On July 9, 1982, Disney released the film Tron, which made a little money and garnered decent reviews, but did not become the phenomenon in the vein of Star Wars that the studio was hoping for. Some merchandise was released, including a popular arcade game, and the film did well on home video. In the ensuing years after its release, however, Tron was relegated to a cult film and gained very little attention from the general public. Tron was kept alive through a computer game or two, comic books, and fan publications. When rumblings of a sequel came to the surface in the late 2000's, fans who thought they'd never see more Tron started to get excited. 2010 brought Tron Legacy, which grossed over $400 million yet received lukewarm critical notices, and briefly took the franchise back into the public eye. A short-lived Disney XD show, the animated Tron Uprising, ran for one season and garnered a strong reception from fans and critics alike. It seemed Tron was here to stay, yet the momentum fans hoped for was never reached. The last few years have seen a third Tron film put into production only to be shuttered by Disney. Rumors still fly that another Tron film is on the way, and a popular thrill ride based on the series is coming to Disney World after successfully debuting at Shanghai Disneyland. It appears that the franchise is not going anywhere anytime soon. What exactly is it that keeps Tron from fading into obscurity?
A New Frontier
In the early 1980's, computers and video games were a new phenomenon. Arcades were appearing in every town, and in 1982 they brought in over $4 billion in revenue, which is equivalent to over $10 billion in today's dollars. This amount doesn't include the almost $4 billion that home video games generated. It didn't take long for film-makers to realize that computers and video games were a viable resource to tell a story on film. Enter Steven Lisberger, a young animator who saw the possibility of creating visuals by way of the computer. While he and his associates produced the occasional commercial or TV special, Lisberger came up with the concept of a computer warrior fighting in video game battles. He pitched this idea to several film studios but all of them turned him down. Disney, who desperately needed a live-action hit, took a risk with Lisberger and began the development of Tron. The film, with its extensive use of computer graphics, had a difficult yet brilliant production process. Nothing like it had ever been done before. Once the film was completed and released to theaters, the film-makers and Disney waited with bated breath for the response. When Tron released it went up against competition along the lines of E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial, Rocky III, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, and Poltergeist, and got somewhat lost in the shuffle. Many casual film-goers and critics alike didn't "get it". They simply dismissed the films as one of many disposable sci-fi outings of the era. While the movie's plot was solid science-fiction fare, something wasn't quite right with the characters. Maybe they didn't click with some audiences. Perhaps there was a bit of confusion as to why the title character wasn't the main character. Regardless, Tron didn't get the recognition Disney had hoped for. There was, however, a small group of movie watchers who soaked up every minute of Tron. The imaginations of many children were captured in spades. The luminous effects, the computer wizardry, the cool action sequences, and Flynn's arcade. What kid wouldn't have wanted to be Jeff Bridges, living in the back of an arcade in 1982?
The group of friends I associated with would use our imaginations to turn frisbees into identity discs, see-saws into light cycles. We argued over who was going to be Tron and who was stuck being RAM (*spoiler: RAM dies in the film). As the years passed we moved on to other playground activities, yet Tron remained my favorite film. I recall only a few years after the movie released, I would answer the question, "what is your favorite movie?". My response for years was, "Tron". Many would ask, "What's a Tron?". I would usually respond with, "It's a movie about a guy who gets sucked into a computer.". That would be the end of the conversation.
Tron's popularity was indeed short-lived, yet a growing group of fans and a persistent director would keep the idea going.
The group of friends I associated with would use our imaginations to turn frisbees into identity discs, see-saws into light cycles. We argued over who was going to be Tron and who was stuck being RAM (*spoiler: RAM dies in the film). As the years passed we moved on to other playground activities, yet Tron remained my favorite film. I recall only a few years after the movie released, I would answer the question, "what is your favorite movie?". My response for years was, "Tron". Many would ask, "What's a Tron?". I would usually respond with, "It's a movie about a guy who gets sucked into a computer.". That would be the end of the conversation.
Tron's popularity was indeed short-lived, yet a growing group of fans and a persistent director would keep the idea going.
The Triumphant Return (Sort Of)
Tron barely lived on during the 90's with no officially released media. Steven Lisberger pushed on for a sequel, but it seemed the film would only reside in the memories of die-hard fans. In the early 2000's, however, a spark ignited with the release of a computer game and a comic book series. By the middle of the decade it seemed like another film might be possible. In 2008 a teaser trailer released, complete with light cycles and Jeff Bridges. Fans went nuts. Tron 2 was happening! As what was once thought of as impossible became reality, footage from the now-titled Tron Legacy looked spectacular. Releasing in December of 2010, Tron Legacy looked amazing and performed well. Critics praised the effects, overall look of the film, and the soundtrack, but didn't connect with the story. Not quite a direct sequel and not an official reboot, it was difficult to connect the two movies other than the basic premise of the computer world.
Tron Legacy was successful in bringing renewed interest to the franchise. People were talking about it. The spectacular soundtrack was everywhere. Tron Uprising debuted on Disney XD. A third film was in development. As time would have it, however, Disney seemed to lose interest in Tron. With the acquisitions of money-generating machines such as Star Wars and Marvel, why did Disney need Tron? Filming was set to begin on the third installment, but production was abruptly halted indefinitely. Fans petitioned, to no avail. Or was it? There are now rumors of a Tron reboot, and with the announcement of the Tron ride in the Magic Kingdom, it would make sense to prepare another film.
Standing the Test of Time
Whatever the reason, Tron won't go away. Maybe it's the fact that Tron paved the way for computer animation in film. Perhaps it's the person-in-a-computer gimmick. The light cycles and throwing discs, the day-glo outfits, or the groundbreaking soundtracks. No one knew that 35 years later, Tron would still be around. There are still more stories of the computer world to be told, and it looks like, if fans are patient, they will see more Tron in the coming years.
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*Another landmark cultural phenomenon occurred in 1982. It was the grand opening of Epcot Center in Walt Disney World. In some ways, Tron and Epcot have a lot in common. Look for the next post toward the end of the month for a look at Epcot as it celebrates 35 years.
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