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The Real Truth Behind Tr2n's Comic-Con Surprise

by Alex Billington
July 31, 2008
Source: Jim Hill Media

By now everybody knows that a trailer for Tron 2, aka Tr2n, surprised fans at Comic-Con during Disney's panel for Race to Witch Mountain. Not only was it a surprise considering most people didn't even know it was being made, but it also looked incredible - and there's a reason for that. Jim Hill of Jim Hill Media revealed earlier today that the man behind this latest version of Tron is none other than Pixar's John Lasseter. Hill goes on to explain that Lasseter has taken over for Tron's original director, Steven Lisberger, and replaced him with Joseph Kosinski (as we mentioned last year) and hired "Lost's" Eddie Kitsis and Adam Horowitz to write a new script. But that's not all - there is so much more to this story!

So Hill explains that Lasseter, who is now the Chief Creative Officer at both Pixar and Walt Disney Animation, still remembers the day he first saw Tron back in 1982. He recalls, "It absolutely blew me away! A little door in my mind opened up. I looked at it and said, 'This is it! This is the future!'" As much as we all love that film (I know I do), the story wasn't perfect, and apparently Lasseter knew that, too. Since that day he's wanted to see a compelling movie that "would have touched an audience's emotions as it dazzled their eyes." And although Steven Lisberger has been developing a script, Lasseter has decided to throw it out and start from scratch with Kitsis and Horowitz which brings us to where we are right now.

In September last year, Disney announced that Joseph Kosinski would be directing the sequel, a filmmaker without any actual movies to his credit, but a visionary nonetheless that Lasseter trusts. Since then, Kosinski has been working in secret to make the three minute demo reel that was shown at Comic-Con to convince the execs at Disney that it's worth it. And let me be the first to say - hell yes, it's worth it! Bring on Tr2n! Additionally, Lasseter insisted that they hire Eddie Kitsis and Adam Horowitz because they "have lots of experience when it comes to guiding colorful characters through surreal settings." And if you've seen the trailer, the story within it and the lines that Jeff Bridges says still give me chills.

So there you have it! The trailer already look fantastic when I saw it, but with such an amazing creative team on board, I'm even more excited! I don't think I would've ever thought that Tr2n would've been the next big thing, but when you take the creativity and passion of someone like John Lasseter, that's what you get. I mean, this guy did start Pixar! The trailer still gives me chills every time I think about it, from the beautiful CGI work and upgraded lightcycles to Jeff Bridges' appearance and the surreal futuristic setting at the end. I can't wait to see where this goes and how it further develops. Hill expects Tr2n to be a summer 2010 release, so stay tuned for more information as we receive it!

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Related categories: Hype, Movie News, Opinions

Andrew Soeldner

This is my new "most anticipated movie" !!!
Chris

Have they still not put a 'clean' trailer out there yet? The 'blurry wobble-vision being played underwater' didn't really set my heart alight.
Tim "Cloverfield"

Well...yeah it was the future in 1982. I just don't see how this next generation is going to be excited about this. sorry to be negative....I was blown away in 1982....now I just don't know.
Darrin

this movie is for people who remember tron, it might not be a big hit. i never saw tron but i heard of it and i will love to check it out. hope its in imax.
http://www.bartleby.com/61/66/C0726650.html Crapola

I wish I saw Tron as kid, by the time I did see it, my Spectrum had better graphics than the film. I watched a documentary with Syd Mead and he explained that they had to invent computers to make the effects for it, which were pretty far out. Maybe a re-visit would be okay this time, but maybe not. Can't wait for Wargames 2
MR Lee

I'm sorry but the news of a second Tron movie and the desciption of the teaser was fantastic news to me. The one thing that crushed my hopes... TR2N! When did anyone think it was cool to do this? It doesn't even make sense! I hope they change that because other than that this could be kick ass.
crabby

Tron was not a great movie .... I hope the tron 2 is better
Dave V.

I love this movie, my kids love this movie! I'm very excited, especially with the news of Jeff Bridges and John Lassater being involved. For all those who don't remember Tron being a super fantastic movie thats cool. Tron was made during a time where Disney wasn't to keen on story or dialouge for thier live action movies. I think everyone who loves this movie is excited for the chance to see this movie or story done absolutly brilliantly right! As far as the whole "TR2N" it's just marketing, get over it!
dave13

I do think that anyone going in as an adult to see the first Tron and hearing its great would be disapointed. I saw the original on TV a few times (years after it came out) as a kid, and I think thats why I love it. I saw it again a year ago at a dollar showing, and I saw the many flaws it had. But also saw again why it was so cool for me as a kid and I still love it! I'm excited for Tron 2!
Ryan McCarthy

Hey Disney... you have the technology and Jeff Bridges is still alive... DON'T FUCK UP THIS PROJECT!! TRON is in my TOP 10 SHELF for DVDs. BRING ON THE MCP and Cindy Morgan.. the first REAL CYBER BABE... To bad that you have to hide this unknown project footage with another movie press conference and act like "LOOK WHAT WE ARE DOING." Every Director that you know in the world either seen or had heard about TRON, so this IS your future TENT POLE for 2010. Since the footage was from a lucky person at COMIC CON 08, got to hand it to him/her for uploading it. Thanks First Showing
Sharon C

I saw the original Tron again the other night and it's still great. I'm looking forward to TR2N.
http://www.myspace.com/kevjohnphotography kevjohn

Time to get started on building me a Tron Guy suit. Must eat... more donuts!
thomas h

Hopefully this mean TRON will be out on blu-ray soon! [drool]
jason_md2020

Shouldn't this really be TRON 2.0? (Keeping with the software updating lingo...) And for all the nay-sayers out there, TRON came out in the same era as WarGames & Blade Runner. Think about how many movies would NOT have happened if these three didn't pave the way for the tech-thriller brand of scifi? Sure a lot of crap b-films probably wouldn't have been made, but without these there would have been no MATRIX. Let that sink in for a bit...
avoidz

I would love for Disney to release the three minute demo reel officially; it looks fantastic. There's definitely a place for the surreal TRON world today, and for today's cinema audiences; more so, really. The original TRON needed a stronger story, though, there's no doubt about it. It would be great to get Jeff Bridges back, and Cindy Morgan still looks terrific. Yes, I'm excited by the potential for this movie TRON 2.0 is a much better title, I agree, not the "DRIV3R-like" rough title.
Chris

I thought the 'TR2N' name sounded a bit iffy but after seeing it in the movie font, I had a "Oh yeah, I see what they've done there..." moment. It just doesn't work when you see it everywhere else. They can't really use the Tron 2.0 title as that was the name the videogame used. I mean, they /could/ use it but I guess they want it to be seen as a seperate entity to the videogame.
I like T2ON because the 2 is reminiscent of an R. I guess a few people might get it confused with T2 (Terminator) and lawsuits would ensue. Bah.
MrBlu

I thought the original story for Tron was fine. There are very few perfect movies out there but Tron managed to do everything very, very well. The visuals and the story complimented each other very well. Considering that 8/10 of the film was all in the computer world I think they did a superb job. Not sure why they kicked Lisgberger to the side but then again what else has he done to give him the honor of directing the second film. Kind of like George Lucas who did a FANTASTIC job with the first Star Wars, stuck to producing for almost 30 years then decided he could come back and direct the prequels because he was the creator. WRONG! George is probably the worst director in Hollywood but we saw it anyway because of the source material. Lisberger could probably do a good job but I'm glad Lasseter is taking the reigns. I'm not too sure about the choice in director but if Lasseter trusts him then he must be good. Saw the leaked trailer and I've watched it a few dozen times and will continue to watch it until Disney gets smart and releases a high-res version to the public. I don't think I can wait another 2 years with only this trailer to keep me excited. Personally, I think they showed it too early. Now the expectation (which is already high) will go into the stratosphere and may never meet reality. Lastly, I LOVE the title's play on words "TR2N" is excellent. It reminds me of a command line code or something in Java scripting. I'm also glad they got Jeff back, which means they're not trying to reinvent the wheel but instead add to the story. If this was a remake they could really screw it up or damage the integrity of the original movie. Can't wait!!!!!!!!!!!
Jeep-Fu

Oh...my...God...I want to see this movie. I love the first Tron (a childhood favorite) and I can't wait to see this one. This movie is going to be visually awesome! *glee*
Druff

"Tron was not a great movie …" It depends on perspective. If you look at Tron in terms of story and character development, no, it certainly was not a great movie. But if you look at it in terms of visual effects and special effects, it was dazzling, it was pioneering, it was risky, and there was absolutely nothing like it, not in 1982, not since. It's the definition of "visual tour de force". And while Tr2n could never have the same impact in 2010, apparently it's still going to manage to be dazzling at the very least. I can't wait.
http://www.dmesupplygroup.com/home-diagnostics-thermometers.html Kevin S. Willis

Tron was a great movie. Just watched it again the other night. Still a classic. So much to love, and that's amazing giving the limitations they were working with at the time. I'm definitely looking forward to this one. Can't wait! How long do I have to wait for a real teaser? And to know they're actually shooting footage for the real fim?
Jeff Bridges

Cindy Morgan absolutely has to be in the new movie...it would not be the same without her. I heard that she is running 5 miles a day on the beach and is in excellent shape for this bright new movie. We are all waiting with anticipation to hear the news that she is cast as the Cyper Babe we all know she is.
http://cinemadave.livejournal.com Cinema Dave

As one of Cindy's neighbors, I can testify that she is in great shape. Also, she does the convention circuit and has great empathy with her "Tron" fans. Given how the fan base loved Karen Allen's return to Indiana Jones, Cindy could satisfy many fans of "Tron."
http://www.dmesupplygroup.com/ Dr. Medical

There at least has to be a cameo for Cindy. Some voice work. She was an important part of that great film, and would be sad if she had completely disappeared from the equation.
MCP-beta1

Disney, D O N ' T mess this up. Do your homework. (Batman Begins / Ironman) I'm taking my neices and nephews to see this, when released. Shoot, 2 times. We'll buy the DVD. Xmas of release year (2010?), I'll be buying the toys for the kiddo's ...IF not goofified. ( detailed LightCycles, Action Figures etc.) T-Shirts too, if done right. Franchise could launch & go on for multiple films. Pay homage to the original, get as many of the original cast members as possible. Remember the computer theme, Joys and Pit falls. ( hehe, Driver / software updates.) Don't mess this up. This COULD be HUGE. (Commenting as if someone at Disney will see this on this corner of the Net. hehe. =-) ) IMAX giant screen format option would be nice too.
Carl

Man, I love the look of the new lightcycles. I'm obsessed with lightcycles and lightcycle games, like Armagetron (the best one) and flTron and a dozen others. I'm going to love this movie even if it totally sucks. haha!
D:Rez

I loved the original so much when it came out, it was amazing. In my 20s I became a deejay and even called myself D:REZ after a line used in the film. This looks like the epic we all knew TRON could become. The original TRON was made long before the internet, long before MMORPGs, before chat rooms, and before avatars for yourself were popular. Most adults had no clue what TRON was about at the time, but us kids knew; it was about an entire alternate reality that exists inside computers. A world where programs had to fight for there lives or be consumed by MCP programs who ran the microchip universe with their armies of subverted software. With the Matrix touching on this theme, I think the storyline has the opportunity to become even greater, with Flynn manipulating the reality inside the computer, worms, trojans and viruses to be hunted and destroyed (the basic function of the original TRON program), and more dynamic characters than the original 4 or 5. As for the name TR2N, that's fine by me, I mean with F8TAL1TY or L33T being so common in game names/terms, TR2N makes the point it's part 2 while incorporating current trends in its name.
Moviedit

This movie is going to be the blockbuster of all time! The speical effect's are going to be off the chart, compairing it to any movie or the original TRON. It's just shows us how far we have come in techology to what is going to make TR2N so special to go see. Making the movie in 3-D will only top it off and will probably will be the future in how movie making is done. Not even Star Wars will match up to TR2N cause the 3-D experience will bring you into the TRON universe instead of watching it on a flat screen. So if your looking forward to a gut turning shock and awe movie this is it. This will be the mother of all movies. It's going to hit the fan so hard the fan will stop turning.
JCByrdman

Well, I am looking forward to what happens with this script and the movie. Sleeper hits have been made from less than this for sure. The thing that gets me is the crtitcal negative comments even before the actual movie is even put together. Lots of great movies (Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark and so on) were deemed to not really be worth doing. But, as you can see they were excellent movies. I think we get so casught up in box office numbers and will this win an award for best effects, or best movie that it ends up being over thought and under done. I say make it - even if it flops on the box office draw - you know you have a core group of people who will not only see it, but buy all the assorted goodies that go with it. Tron actually did infuse itself into pop culture and I am sure this movie will as well. By the way - the title is EXCELLENT. It fits, it makes sense and it has the cool factor. Lastly, the video game (Tron 2.0) was a very well put together mini-movie AND well polished game all unto itself. The visual stylings I think will actually fit in better NOW than they did in the 80's. I hope to see the trailers of this green-lighted movie in the theaters soon.
Patrick

Don't forget, on top of all of that, Daft Punk is doing the musical score. Daft friggin' Punk. As if I didn't want to see this movie enough already
Navy

You need to appreicate TRON for what it was. TRON was a movie about cyberpsace back when the most sophisticated thing out there was Pac-Man and Turbo Pong. The internet didn't exist (thanks Al Gore), nor even the mere thought of it. No one back in the early 80's had even the faintest clue how advanced computers would become and how quickly. TRON WAS A MOVIE AHEAD OF ITS TIME It was pure imagination on the part of the creators who cast a movie in a place that only much later existed. This was part of the appeal of the original TRON and why it was so overwhelmingly popular. Today 'cyberspace' is a joke that most people take for granted, heck WTF is that sharkboy and lavagirl crap that the kids go to? IT OPENED PEOPLES' MINDS TO A FANASTIC FUTURE THAT WAS ALREADY AT THEIR FINGERTIPS People who saw the movie now looked at the age of computers in a new way and Generation-X was born. No longer were computers or video games simply mindless toys found in arcades, but they were gateways to a new era of human civlization when the possibilities of connected computer systems, information highways, and cyberspace became permanently embedded in peoples' imaginations as real possibilities. I hope that the new TR2N will do the same for the current generation of of kids as it did for mine. I hope it takes us to a new level of imagination and understanding of the possibilities that exist out there. I hope it changes the way we look at things, and changes the movies to come in the future; THOSE kinds of movies, in my opinion, are the 'great ones'. Without gateway movies like TRON, the idea of cyberspace or cyber realities such as in the MATRIX probably would never have existed. The writer's of the Matrix probably saw TRON about the same time in their lives that I did.
kermode

Hehe, you go Eric! Anyway, it seems to have changed name to "Tron Legacy" - which I think is a better name, less weird. And of course, now the trailer is out in HD http://www.flynnlives.com/media/video/0xendgame.aspx