Tron: Ares has been met with an indefinite delay amid the ongoing SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes.
Joachim Rønning, the director of the third installment in the Tron series, released a statement in an Instagram post expressing his frustration over the negative impact the strike is having on his production and his peers’ projects, calling for negotiations between SAG-AFTRA, WGA, and the AMPTP. He wrote Tron: Ares, which has been in development since 2017, was supposed to begin filming this week, but instead of cameras rolling, 150 of his crew members lost their jobs.
“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,” Rønning said.
He continued, “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.”
IGN has reached out to Disney and Rønning’s rep for additional comment.
Tron: Ares stars Jared Leto as the titular Ares, a computer AI program that embarks on a journey from the digital world to the human world. Ironically, Rønnings agrees with most of the actors and writers that AI technology needs to be regulated, which is what the strike wants to accomplish, among other things. He said there is “no doubt about the threat the [AI] technology poses to all creatives.”
Cristina Alexander is a freelance writer for IGN. To paraphrase Calvin Harris, she wears her love for Sonic the Hedgehog on her sleeve like a big deal. Follow her on Twitter @SonicPrincess15.