The WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes are still ongoing, and we're beginning to see movies and TV shows hit by the expected release date delays.
Now, we can add Tron: Ares to the list as director Joachim Rønning has taken to Instagram to share an update on the long-awaited threequel, expressing his frustration with the strikes which have resulted in the movie's start date being pushed back.
"Many of my best friends are writers. Everything starts with the story. Everything starts with you. That must continue," the filmmaker says. "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," Rønning adds. "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 hard to disagree with anything Rønning says here and we're sure you'll notice that the director has now confirmed AI will be a big part of Tron: Legacy's plot.
In terms of the movie's cast, Jared Leto, Evan Peters, and Jodie Turner-Smith lead that, with Greta Lee, Cameron Monaghan, and Sarah Desjardins among the most recent additions.
Tron was released in 1982 and earned $50 million on a $17 million budget. It became a cult classic in the years which followed, while the 2012 sequel, Tron: Legacy, grossed $400 million on a $170 million budget. It was a result which saw the movie deemed a financial disappointment, hence why the way for a sequel has been so long.
Tron: Ares doesn't currently have a confirmed release date.