Sunday, March 2, 2008

Disney Eyeing ‘Tron 3D’ for 2011

A while back we reported that Disney was courting commercial director Joseph Kosinski to direct a cinematic reboot of TRON, the 1982 cult classic that saw a computer hacker abducted into the world of a computer and forced to participate in gladiatorial games.

And now, thanks to a spy over at AICN, it appears that we have a little more information as to when this TRON film will be hitting theaters. According to the report, not only is Disney looking at a 2011 release, but it is also looking to continue its foray into 3D with the title. Can you imagine TRON in 3 dimensions? This may be pure speculation at this point, but this sort of movie is exactly what fans of 3D have been waiting for. In the hands of the mostly untested Kosinsky, it is hard to make bold statements about the film, but as far as movies whose releases are years away go, TRON 3D is certainly one to get excited about.

The Disney snoop also revealed the company’s other plans for the year 2011, including Cars 2, Pirates of the Caribbean 4 and National Treasure 3. And say what you want about those three franchises, the fact remains that they continue to make money at the box office.

The first Cars film, which is regarded in many circles as Pixar’s least impressive product in recent years, grossed over $450 million worldwide. But as Peter at /Film reported from Wondercon, Pixar does not plan sequels purely for financial reasons. During a panel discussion, Ratatouille director Brad Bird had the following to say:

“At Pixar, the bottom line is the story that you’re telling. And Pixar does not look at sequels as a financial plan. We feel we have a relation ship with the audience and that they believe in each movie we put out. We believe completely in every movie we put out. If I can come up with a story that is as good or better than that first film, then I’d love to return to that world, but it would have to be story first.”

Yet, as much as we can appreciate the sentiment of Brad Bird’s comments, we all know this isn’t true. The fact still remains that Pixar is owned by Disney, and Disney has always been about the almighty dollar (what studio isn’t?).

As for Pirates of the Caribbean 4, producer Jerry Bruckheimer was cornered by MTV back in December. When asked about the potential of Captain Jack seeking out the Fountain of Youth, Bruckheimer said that the time wasn’t right yet to be talking about the next one. “We’re still counting the money from the last one!” He joked.

And finally, the rumor of National Treasure 3 is nothing new. We reported on some insight from Jim Hill back in early February that pointed towards not one, but two more National Treasure sequels. Originally speculation was that Nicholas Cage’s mullet could be returning as early as Christmas 2010, but it is no big deal that talks are now of a Spring 2011 release.

So if all this comes to fruition (and that is a huge if at this point), it appears that Disney could be dominating the Spring of 2011. And while that may bother me (as I was not a fan of At Worlds End), I have a feeling that it would not bother most fans and certainly wouldn’t negatively impact Disney’s financial standing whatsoever. Our only hope is that they turn out quality products.

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