A big new story from The Hollywood Reporter contains fascinating insight into Disney’s new streaming service, Disney+, including some of its growing pains. One of the revelations from the story is that Disney was said to be working on a Tron TV series from Oscar-winning writer John Ridley (12 Years A Slave, Three Kings, American Crime) before it was eventually scuttled.
The Tron series was never announced, so this is the first time we’re hearing about it. The report goes on to state that Ridley was working on the series as part of his deal with ABC Studios, which is owned by Disney. The show was never greenlit, so it wasn’t as if Disney canceled an in-development project. It is not uncommon for TV projects to be shut down before they even start, for a variety of reasons.
According to THR, Disney currently has more than 50 scripted shows and 50 unscripted programs in the works. The plan is to release about 35 original shows during Disney+’s first year, the report said.
As for shows that Disney has officially canceled, these include the scripted comedy Muppets Live Another Day and Book of Enchantment. Additionally, two other shows–High Fidelity and Love, Simon–moved from Disney+ to Hulu as part of a shake-up.
Additionally, production on the Lizzie McGuire show stopped in January when creator Terri Minsky left due to creative differences regarding the show’s more adult tone. The report cites sources saying there are some that believe Disney+ is struggling to find and define its identity.
The full story is a great read and well worth your time. Go read it here.
The Tron franchise has been on the bench for some time now. Tron: Legacy, starring Jeff Bridges, Olivia Wilde, and Martin Sheen, came to theatres in 2010, and this was followed up by 2012’s animated series Tron: Uprising.
SlashFilm reported last year that the Tron show was scheduled to be announced at the D23 Expo in 2019 but Disney decided to scrap those plans just days before the event. Ridley is said to have spent “several months” working on the show before it fell apart.
In 2015, Ridley was announced as the writer for a new Marvel show to air on ABC, but the status of this project is currently unknown.