Before Tron: Ares races into theaters in October, you’ll be able to re-enter the Grid like never before. For the first time ever, 1982’s Tron and 2010’s Tron: Legacy have been remastered in 4K. Both films will be released on 4K Blu-ray to commemorate the release of Ares, the latest movie in the Tron saga. The remastered versions of Tron and Tron: Legacy will be available on September 12.
The 4K remaster will allow the dazzling special effects of the two films to be seen as never before. Written and directed by Steven Lisberger, Tron was one of the first films to extensively use computer-generated imagery; in fact, the technology was so new in 1982 that it was denied a nomination for Best Special Effects at the Academy Awards, as it was believed computer animation was a form of “cheating.” Its sequel, Tron: Legacy, was the directorial debut of visual stylist Joseph Kosinski (Top Gun: Maverick, F1: The Movie), and while digital effects had become commonplace by 2010, Kosinski pushed them to the limit, using digital animation to recreate the younger visage of star Jeff Bridges.
What Are the ‘Tron’ Movies About?
In 1982’s Tron, Bridges plays Kevin Flynn, a brilliant computer programmer who’s trying to prove that ENCOM, his former employer, stole from him. Helping him with this are his former colleagues Alan Bradley (Bruce Boxleitner) and Lora Barnes (Cindy Morgan). He breaks into the company’s labs, only to be digitized into the world of living, personified computer programs, known as the Grid. There, he races lightcycles and allies himself with Alan and Lora’s program counterparts, Tron and Yori as they face off against the minions of the Master Control Program (David Warner) that controls the Grid. In the sequel, Kevin Flynn has been missing for years; his son Sam (Garrett Hedlund) ends up in the Grid himself, where he finds Kevin has been trapped there for decades with his apprentice Quorra (Olivia Wilde). And while the Master Control Program is long gone, the Grid is now ruled by CLU, an evil duplicate of Kevin.
While the first two films saw humans enter the digital world of the Grid, Tron: Ares, which is directed by Joachim Rønning, will see the Grid’s programs invade the real world. Jared Leto stars as the titular Ares, a program designed as a super-soldier by businessman Julian Dillinger (Evan Peters). The film also stars Greta Lee, Gillian Anderson, Jodie Turner-Smith, and, reprising the role of Kevin Flynn, Jeff Bridges.
Tron and Tron: Legacy will be available on 4K Blu-ray on September 12, in advance of Tron: Ares‘ theatrical release on October 10.
via Collider