It is easy to forget that Tron is owned by Disney. The original Tron and its 2010 sequel, Tron: Legacy, never took off the way Disney probably wanted them to, and their future has been uncertain for some time. But after more than a decade in development hell, a third film may finally be on the horizon.

According to Deadline (opens in new tab), the film is currently called "Tron: Ares," and "Pirates of the Caribbean 5" director Joachim Ronning is reportedly in talks to direct it. The film will also star Jared Leto, and the current screenplay is by screenwriter Jesse Wigtow; according to Deadline, shooting could begin as early as this August in Vancouver, although a deal has not yet been finalized.

The only big question I have at the moment is whether Disney can get Daft Punk back together to compose the soundtrack. The soundtrack for "Tron Legacy" was arguably the best part of the film. Tron: Ares will only suffer as a result of the duo's lack of involvement.

Not much is known about the plot of "Tron: Ares," but the second film ends with the revelation that digital humans can escape from the virtual world into our own. This obviously had a major impact and was to be explored in the sequel. And now it appears that that sequel is finally coming to fruition.

The history of the Tron franchise has been tumultuous to say the least: the original 1982 film was Disney's foray into blockbuster science fiction. Though well received, it grossed only $50 million at the worldwide box office. It was not terrible, but it fell short of Disney's expectations at the time.

Then, after gaining a cult following, Disney decided to make a sequel, which was released in 2010. Sadly, the film was received with mixed reviews and grossed only $400 million at the box office. It wasn't a bad result, but it wasn't enough to justify a sequel. Indeed, Disney was beginning to bring in MCU-level money at that point, as it would acquire Lucasfilm and the Star Wars franchise just two years later.

Indeed, just last year, "Tron: Legacy" director Joseph Kosinski admitted (open in new tab) that Disney had decided to prioritize investing in known properties over the "strange art student with a black nail in the corner" of "Tron."

Why did things change? It is probably no coincidence that the long-awaited Tron Light Cycle Run will open at Walt Disney World this April, but it is not entirely clear. Perhaps the publicity for this roller coaster has convinced Disney that Tron is worth another shot. Especially if it allows Disney to sell more merchandise inside and outside the theme parks.

Expect to hear more about "Tron: Ares" in the coming weeks and months. I will be keeping my ear to the ground.