Q – In your own personal movies you’ve directed, where would “Tron: Legacy” rank/ stand?
A – JOSEPH KOSINSKI: #1, definitely.
Q – Were there any concepts you planned but weren’t able to realize in TRON: Legacy?
A – JK: Yes, there are always limitations. For instance, Sam was initially supposed to battle four sentries on his way to get his father’s disc. Unfortunately we ran out of time and weren’t able to shoot that sequence.
Q – What were the biggest challenges in directing this movie?
A – JK: I think the biggest challenge on TL was the same as on any other film — creating a compelling story and characters you care about.
Q – How much pressure did you feel in not only making a sequel to Tron, but also in continuing the story?
A – JK: A lot. The first film was ambitious in so many ways — visually, conceptually, and technologically. I wanted this film to be just as ambitious in all of those respects.
Q – How much of a burden was the “Legacy”-part in TRON?
A – JK: The 28 years of backstory was certainly a challenge from a script-writing point of view. However, it was important to me that our film did not require prior knowledge of the first film.
Q – Before you started to shoot the movie, did you draw a story board?
A – JK: My sketching abilities are pretty limited, but I did have a small team storyboard about 90% of the movie.
Q – How did it feel to work on a project for so long and then finally see it in all its glory on the big-screen?
A – JK: It was a 3.5 year process so it took me awhile to realize it was actually finished. I am very proud of the film and particularly all of the thousands of people who worked on it.
Q – Was there ever any thought of setting the world of Tron in cyberspace instead of making it a place of its own?
A – JK: From the beginning I was not interested in making a movie about the internet. I liked the idea that this world had been sealed off since 1989 and had evolved on its own, like the Galapagos Islands.
Q – Few directors make their feature debut shooting in the new style 3D, was that a particularly daunting task?
A – JK: I knew this film had to be shot in 3D from the very beginning. There certainly are a lot of challenges it presents. The cameras are more cumbersome and prone to more technical issues. They slow down the shooting process a bit. And they make the visual effects process much more difficult, particularly on a film like this. However, in the end I’m glad we went the way we did.
Q – How much of Tron Legacy was computer animated?
A – JK: The Light Cycle Battle and the Light Jet Battle are almost 100% computer animated. The rest of the movie is a blend of live action and digital backdrops.
Q – While you come from a visual background and have said the film was 90% storyboarded, what did cinematographer Claudio Miranda bring to the table?
A – JK: Claudio and I had done over a dozen TV commercials together before I asked him to join me on TL. From the beginning I told him I wanted this to be an “uplit” world, light had to come from the floor whenever possible. That was a huge challenge for him in that he had to coordinate with the production designer in order to incorporate lighting into the architecture. We also pioneered a ceiling mounted motion control rig for the End Of Line club which was another “first” for our movie. The thing I love about Claudio is that he is not only an incredible artist, but a brilliant technician.
Q – Can you tell us how it was working with Jeff Bridges?
A – JK: A wonderful experience, everything you would hope for. I learned a lot from him.
Q – How much input did Jeff Bridges add to the script or story?
A – JK: Jeff was involved from the very beginning. The Buddhist qualities that Flynn has taken on since being trapped in the Grid was something that Jeff brought to the table. There are a quite a few lines in the film that Jeff came up with or adlibbed in the scene.
Q – Was Jeff flattered to see himself as a young man again?
A – JK: I think he found it to be a bit strange as you would imagine. He described it as feeling like the first moment you ever hear your own voice on tape — not exactly what you would expect.
Q – Cillian Murphy only briefly appears in TRON Legacy. Would it be fair to assume his appearance here is only a primer for possible involvement in a potential sequel?
A – JK: Yes that would be fair to assume.
Q – ‘Tron’ surprised us with groundbreaking special effects. ‘Tron: Legacy’ did the same and even added impressive 3D technology. What do you think will shock us in ‘Tron 3’, assuming it happens (we’re all rooting for it of course!)?
A – JK: I think the final scene of TL leaves open some very interesting possibilities. If Quorra can cross over into our world, what other elements from the Grid could do the same?
Q – There are lots of fans of the 1982 Tron movie. Did you fear their opinion?
A – JK: Since we decided to embrace the mythology set out by the first film, I felt that fans of the original would generally be supportive of this film. Of course there are always exceptions but opinions are not to be feared.
Q – What was key to making the story relate-able for young people today now that video games are so far removed from arcade games of the 80s?
A – JK: At its core the movie is about a son trying to reconnect with his father which is something I think almost anyone can relate to, regardless of how old you are.
Q – Could you define what the “Tron Legacy” means to you in one sentence?
A – JK: The film is about finding human connection in an increasingly digital world.
Q – Joe, any final thoughts on Tron Legacy?
A – JK: Thanks for all of the great questions, hope you enjoy the Blu-Ray!
(click for Q/A) Joseph Kosinski / Steve Preeg / Eric Barba