Two days ago, TRON: Legacy director Joseph Kosinski went on the record about the troubled TRON 3 he was months away from lensing in Vancouver in 2015, stating that the film was not cancelled but “in cryogenic freeze” at Walt Disney Pictures. Now, according to The Hollywood Reporter, one of the actors who was originally in talks for 2015’s TRON 3 (a.k.a. TRON: Ascension), Academy Award winner Jared Leto, may revive the project as a reboot of the property. He would play a character called Ares (named after the Greek god of war), who was developed in the original Ascension screenplay with Leto in mind.
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While TRON: Ascension had planned to continue the story of Garrett Hedlund’s Sam Flynn and Olivia Wilde’s Quorra as an “invasion movie” set mostly in the real world, there is no indication of whether those characters will have a place in this reorganized project, since it’s being driven by Leto’s star power. While Leto has taken franchise roles in last year’s hit Suicide Squad and the upcoming Blade Runner 2049, this would be an opportunity for him to headline an event movie all his own.
Jesse Wigutow (It Runs in the Family) was hired to rewrite the initial TRON: Ascension screenplay by David DiGilio (Eight Below) before the film was halted, though the new movie will take its cues from that script. Justin Springer, who produced Kosinski’s TRON: Legacy and Oblivion, will produce this new film so there’s a chance Kosinski could still be involved. Leto and and Emma Ludbrook will also produce.
Released in 1982, the original TRON underperformed at the box office, but it nonetheless managed to find an important place in pop culture over the next few decades. The sequel was scripted by Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz from a story they developed with Brian Klugman and Lee Sternhal, based in turn on characters created by Bonnie MacBird and original TRON helmer Steven Lisberger. That film’s worldwide box office exceeded $400 million.
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