1982’s Tron was a gigantic step forward in visual effects in cinema. The Disney film would take the growing popularity of arcades and capitalize on video games’ unique visual cues by integrating live-action elements with groundbreaking computer-generated effects. The result is being transported to a world unlike any that had been seen before. When 2010’s sequel Tron: Legacy was released, it had the opportunity to expand on the world with more advanced technology. It would also be a product of its time, utilizing both IMAX format and being presented in 3D when the movie journeyed into The Grid.
Cameron Monaghan, who will be starring in the upcoming Tron: Ares with Jared Leto, has recently teased how the new installment will also push forward with visual effects. According to Deadline, Monaghan recently gave an interview with the site, Collider, where he stated, “I think this one, in a very similar way, is going to really push forward what can be done, from a visual perspective. I would sometimes even come in on days I wasn’t working, because that set was really amazing. A lot of the practical sets were pretty phenomenal, and I would love to go look at those as well.”
The Shameless actor also recalled when he first saw the original Jeff Bridges movie while traveling on a flight, “I remember watching the original, and I thought it was from the ’90s or something, because it was pretty amazing how a movie from that era could look that amazing, and utilizing computers the way they did.” Monaghan would also have the opportunity to attend Tron: Legacy‘s premiere and was intrigued on how it had grown “a cult fandom, in a similar way that the original Tron did as well, where people thought it was very technologically cool but it’s continued to grow.”
He also added that he had the chance to view Tron: Legacy recently in a special non-digital film screening, “Tron Legacy, I just saw projected in 35MM at the New Beverly last year, and it really holds up, and has that amazing soundtrack by Daft Punk. So I like that those movies have a number of years of separation between them. They don’t come out very often, and every time they do, they show a new era of technology and filmmaking.”