Slashdot Mirror
Pixar Tron Remake?
RAZ was among several folks who wrote in to tell us about a ZDNet article that
talks about Pixar and Tron. No official comment from the studio, but there still are rumors floating about that Pixar may be redoing that classic little piece of disney sci fi. And I just got the DVD of the original ;)
This is correct. Pixar is about creating endearing stories, not re-hashing older films already exist as classics. However. . .
Here's the truth.
Toy Story II will be released in November. Monsters Inc. is the next movie in production( summer of 2001). In pre-production is a series of three films. The original characters will not be the main protagonists, but will be woven into the story. For now, think Lord of the Rings/Star Wars/Blade Runner. This is a HUGE project.
The animators will be training on Monsters Inc. under John Lasseter with new motion capture systems being developed at Pixar. The voices of the actors will be professional actors, but the animation will be done at Pixar's new site currently being built. Steve Jobs is working with Apple (on hardware), NeXt (for software), and within Pixar itself (for Renderman software) to create what will be what they call the "Uber-Renderfarm" (25 times more powerful than what was used on "A Bug's Life"). This will be necessary as all the humans will be computer generated. In fact, Geri's Game was a test to push the human technology further.
I've never been more excited about a project. The pre-production art looks beautiful. The story guys are pumping out some of the most amazingly exciting, heart-warming, and funny stuff I've seen in an epic project like this. And well, we'll just have to wait until 2003 to see the newest exploits of the son of son of Tron!
"Forget it Mr. High and Mighty Master Control. You aren't making me talk".
"Suit yourself..."
I love that movie. To remake it would be to kill it.
I'm no insider, but the Pixar culture seems
to pay deep props to animators being artists,
right up there with the "story is king" theme
Bruce mentioned. If they are going motion
capture, it seems like a real change for them.
OTOH, diminishing the number of high-paid
animators on a film seems essential to get the
cost of these projects in a reasonable range,
it's just getting too hard to make money on an
animated film these days.
Their name was ENCOM from memory.
TRON bombed in the box office, and except for the special effects (which were pretty cool for the time), was a pretty dumb movie with a very tired (Disney-standard) plot. As others have pointed out, it is unlikely that such a loss will be remade, nor a prequel or sequel. ZDNet is just filling padding thier site with blown smoke.
--
An esoteric scratched itch:
Homeworld Map Maker Tool
Umm, probably mispelled but I think it was EMCON, or some such derivative (emcom? darnit.. ). I'm basing it on a 10 yr old memory of 30 seconds of film of a neon lit helicopter. (salt, grain of, need I say more?)
Hope that helps.
:)
Grell
Wasurenaide - doko e itte mo soko ni iru yo.
...when it gets down to fundamentals, do what you have to do and shed no tears. Dr. Matson in Tunnel in the Sky
The best thing about Tron (apart from the use of computer graphics) was the idea of programs being sentient beings in their own little world, looking at their User as a personal deity. (I guess this was back when it was assumed that each program only had one user!)
Anyway, if they make a sequel, I hope we get to see what, say, Microsoft Word would look like as a sentient being. I imagine something like "Pizza the Hut" in SpaceBalls...
I don't care if it's 90,000 hectares. That lake was not my doing.
As an aside, check out what Square Honolulu is doing with the Final Fantasy movie.
[RPGamer]
Specifically, the job openings ad. Yes, that's CGI:
[Foo]
Bruce
Bruce Perens.
I read somewhere in the days leading up to the SP release that Matt+Trey were quoted as 'Going back to the roots and the original cardboard'. There was definately CG anims in there (the hell scene was supersweet) but when I saw the closing credits it looked as though they outsourced that to a 3rd party CG house.
--
rickf@transpect.SPAM-B-GONE.net (remove the SPAM-B-GONE bit)
"People will pay big bucks for the luxury of ignorance."
Intellivision was great! I recall as a kid growing up in the 80's whenever a group of kids would play frisbee the game would eventually devolve into a violent form of tag (called TRON) in which the sole object was to hit the other players with a thrown frisbee. Ahh, those were the days.
For a '90's update on the same theme as Tron, check out "Reboot" on The Cartoon Channel 4:30pm EST.
I already consider this to be a remake/sequel of
Tron. As already mentioned by several others, the
original script for Tron isn't strong enough for
a true remake... However I'd love to see a sequel
if Pixar could find a terrific script.
Edges are for leadin' not bleedin'
SIGLOST && SIGUNUSED && SIGQUIT
The rumours are not true.
This clinches it for ZDnet in my eyes.
What irresponsible reporting.
Also, Disney does not own 50% of Pixar, not even 10%.
My initial reaction is that is could be terrible, but...
The thought of Pixar 'completely misunderstanding' computers and the net is laughable. Pixar are one of the most technologically savvy companies about. Look at who works for them, it's almost a who's who of the computer graphics industry. And they developed RenderMan, one of the coolest pieces of software on the planet.
HH
Yellow tigers crouched in jungles in her dark eyes.
She's just dressing, goodbye windows, tired starlings.
oh yeah. who's yo daddy. WHO'S YO DADDY?!?!
oh baby! wooooohoooooo! i rule! i am the most excellent being in this excellent universe! and most important, i got the latest post evah!
yo is all my bitches. i own you! oh yeah!
the lastest post! right here, baby!
Unfortunately, quite a few of those really sucked too... does anyone remember 'Automan?' ;)
I loved TRON when I was a kid. I broke the Beta of it in the machine from watching it so much. Recognizers became my first 3d modelling projects. My grade 7 computer science class had something like 22 different versions of the lightcycle game independantly created as final projects (mine wasn't one of them ;), so I guess I wasn't solely affected.
My worst fear is that a remake or sequel would be attempted, and it'd fall flat on it's face. We're better off letting it remain the somewhat campy geek-motivational flick from childhood, something to draw on subconciously for future 'cool things'.
I would, however, happily help to code and/or beta an opensource version of Space Paranoids. With all the 3d FPS game engines out there, I think 'Noids is long overdue. Any takers?
--
rickf@transpect.SPAM-B-GONE.net (remove the SPAM-B-GONE bit)
"People will pay big bucks for the luxury of ignorance."
A sequel to Tron wouldn't have to be anything like current "computer based movies" (although Sneakers was pretty good). Ever since I saw Tron as a kid, that is how my vision of Cyberspace would be like (lots of neon that is, versus Lawnmowerman's version). If they do a sequel (better than a remake), they should focus on the story and not worry about trying to explain every little thing. Bring back Flint!
Ack, I should get this, but I don't. It has something to do with Perl, right? Is it surrealist comedy?
I don't think so. TRON was a command in many BASIC interpreters for debugging (I think it was something really primitive, like printing a line number in square brackets when each line was interpreted). Not really like "use strict" in perl, but I think "gdb" would be a really sucky movie title...
I miss Meept.
Dreamworks SKG, with a bit of Microsoft backing rushed the inferior Antz to market
To be honest out of 5 people that I know have seen both movies, all but one preferred Antz.
The reason that one didn't like it was mainly because of Woody Allen.
I have never thought that Antz was rushed. It certainly doesn't look it.
"With Tron, a competitor could create another flick in the same genre, also computer animated, and release shortly before."
Thats a big risk to take. Warners have tried to do disney style movies and they really haven't worked. (Mind you I'm getting feed up with Disney retelling the past through their eyes, its why I am glad that the Muppets are no longer in Disneys control). Animations, computer or otherwise, are expensive enough that its probably to risky to try.
Rob
Life's a joke Question is, who's the butt
TRON in the some of the Atari Basics 8-bit stood for "Trace On" as I recall. It would display at the top of the screen the line number and the BASIC statement of a program written in BASIC as it was executed as an debuging aid.
right -- they're supposed to be wired to the internet and rotated in real time using a debian linux machine... 8)
Actually, Pixar is working on "pr0n", the Cool World sequel.
/* I'd rather see a sql than a remake. */
CREATE OR REPLACE VIEW new_tron AS
SELECT bm.old_tron,
bm.the_matrix,
bm.lawnmower_man,
bt.reboot,
bt.power_rangers,
bt.beast_wars,
FROM bad_movies bm, bad_tv_shows bt;
:-)
Three Step Plan:
1. Take over the world.
2. Get a lot of cookies.
3. Eat the cookies.
...when a Pixar spokesperson denies knowlege of it?
Or, are they just keeping the noise level down until they decide whether or not to do it?
The original was great... I would not want to see a remake that just adds more modern animation. On the other hand, I would love to see a well-done sequel. Only, maybe this time they should use more Unix terminology and fewer Burroughs (Unisys) terms!
Geeky modern art T-shirts
A number of TRON cast members went onto work on Babylon-5...TRON was played by Bruce Boxleitner, who also played John Sheriden. Peter Jurasik, Londo Mollari...and knowing the Pixar people (And animators in general), there would bound to be many B-5 References, injokes in a remake of TRON...Let's go de-rez some Shadows!
ttyl
Farrell
CAN-CON 2019 - Ottawa's only book oriented Science Fiction Convention! October 18-20, Sheraton Hotel, Ottawa, Canada h
If it's a remake, I wonder if they'll round up the original actors? If it's a sequel...well...I'll be very nervous about what 1990's minds can create. I think a lot of the fun of Tron came from it's early 80's views on computers. They were mysterious and unknown...today it's net this, browser that. Even grandpa has an AOL account to talk with his war buddies 300 miles away.
Just have to see, I guess...:/
-- www.bteg.com | bleh.n3.net | hac47.dhs.org
Though I know if ayone should do something like this it's Pixar, I doubt very much if it's true.
Pixar has alwredy announced their next project, monsters inc, and I find it unlikely that they will work on two big features at the same time.
The original; was one of the worst flops for disney, btw, very few people went to see it..
even less actually liked it..
--------------------------------
People are trying hard to waste others' moderator points by ALWAYS bragging when they get position 1. Begone first-post-braggers!
OFTC: By the community, for the community
No, really. I liked the original Tron, though even way back then I knew it wasn't even close to "realistic." I just have this awful feeling that if they were to do a sequel, it'd turn into some horrible mishmash of "Lawnmower Man," "The Net," and a bunch of other movies that were substandard. Computers/+the Net have permeated popular culture far enough to be completely misunderstood by those in the movie business. (Hollywood truth: anyone who knows anything about computers can hack into top-secret NSA databases in less than 5 minutes!)
Or is Pixar going to make a kinder, gentler "The Matrix," with semi-violent heroes in glowing blue suits substituted for ultraviolent heroes in black trenchcoats?
Give a monkey a brain and he'll swear he's the center of the universe.
It's not really Tron unless the graphics were done on a Super Foonly.
(see the Jargon File.)
A remake is absolutely necessary, but they'll have to change TRON's name to something more modern like "-w" or "strict".
>The one dud in the bunch was the Maze-A-Tron
:D
>game...pointless, boring, and tedious only begin
>to describe it.
I rememeber reading about it in the little Intellivision catalog things, but never got to play it. Sounds like I didn't miss much.
-- www.bteg.com | bleh.n3.net | hac47.dhs.org
If we did a prequel to TRON they would put in a character named Jar Jar Bits or something, so they can make it more appealing to the kiddies.
Wow... I am amazed to see this word - Foonly :) I didn't know a Foonly was used for Tron - But back in 1983, being seven years old, I used regularly (once a week, maybe) the Foonly where my father worked, learnt some TeX and Emacs - and had no idea that 16 years later I'd still be using them... Well, anyway, the Foonly F2 was so important for me that now I like even more Tron! Heck, if I could get hold of a Tron movie in Mexico :)
Ack, I should get this, but I don't. It has something to do with Perl, right? Is it surrealist comedy?
fish and pipes
I remember the following pleasant memories:
What I also came away with was the theme by Wendy Carlos (Walter Carlos before the sex change operation, "Switched-on Bach") for the solar sail simulation run. I can still hear that running through my head...
Like I said, this was a pleasant little movie. A remake or sequel is guaranteed to fall flat on its face. I'm not interested in another sucks-out-load movie extension like "Phantom Menace" that's all CGI and no decent acting whatsoever.
All that acting (and musical) talent! Not to mention a fun story and awesome effects (esp. on a big movie-theater screen - I'll readily admit it looks like a cheap video game on a regular TV screen).
That having been said, I agree that a remake or sequel is probably a Bad Idea. There's so little to gain and so much that could go horribly wrong. But I'd still be first in line to see it when it comes to my town!
One more bit of Tron trivia... the French artist and Metal Hurlant heavy-hitter Moebius did a lot of the preproduction design stuff for the film. No wonder I loved it!
-Drox
(proud owner of an original 1982 Tron beach towel)
It's all too late. They'll probably make a sequel, and put in cute prequel material in the storyline.
A prequel has merit, but why does the entertainment industry feel the need to make prequels when the sequel avenue looks weak?
TRON could have an amazing sequel depending on your perspective. Sure, TRON's ending wrapped up alot of loose ends. Tron no longer has any conflicts, but previous posts mentioned the mystique of TRON's world in the 80's. Imagine how that world would have developed in 10 or 15 years?
I'm sure it would probably follow the same pattern as a country town as it turns into a large city. The mainframe connects with the client server network. New programs (people) are created by the almighty users.
Tron wasn't just fighting the MCP. He was fighting progress of a huge consolidated mainframe. 90's IT technology has would probably disrupt the harmony of TRON's world just as much as a MCP. Look at a certain software company's OS.
If anything of TRON is to be done, it should be a sequel. Not a prequel or a remake. That requires too much risk and too many expectations from the cult followers and well wishers ala TPM. Plus you can never get the same actors for a remake, or make it feel new.
This reminds me of the rumors in the early 90's about making a Highlander prequel that followed Ramirez.
That said, I'd much rather see some new and original movie from Pixar than a Tron remake. But I'd probably go see whatever they make.
No way.
Pixar is not a special-effects house. Their specialty is telling good stories with 3-D computer-graphic character animation, but telling good stories comes first. They actually spend more time on the script than they do on production. Toy Story and A Bug's Life spent 3 or 4 years in writing. Not until we could like the movie when shown as 100 minutes of shots of black and white pencil-drawn storyboards, with dialogue read by people around the office, would we go into production.
The problem with Tron is that the story isn't good enough - most people just are not interested in that story and the movie can not be saved by better special effects, not that any move can be saved this way. Nerdy folks like you and me might like it, but not a general audience. So, you might see a lesser studio give it a try, like the folks who did Small Soldiers.
Pixar writes its movies in house. They aren't interested in recycling old garbage. Sorry if that sounds harsh, but they could not be as successful as they are if they operated differently.
Again, I'm not a Pixar spokesperson, just someone who worked there for 12 years.
Thanks
Bruce
Bruce Perens.
> This didn't come accross in my message, oh well..
:D
:/
!
> What I ment was that Tron was a rather complex
>film full of jargon which at 1983 (or 82) when
>it came out, very few people could relate to. a
>lot of people who went to see it found it
>boring.
Funny, I never really thought of it that way...good point.
The Tron games for the Intellivision were great fun...I'd kill to play "Tron Deadly Discs" again...or "Solar Sailer"...(not to mention the AD&D games). Sadly, the guys who put out the "Intelivision Lives!"(?) CD probably couldn't put it on the disc because of licensing problems...oh the agony.
-- www.bteg.com | bleh.n3.net | hac47.dhs.org
We already know that Tron eliminates Sark/MCP and now the world is a Better Place because data flows freely... but what about before? Maybe to see how MCP/Sark gained power and slowly took over the system?
There was also alot that was shown/not shown in the actual movie (remember Data Town?) that would be fascinating to explore - perhaps the story should not be related to the actual Tron plotline, but another story set within the main world(s).
I guess the old arcade would be gone, replaced by networked computers running Quake... hrm... Quake in Tron-world... now THAT would be an interesting side story.
--
Neurowiz
I agree with the comment that they should do a prequel -- but they would have to try hard to maintain the original naivety of the film. It should go back to the early 80s style.. use retro-futurist elektro music (they should make the title track "Little Computer People" by Anthony Rother ("little computer people project")!!) See: show flynn starting up his arcade...
.. it had bad acting, horrible plot, but the look of the whole thing. yummy simple look to the whole thing. and the wendy carlos soundtrack was amazing.
the originally movie was miserable except for its cuteness value
ahh memories of grade 2
too bad disney doesn't have the balls to do anything that is not furry in some way. (perhaps disney could delegate this to touchstone...)
(down w/ photorealism! i already got enough reality. bring back sparse-data planes and light cycles, yeah!)
This is probably off topic, but it was something I was wondering. What was the name of the big evil corporation in Tron?
Now that we've had nearly photorealistic main characters (Yes, that disctinction goes to the much disdained Jar Jar. Sure, he sucks, but the tech behind him is cool, dammit!) One of the remaining holy grails of the industry is to produce completely photorealistic human actors.
I can't think of a better place to try something like this out than in Tron. Stuff is supposed to look a slighty computerized anyway, so you don't have to be totally realistic. And since the first Tron was a major milestone in the industry, it would be great to see it be the next milestone too.
When Fantasia was first released it flopped.
-what's a sig?
------------------------ What's a Sig?
"A spokesperson for Pixar in Richmond, Calif., said she was not aware of any Tron projects, but if it were to happen, it would likely be led by Disney. Disney owns 50 percent of Pixar. The company did not return calls by press time. "
I checked Pixar's latest SEC filings and Disney owns 2,500,100 shares, or 5.2%. They might be taking about the Disney/Pixar agreement to share half the rights/cost/revenue of the pictures they make together.
Don't get me wrong, I liked Tron when I saw it as a kid, but it did terribly in terms of box office (I remember the theater being almost completely empty). And companies like Disney don't remake movies when the original lost money.
wow, you certanly are.
I don't know anyone else who could apear as stupid as you.....
_
"Subtle mind control? Why do all these HTML buttons say 'Submit' ?"
ReadThe ReflectionEngine, a cyberpunk style n
If they do a remake, he should be put into the computer while is playing Tomb Raiders!