Disney Hires ‘Lion’ Director Garth Davis for Jared Leto-led ‘Tron’ Sequel
Deadline reports that Disney has hired Australian filmmaker Garth Davis to direct their upcoming “Tron” sequel.
Davis is best known for his small-scale indie films, such as 2016’s “Lion” starring Dev Patel, which received six Academy Award nominations, including one for Best Picture. “Tron 3” will mark only the third theatrically-released film for Davis, after directing his 2018 art house historical biopic “Mary Magdalene.”
Reports indicate that Davis eagerly pursued the project, his first big-budget blockbuster, and eventually won over Disney executives. Part of this could have been Davis’ alleged pitch for his film spawning off a new revamped “Tron” franchise.
Jared Leto has been attached to star in the third “Tron” film as far back as 2017 and will be an executive producer on the project along with Justin Springer and Emma Ludbrook. The script is currently being written by Jesse Wigutow, best known as the writer for the upcoming reboot of “The Crow.”
The original “Tron” film from 1982 starring Jeff Bridges received very mixed critical and commercial success, despite being praised for its special effects. The 2010 sequel “Tron: Legacy” was met with similar mixed critical reactions. However, the film enjoyed considerable box office success grossing over $400 million worldwide. Both films are now looked upon favorably with a strong cult following.
Original plans for a sequel to “Tron: Legacy” were scrapped after Disney executives were unsure where to take the story next and how to move it forward.
It is unclear if this film will be a direct follow-up to “Tron: Legacy,” or if any cast from that movie will be returning. The film starred Garrett Hedlund and Olivia Wilde and saw the return of Jeff Bridges.
“Tron: Legacy” was praised for the musical score composed by French DJ group Daft Punk. It was reported earlier this summer that Daft Punk will return to score “Tron 3.”
No filming or release date has been announced, however we can tentatively expect to see “Tron 3” in theaters around summer 2022.