It would be an understatement to say Disney has been enjoying a rotten run of luck at the box office recently, with the studio racking up $4 billion in ticket sales papering over the cracks caused by a number of high-profile releases failing to do the numbers expected of them.
The losses have been astronomical over the last couple of years, so the sequel to a blockbuster that wasn’t even particularly successful to begin with starring an actor that’s cultivated a reputation for being box office poison doesn’t seem like the sort of project that would stop the bleeding. For what it’s worth, though, director Joachim Rønning has lashed out at the lack of movement on the strikes on Instagram Live (via The Hollywood Reporter), revealing that today was supposed to be the first day of shooting on Tron: Ares.
“Today was supposed to be our first day of principal photography on TRON: ARES (a movie subsequently about AI and what it means, and takes, to be human). Instead, we are shut down with over a hundred and fifty people laid off. It’s indefinite, which makes it exponentially harder for everyone. The AMPTP, SAG-AFTRA and WGA need to speed up the negotiating process and not leave the table until it’s done. This is Hollywood. We close deals for breakfast. Why do we suddenly have all the time in the world when every day is so precious? These tactics are extremely frustrating. It’s time for diplomacy so we can get back to work – under conditions that are fair to everybody.”
Is the world crying out for a third Tron? Some people might be, but Legacy wasn’t exactly a runaway smash. Does the world need a third Tron starring Jared Leto? That’s an entirely different question with a completely different answer, but it’s happening one way or another regardless of how long the start of production ends up being pushed back.
