“Tron” is one of those franchises that appeal to a very specific cult audience. But that audience loves some fucking “Tron.” And even if you’re not as diehard as those folks, you have to hand it to the sci-fi franchise for pushing the boundaries of film, specifically with the first film in 1982, as well as “Tron: Legacy” being better than people give it credit for and having a now-classic score. So, even though we’re not talking about the MCU or “Star Wars,” the idea of a new “Tron” project is always interesting. And it appears that we were close to getting a new “Tron.” But then it died.
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According to THR, Disney was apparently deep into the development of a “Tron” series for the Disney+ streaming service, but the show was never formally announced or leaked. And unfortunately, the new “Tron” series will never see that announcement, as it’s already been killed by the Mouse House. Worst of all? The series was being developed by none other than John Ridley.
Ridley is probably best known as a writer of films such as “U-Turn,” “12 Years a Slave,” and “Jimi: All Is by My Side.” He’s also a prominent TV producer/writer, working on series such as “American Crime.” Ridley is also developing a new series with the songwriters from “La La Land,” as well. In addition, he’s a Milwaukee native and that makes him alright in my book.
As mentioned, “Tron” is a franchise with a bit of a rollercoaster past. The first film was little more than a cult hit, more famous for its iconography and early CGI than for its story. However, during the late-2000s/early-2010s, there was a rush of studios rolling out sequels to dormant franchises, such as “Rocky,” “Rambo,” “Die Hard,” and “Toy Story.” It was all the rage to dust off an IP and give it a nice new coat of paint and hope for the best. Enter “Tron: Legacy”—the true film equivalent of a new coat of paint.
“Tron: Legacy,” though not nearly as bad as people would have you believe (dare I say, it’s actually…good?), had a lot of hype but didn’t find a new audience, leaving the franchise dead once again. That being said, the idea was solid and the visuals, again, were fantastic. So, in that sense, it’s a shame that Ridley’s version of “Tron” won’t ever see the light of day.
