Disney didn’t originally want Daft Punk to be part of 2010’s TRON: Legacy. The addition of the legendary French house music duo was a big highlight for many fans in the sequel to the famed Disney sci-fi film, but it almost didn’t happen. Arriving nearly thirty years after the original TRON delighted audiences, TRON: Legacy was an attempt by Disney to reignite the concept of a computer generated world filled with danger and intrigue. The story followed Sam (Garrett Hedlund), the son of computer programmer Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges), who ventures into the digital world his father created and disappeared into 27 years earlier.
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TRON: Legacy was a visually stunning interpretation of the world that couldn’t be fully realized in the 1982 version, complete with a Daft Punk cameo as DJs inside a nightclub. The duo also composed the film’s soundtrack, which some argue was better than the film itself. For decades, Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter had built a mythology around their music, playing the role of two robots on and off stage. TRON: Legacy seemed the perfect film for them to be a part of.
However, during a panel for Comic-Con@Home, posted to Comic-Con International‘s YouTube channel, TRON: Legacy director Joseph Kosinski revealed Disney heads were not originally convinced Daft Punk were the right choice to score the film. Though Kosinski was completely behind the idea, Disney executives agreed instead to meet with all of the top composers in Hollywood in order to find the right fit. When that failed to yield satisfactory results, the decision was made for Disney to score TRON: Legacy themselves. Kosinski explained:
The idea of hiring a, kind of a French electronic duo to do a major motion picture score at the time was concerning and required a lot of conversations on TRON. But they quickly proved that they were up to the task and did a great job. It just started with a conversation between me and Daft Punk about what we want to do and we very quickly learned that we both wanted a hybrid score of electronic and orchestra… they [Daft Punk] did a couple of demos and Disney, you know, said, alright, let’s give it a shot. And we, you know, we started very early – I mean, the music for that film was written while were shooting so I was able to play it on set while we were shooting the movie – which was a very cool thing that I haven’t been able to do since.
As far as box office revenue went, TRON: Legacy did well enough, and the film being in 3D made excellent use of the technology at the time. Watching it unfold on the big screen set to Daft Punk’s immersive score was indeed a unique experience. Unfortunately, for many, it felt as though Kosinski chose style over substance. The film lacked a deeply engaging plot, and this likely was a major roadblock in achieving a greater degree of success. But, as previously mentioned, Daft Punk’s contributions remain a highlight even today, and their inclusion in the film was arguably one of the best decisions Kosinski made on the project. It may seem strange that Disney wasn’t initially willing to include Daft Punk, but it’s also a clear indication that studio heads don’t always understand everything about the films they’re in charge of getting off the ground.
In recent months, there has been talks about Disney potentially returning to the TRON franchise for a third film. While this was originally planned back in 2010 and then subsequently cancelled, Kosinski himself has spoken about Tron 3. If this should happen, hopefully Daft Punk will return once again to both write the film’s score and to cameo. Hopefully, Disney has learned what an asset the duo were to TRON: Legacy, meaning there won’t be any hesitancy this time around to getting them on aboard, should a third film make it to the big screen.
Source: Comic-Con International
