In the early days computer generated effects, one film stood out as a quite impressive piece of film making..."Tron".
Released in 1982, "Tron" starred Jeff Bridges as Kevin Flynn, a computer programmer and video game developer who is transported inside the software world of a mainframe computer where he interacts with programs in his attempt to escape; it also stars Bruce Boxleitner, David Warner, Cindy Morgan, and Barnard Hughes. "Tron", along with "The Last Starfighter" had the distinction of being one of cinema's earliest films to use extensive computer-generated imagery (CGI).
Earning $50 million on a $17 million dollar budget, it became a cult classic, as such that a sequel was hoped for by the fans, but would not see the light of day for 28 years.
"Tron: Legacy" would release in 2010, with the original films director Steven Lisberger returning to produce, Jeff Bridges and Bruce Boxleitner reprising their roles as Kevin Flynn and Alan Bradley, respectively, as well as Garrett Hedlund, Olivia Wilde, James Frain, Beau Garrett, and Michael Sheen.
The story follows Flynn's adult son Sam, who responds to a message from his long-lost father and is transported into a virtual reality called "the Grid", where Sam, his father, and the algorithm Quorra must stop the malevolent program Clu from invading the real world.
Daft Punk would score the music that would be long celebrated by the fans and yours truly as a great mix of symphonic and techno.
The film was a commercial success, grossing well over $400 million on a $170 million dollar budget.
After a prequel animated series "Tron: Uprising" that produced 19 episodes, the franchise stalled with hopes of a continuation fading as the years passed.
Until now.
Jared Leto took to Instagram on Thursday to unveil a first look at "Tron: Ares", the latest installment in the Tron franchise now shooting in Vancouver.
"Tron: Ares" stars Leto as Ares, a computer program sent from the digital world into the real world on a dangerous mission to introduce beings of artificial intelligence to humans.
The film also stars Greta Lee, Evan Peters, Hasan Minhaj, Jodie Turner-Smith, Arturo Castro, Cameron Monaghan and Gillian Anderson.
Disney's long-awaited sequel with an A.I.-inspired storyline is shooting in Vancouver and targeting a 2025 release. While the original "Tron" film centered on a video game designer (Jeff Bridges) entering his own creation, and the follow-up focused on his son (Garrett Hedlund) following in his footsteps, Tron: Ares is expected to spend more time in the real world as a sentient computer program crosses over into the human world not ready for contact.
“I’m excited to be part of the Tron franchise and bring this new film to fans around the world. "Tron: Ares" builds upon the legacy of cutting-edge design, technology and storytelling. Now more than ever, it feels like the right time to return to the Grid,” director Rønning said in a statement.
Though it is still Disney making it, I have hope in this one and as far as Rønning's statement...I agree it is time to go back to the digital frontier of the Grid.
We shall see...we shall see.