Production on a 3rd “Tron” film from Disney have ground to a halt due to the AMPTP’s refusal to come to terms with the WGA and SAG-AFTRA. Ongoing strikes have pretty much brought Hollywood and adjacent production hubs to a standstill.
There are renewed hopes for a viable agreement and contract for both guilds as negotiations are back on as of today.
“Tron: Ares” director Joachim Rønning is understandably frustrated with the pause, and offered a lengthy statement about the situation.
“The absolute best moments of my career have been watching an actor perform in front of the camera – taking the scene and the text to a higher place. I’ve been fortunate to collaborate with amazing talent. It’s a huge part of why I’m a filmmaker. However, like myself, being an actor or a writer, means you’re a freelancer. And I can tell you, the constant uncertainty is not for everyone. To that end I don’t think it’s unreasonable to ask for a better safety net.
Many of my best friends are writers. Everything starts with the story. Everything starts with you. That must continue. And that means that AI needs to be regulated. There is no doubt about the threat the technology poses to all creatives.
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.”
“Tron: Ares” is set to star Oscar winner Jared Leto (“Morbius”), Greta Lee (“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse”), Evan Peters (“Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story”), Jodie Turner-Smith (“Murder Mystery 2”), Sarah Desjardins (“Yellowjackets“), and Cameron Monaghan (“Gotham” ).
There is no set release date, but early rumors had it set for a 2025 release. We’ll let you know what we hear about this and other news.
