In a larger piece about the Disney+ streaming service, The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that Disney had been developing a TRON sequel series with 12 Years a Slave’s John Ridley as a producer, but that development on that show has now ended. Disney never made a formal announcement, nor were there rumors of it coming to Disney+. And keeping it hush-hush was probably a wise move. After all, how many Star Wars projects we heard about to great fanfare, only to die on the vine?
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But the real story here is that Disney was developing the TRON property at all…and just because this version didn’t happen, doesn’t mean we won’t ever return to the world of the Grid. A perfect example of a similar scenario would be the Disney+ Muppets series. That was originally a part of the first year of the service. But development was ultimately scrapped back in November. But work on several Muppets related content is still happening for Disney+. Chances are the beloved Jim Henson creations will get another shot at a long form series down the line.
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TRON might not seem as valuable to the company as the Muppets’ brand overall, but it still is an IP they likely would want to continue. The TRON Light Cycle coaster has been a huge hit for Shanghai Disneyland, and a version of that attraction is already under construction for Disney World in Orlando. Rumors continue that a version is also coming for the eventual overhaul of Tomorrowland at Disneyland in California. So it’s a brand they have a vested interest in seeing remain in the public consciousness.
Right now, there is no clue as to what this potential TRON series would have entailed. It’s possible that it was a sequel to 2010’s TRON Legacy. That movie wasn’t the Star Wars level hit that Disney wanted. The original was just a cult success after all, but it still made some $170 million dollars domestic. That’s around what movies like the first Thor and Captain America films made, and from those relatively small seeds grew tall and mighty trees. There is still love for the TRON franchise out there. Even if it’s a franchise that people love mostly for the cool aesthetic above all else.
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We know one thing for sure: any TRON series couldn’t be cheap. Especially if the project is a live-action one, and not another animated series like TRON: Uprising. If they are going to invest the kind of money that the TRON franchise needs to be viable and a must-see like The Mandalorian, then they need to make sure the right creatives are involved, with the right vision for that world. And with a true passion for the series, which began nearly forty years ago now. All we know is that they better get Daft Punk back to score this series, regardless of who’s behind the camera. Their score for TRON: Legacy is still one of the best sci-fi scores of all time! You gotta make sure to keep what works – and that score is one of legend.
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