combined live-action with computer animation.
The concept of virtual reality as a film's setting,
thus combining live-action with CGI,
was novel at the time,
offering a glimpse into the future
of wholly computer animated cinematic worlds.
But because 50 minutes of the film's runtime
consisted of backlit animation on a sound stage,
"Tron" ultimately only consisted
of 16 total minutes of actual CGI.
Still, many of Disney's own 2D animators
refused to work on "Tron"
for fear that computer animation
was a threat to their jobs.
So the computer-generated look of "Tron"
actually came from outside Disney,
utilizing "Alien" and "Blade Runner"
concept artist Syd Mead
and renowned "Heavy Metal" artist Jean Moebius Giraud
to design the looks of the costumes,
sets, and storyboards.
Though "Tron" was revolutionary
in regards to special effects
it was made with just one computer
with only two megabytes of memory.
You likely have more storage on your cell phone.
The sets were covered top to bottom in black felt,
and the colorization of the suits
was actually traditional hand-drawn animation,
but the computer-generated sections
kept "Tron" from Oscar consideration
in visual effects because computers
were considered cheating at the time.
"Tron" wasn't the box office bomb
that many frame it as now,
it just didn't capture audiences
like the new visual experience expected to.
It earned $33 million at the box office,
making back almost double its $17 million budget.
However, it was its release date
that likely softened its total box office.
"Tron" was originally set to open in December
opposite awards hopeful movies
and would've been the only family options in the winter,
but Disney moved up the release
to the summer out of spite,
hoping to dent the impact of a former Disney animator.
Don Bluth, who worked on Disney's "Robin Hood,"
"Pete's Dragon," and "Rescuers Down Under"
had left Disney in 1979
to start his own animation company.
His first original film was "The Secret of NIMH,"
set to release in July 1982.
"Tron" was moved by Disney
to open opposite that film
and while "Tron" did gross
more than double what NIMH did,
it paled in comparison
to other summer blockbusters of that season.
In the end, "Tron" came up far behind "E.T.,"
"Poltergeist," and "Annie" that summer.
"The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas"
ended up being the highest grossing July release of 1982.
So while Disney envisioned July
would be "Tron" versus Bluth,
it was good old Dolly Parton who upended The Grid.
(Jeff screaming)
- Fittingly, however, new technology
at the time afforded a second life for the film.
As a franchise, "Tron" would benefit
greatly from home video and the Tron arcade game.
The coin-operated Tron game generated
more revenue than the film itself,
earning $45 million dollars
from coin playing by 1983.
And while a movie sequel
would take 28 years to complete,
the arcade game already had a sequel in 1983,
the "Discs of Tron,"
which was one of the first games
to attempt the 3D environment.
"Discs of Tron" simulated
the jai alai-like combat scenes
between Flynn and Crom and Tron and Sark.
These scenes were actually
the genesis of Lisberger's concept for "Tron"
after seeing the early Atari computer game "Pong."
Flying discs for combat was Lisberger's idea
to have attacks without guns
so that kids wouldn't emulate gunplay,
something that carried over to the arcade games.
The Tron games were introduced
at the peak of arcade fever
before the 1983 video game industry crashed
from over-saturation.
The classic arcade games
would keep the spirit of "Tron" alive
long after the 1982 film
and would also serve as the entry point
for "Tron: Legacy" in 2010.
Like the original "Tron," "Tron: Legacy"
went to a first-time live action filmmaker, Joseph Kosinski.
Kosinski's background was actually in architecture.
A graduate of architecture at Columbia,
Kosinski specialized in implementing
high-end computer programs into architecture.
This eventually led him into the commercial world
and directing commercials for video games
which got him noticed by Disney.
- He's different.
- [Narrator] But it was his architectural background
that informed the design of the film
and the movement within The Grid
that excited fans the most
from the very first teaser shown at Comic-Con in 2008.
It also made it the most expensive
directorial debut of all time
with a budget of $170 million,
which eventually became $222 million
after applying 3D conversions and marketing.
- it's just a game.
- Not anymore.
- [Narrator] While mainstream computer literacy
had skyrocketed in the 28 years
since "Tron" was released,
the filmmakers didn't wanna fill the script
with RAM discussions or populate the film
with internal internet ads and other inside jokes.
Instead, they set out to build
a complete internal world and society
that had advanced organically
in the time between films.
- Disease? History.
Science, philosophy, every idea
man has ever had about the universe up for grabs.
Biodigital jazz, man.
- [Narrator] The sequel, starring Jeff Bridges
in a dual role, Garrett Hedlund,
Olivia Wilde, and featuring an original score
by Daft Punk earned $400 million globally.
(upbeat music)
But because it only barely made its original budget
back at the domestic box office,
proposed sequels have languished for a decade.
But like its predecessor,
a cult following has emerged
and fans have begged for a third "Tron" film.
In 2020, three years after Kosinski described
a third film as being in a cryogenic freeze,
the "Tron: Legacy" filmmaker has moved on.
But there is life on The Grid
with filmmaker Garth Davis
winning over Disney with a new pitch
and actor Jared Leto on board.
Leto says of the projects,
"I'm struck with such gratitude
for the opportunity to bring this movie to life,
especially as both the original video game
and the film affected me so deeply as a young child.
The fact that I get to be a part
of this new chapter is mind-blowing."
There is no word on whether Bridges,
Hedlund, or Wilde might return to The Grid
and insiders stress that the film
has not officially been green-lit.
However a director being attached
is a step in the right direction
for users to be granted to The Grid once again,
more than a decade later.
Which iteration of "Tron" do you love the most?
The original film, the sequel, or the video games?
And what do you think the third film
should focus on?
Sound off on the film's legacy in the comments below.