Though it's common practice for studios to keep their options open on potential franchise films (years ago, Don Cheadle broke my heart by telling me he was signed for multiple Easy Rawlins movies), it's rare for a new screenplay to be commissioned when the first installment is still a good eight months away from hitting theaters.
But that's what Disney is evidently doing with TRON LEGACY, the Joseph Kosinski-directed sequel to the Steve Lisberger original - and it's kind of hard to view this as anything but a sign of confidence in the finished product. Given that I'm wearing a Flynn's t-shirt as I write this, it's safe to say I am incredibly fucking pleased with this development.
According to The Hollywood Reporter's Borys Kit, LOST writers Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz are currently writing a sequel to LEGACY, and may be looking to "round the story into a trilogy". Obviously, LEGACY will have to find a wide audience to justify a third trip to the game grid, but people seem much more excited about TRON today than they were in 1982 (which is important, as the first movie was a major box office disappointment). This is beginning to look more and more like a sure thing.
Since no one's seen the second movie, it's impossible to speculate as to where Kitsis and Horowitz will take the story. Obviously, Disney has options on Kosinski and the stars, but that's no guarantee that they'd return for another go-round.
I'm trying very hard not to get my hopes too high for TRON LEGACY, but stories like this (and the buzz from last weekend's WonderCon) are making this incredibly difficult.
