As summer closes, most of the year’s blockbusters are behind us, though there are usually a few end-of-the-year epics to cap things off. This year Harry Potter will fill the traditional tent-pole fantasy film role, but it is Tron that’s really shaking things up by adding some sci-fi to December, and dropping a (Disney hopes) huge event film right before the year’s end. December 17th is drawing near and Disney is trying to stick the landing of their year long marketing push for Tron with a 10-week countdown event, “Tron Tuesdays.” Each week new announcements, contests, events, and previews will drop on Tuesday until the release of the film.
I’m not sure “Tron Tuesdays” will be much different than every other Tuesday of the last 10 months or so, but they’re also tying it in with “Tron Night,” a special IMAX preview on October 28th. Full details are in the press release below and Facebook, but essentially they’re doing a 20-minute IMAX preview, the (free) tickets for which are released tomorrow on the first “Tron Tuesday.”
In other news, the Daft Punk-generated soundtrack for the film has been bumped back to November 7th- apparently the originally announced November date was an error. While this is a bummer for those who were especially excited for the album to hit, they can console themselves with a special Daft Punk Tron poster that will be released with the deluxe edition of the album. The poster hasn’t been fully revealed yet, but the soundtrack website (which is an adorable emulator of Flynn’s neon DOS-era desktop) is currently previewing the portions of the poster that will glow. I’m interested in the album and the poster, but the rest of the image better be badass to justify $34.98 for the deluxe edition, especially when along with the poster and digital download they’re going to send a useless circular piece of plastic I’ll have to take time out to sneer at and throw away.
Check out the poster, so far as it’s been revealed, and the full details of the other announcements below.
20+ MINUTE 3D SNEAK PEEK ELECTRIFIES AUDIENCES AROUND THE WORLD WITH “TRON NIGHT: AN IMAX 3D EXPERIENCE”
Walt Disney Pictures’ “TRON: Legacy” Opens in US Theaters December 17, 2010
BURBANK, Calif. (October 10, 2010) —Walt Disney Studios announced today, October 10, 2010 (“10-10-10”), the kickoff of the official 10-week countdown to the release of “TRON: Legacy,” which opens in theaters December 17, 2010. Every week for the next 10 weeks marks a major milestone in the countdown as The Walt Disney Company rolls out exciting new TRON events, film content, products and announcements in preparation for the worldwide film launch, including:
• TRON Night: An IMAX 3D Experience, a special event on October 28, 2010, that will give audiences worldwide the first opportunity to step onto the Grid and into the cutting-edge, 3D world of Walt Disney Pictures’ high-tech adventure “TRON: Legacy,” during an exciting 20-plus-minute sneak peek of the highly anticipated film, sponsored by ASUS Computer International.
Select IMAX 3D theaters nationwide and 3D & IMAX 3D theaters internationally will offer a special screening of thrilling, never-before-seen 3D footage. “It’s exciting to offer fans an early, exclusive 3D preview of ‘TRON: Legacy’ in the ultimate of formats. We can’t wait for audiences around the world to experience the visually stunning and cutting-edge world that director Joe Kosinski has created,” said Sean Bailey, President of Production, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.
Greg Foster, Chairman and President of IMAX Filmed Entertainment, is equally enthusiastic. “We are ecstatic that the Disney team and the ‘TRON: Legacy’ filmmakers elected to debut this amazing footage exclusively in our network of theaters,” said Foster. “This first-look in IMAX 3D is the most immersive way to bring audiences into the world of ‘TRON: Legacy’ and kick-off the countdown to the film’s highly-anticipated launch.”
Tickets to the October 28th TRON Night events are free and will be distributed for US and Canadian screenings on a first-come, first-serve basis starting 10:00 a.m./PDT on the first “TRON Tuesday,” October 12, 2010. Information for U.S. and Canadian ticketing can be found on Facebook.com/TRON.
• Beginning today, fans have the opportunity to purchase tickets to select IMAX 3D
midnight screenings of “TRON: Legacy.” Tickets may be purchased at all participating IMAX locations and online at Disney.com/TRON.
• “TRON Tuesdays”— every Tuesday for the next 10 weeks, exclusive new video and film content, including behind-the-scenes exclusives, trailers and artwork, will be released around the world online and through select broadcast outlets. To get the latest on “TRON Tuesdays” and more, visit Disney.com and Facebook.com/TRON.
• “10-10-10” also marks the launch of Disney.com’s TRON: Get on the Grid
Sweepstakes, featuring hundreds of prizes including a Grand Prize Trip for four to experience ElecTRONica, the new street celebration at Disney California Adventure™ Park. The Get on the Grid Sweepstakes is open to US residents only; details and official entry rules are available at Disney.com/TRONsweeps.
ADDITIONAL HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 10-WEEK COUNTDOWN:
• Walt Disney Records will release the “TRON: Legacy” official motion picture
Soundtrack, scored by the French electronic music duo Daft Punk, on
December 7th.
• In addition to new merchandise arriving to stores this month, Disney Consumer
Products will debut exciting, new “TRON: Legacy” products and promotions, including a special line for women, a one-of-a-kind immersive retail destination for products and a unique gadget line for music and gaming fans.
• On December 7th, Disney Interactive Studios will launch the next-gen video
game “TRON: Evolution” for all major home video game consoles, Windows PC and handheld platforms.
• Disney Parks is celebrating “TRON: Legacy” with ElecTRONica, a nighttime
street event at Disney California Adventure™ Park, featuring a dynamic visual- and music-based experience, a re-creation of Flynn’s Arcade and an opportunity to see a special 3D preview of “TRON: Legacy.” ElecTRONica runs from now until April 2011 every Friday, Saturday and Sunday night and nightly through the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday periods.
Information on all TRON activities can be found at Disney.com/TRON.
ABOUT THE MOVIE
“TRON: Legacy” is a 3D action-packed adventure set in a digital world unlike anything captured on the big screen. Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund), a rebellious 27-year-old, is haunted by the mysterious disappearance of his father Kevin Flynn (Oscar® and Golden Globe® winner Jeff Bridges), a man once known as the world’s leading video-game developer. When Sam investigates a strange signal sent from the abandoned Flynn’s Arcade—that could have only come from his father—he finds himself pulled into a world where Kevin has been trapped for 20 years. With the help of the fearless warrior Quorra (Olivia Wilde), father and son embark on a life-or-death journey across a visually stunning universe—created by Kevin Himself—which has become far more advanced with never-before-imagined vehicles, weapons and landscapes, and a ruthless villain who will stop at nothing to prevent their escape.
“TRON: Legacy” is directed by Joseph Kosinski and produced by Sean Bailey, Jeffrey Silver and Steven Lisberger. The story is by Eddy Kitsis & Adam Horowitz and Brian Klugman & Lee Sternthal, and the screenplay is by Eddy Kitsis & Adam Horowitz, based on characters created by Steven Lisberger and Bonnie MacBird. Presented in Disney Digital 3D™ and IMAX 3D® and scored by Grammy Award®–winning electronic music duo Daft Punk, “TRON: Legacy” hits theaters on December 17, 2010.