In the old days you waited to see whether a movie would be a hit before you commissioned a sequel, but these days with studios trying to cut down the time between instalments of their major franchises, if they smell cash, they get the follow-up going before they release the first movie. For example, last year Warner commissioned a script for a Hangover sequel a month before that movie was released, and now, with Disney expecting this December’s Tron Legacy to be massive, THR reports that they’ve hired writers for the sequel a full eight months before the first flick hits cinemas.
It’s been mentioned before that the House Of Mouse has big plans for Tron, with the hope that the first movie will be huge (execs are said to be ecstatic about the footage they’ve seen so far), and from that merchandise, a TV series and various other things will roll out. There’s also been talk of Legacy being the start of a trilogy, but even so it’s unusual to hire screenwriters for a sequel this early, but it does mean that if Tron Legacy is a success, they should be able to start shooting a follow-up incredibly quickly.
The men charged with scripting Tron Legacy 2 are Lost writers/producers Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, who also worked on the screenplay for the first movie. As yet things are at a very early stage, so there’s no news on the plot or what direction they might take the franchise.
Now Disney has to hope Tron Legacy doesn’t flop, or they’re going to look slightly foolish.