Tron: Legacy director Joseph Kosinski believes a sequel is still possible

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Believe it or not, but this year marks the tenth anniversary of TRON: LEGACY, the long-belated sequel to the original film which introduced us to the Grid and the world of programs and users. Although the film wasn't the biggest success at the box-office, development on a sequel moved forward nonetheless with director Joseph Kosinski slated to return, as well as actors Garrett Hedlund and Olivia Wilde. However, just a few months before the film was slated to kick off production in Vancouver, Disney pulled the plug. Several years later, Kosinski said that the sequel wasn't dead, but rather sitting in "cryogenic freeze" waiting for the right moment to move forward.

We haven't seen any movement on the TRON sequel front over the past few years, but while speaking with ComicBook.com, Joseph Kosinski says that he still believes that a sequel is possible.

There's always been an interest since Legacy [for a sequel]. There's always been talk and murmuring of doing another and continuing the story. I was in China a few years ago and saw them building the TRON ride in Shanghai, which, apparently, is pretty amazing, I would love to experience that at some point. I think it's still a nice jewel in the crown of Disney IP and I think there are fans and people petitioning and pushing to continue it inside the halls of Disney. So I think it could happen. Like anything, it just needs the right confluence of … it's all about timing and the right elements and everything's got to come together for a movie to happen.

"I think it's possible and I think it's worthy of it," Kosinski continued. "I think there's enough ideas in the franchise, and the fact that it is so unique and nothing else looks or sounds like it, that TRON story. There is, I think, a future for the franchise and I hope they keep making them." TRON: LEGACY has certainly grown on me over the years, so count me among those hoping that Disney moves ahead with a sequel one of these days.

Joseph Kosinski teased a few details about the story of TRON 3 several years ago, saying that it was something of an "invasion movie."

The movie was called, “TRON: Ascension”, I think that’s out there. I think we got the script to about 80%. We were in good shape. We were probably eight or nine months out, which is still a good amount of distance from being ready to shoot it, but I think the script was in good shape. What I’m excited about is the concept, which is an invasion movie from inside the machine coming out as opposed to one we’ve usually seen. So we hinted at that at the end of Legacy with Quorra coming out, but the idea for Ascension was a movie that was, the first act was in the real world, the second act was in the world of TRON, or multiple worlds of TRON, and the third act was totally in the real world. And I think that really opens up, blows open the concept of TRON in a way that would be thrilling to see on screen. But there’s also a really interesting character study in Quorra and a “Stranger in a Strange Land,” trying to figure out where she belongs having lived in the real world for a few years, and where does she fit in.

Joseph Kosinski's next film is also a long-belated sequel to a classic '80s film, as he will reintroduce audiences to Pete "Maverick" Mitchell (Tom Cruise) in TOP GUN: MAVERICK on December 23, 2020.