Disney is coding up a full refresh for the Grid.
The studio announced Saturday at its Destination D23 showcase in Orlando that both “Tron” (1982) and “Tron: Legacy” (2010) have been fully remastered and will be re-released Sept. 16 on digital and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray SteelBook editions.
The remasters will include a more vibrant 1982 grid and CGI touch-ups for 2010’s “Tron: Legacy,” which digitally de-aged Jeff Bridges to create his diabolical dopplegänger, Clu – to mixed effect, given the technology’s limitations at the time.
The move comes just weeks before “Tron: Ares” — the long-awaited third installment in the groundbreaking sci-fi franchise — hits theaters in October.
The original “Tron” lit up imaginations in 1982 with its trailblazing use of computer-generated imagery, a first for a feature film. Bridges played video game designer Kevin Flynn, who gets transported inside a computer system and must fight for survival against the Master Control Program; he reprised the role for “Tron Legacy” and is set to appear in “Ares.”
With neon-lit visuals and a visionary take on cyberspace, both “Tron” films became classics for generations of gamers and tech dreamers.
“Tron: Legacy: featured state-of-the-art CGI effects and a blockbuster score by Daft Punk, which would stand as the penultimate album from the French electronic duo. Bridges was joined by Garrett Hedlund as Flynn’s son Sam and Olivia Wilde as Quorra, a fierce warrior program.
Fans who add the remastered editions to their shelves can expect crisp 4K visuals and immersive sound that highlight just how far ahead of their time these films were. Streaming upgrades to Disney+ are likely to follow months later.
