Tronfans have reason to both be excited and disappointed all at the same time as it’s been revealed that a series based on the sci-fi classic was being developed for the Disney+ streaming service. Unfortunately, the keyword in that sentence is was. Even though we’re just now learning that this series was happening, it’s been scrapped by Disney and will never see the light of day, unless something dramatic changes.
According to a new report detailing the larger challengesDisney+is facing, breaking down what’s been going on behind the scenes, it was revealed that Oscar-winner John Ridley had been tapped to make aTronseries. The show was never announced, unlike some of the other high-profile shows that have been scrapped for the streaming service.Muppets Live Another Day, for example, was being developed by Josh Gad andBook of Enchantmentwas set to center on Disney villains. Both of those shows, which had made themselves known to the world, have also been given the ax.
Little was revealed about theTronshow, but John Ridley had been working on it for several months, even though it hadn’t been given the official greenlight. Ridley wrote the Best Picture-winning12 Years a Slaveand is also behind the hit seriesAmerican Crime. Why, precisely, the show didn’t move forward remains a mystery. Though, the piece makes it seem like there have been some growing pains atDisneyin figuring out the identity of Disney+. Several shows, such asHigh Fidelityand theLove, Simonshow have moved to Hulu as a result of development issues and clashing with the Disney brand.
Disney, for some time, has been trying to figure out what to do with this franchise.In 2010 they released Tron: Legacy. Directed by Joseph Kosinski, the massive blockbuster served as a sequel to the original 1982 sci-fi movie that was intended to bring it back to life for modern audiences. While the movie has its fair share of fans, it didn’t do what the studio wanted at the box office, earning $400 million at the global box office against a $170 million budget. While that’s not exactly a flop, it’s not a hit either, which puts it firmly in the grey area. Hence, we never got a sequel.
In 2017 it was revealed that the studio was looking toreboot the franchise again with Jared Leto(Blade Runner 2049,Dallas Buyers Club) attached to star. That never got off the ground either. With Disney needing to compete with Netflix, amongst many others, in the streaming game, it makes every bit of sense to mine something such asTronthat people have a lot of nostalgia for. For now at least, the show isn’t happening, but this does reveal that the studio is still intent on trying to bringTronback to life in some way, shape or form. So maybe, just maybe, someone else will be able to crack the code. This news comes to us viaThe Hollywood Reporter.
