Tron: Ares director says 150 crew members laid off amid strikes: 'It's time for diplomacy'

Tron: Ares director Joachim Rønning is urging Hollywood to come back online.

In a lengthy Instagram post Monday, the Norwegian filmmaker noted that production on the third film in the Tron franchise was set to begin this week but has been shut down due to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. He added that more than 150 people have been laid off from the Disney production and called on studios, writers, and actors to "speed up the negotiating process" so everyone can "get back to work" with fair contracts.

"Today was supposed to be our first day of principal photography on TRON: ARES (a movie subsequently about AI and what it means, and takes, to be human)," Rønning wrote. "Instead, we are shut down, with over 150 people laid off. It's indefinite, which makes it exponentially harder for everyone."

Walt Disney Productions/Kobal/Shutterstock A scene from 'Tron: Legacy'

He continued: "The AMPTP, SAG-AFTRA, and WGA need to speed up the negotiating process and not leave the table until it's done. This is Hollywood. We close deals for breakfast. Why do we suddenly have all the time in the world when every day is so precious? These tactics are extremely frustrating. It's time for diplomacy so we can get back to work — under conditions that are fair to everybody."

Disney representatives didn't immediately respond to a request for comment on Rønning's post.

Tron: Ares is set to star Jared Leto, Evan Peters, Greta Lee, and Jodie Turner-Smith. Plot details are scarce, but Leto is said to portray a sentient computer program that makes the journey from the digital world into the human world.

It sounds like a story that resonates with the ongoing strikes, given that the issue of increasingly sophisticated artificial intelligence technology is a major concern. "AI needs to be regulated," Rønning wrote. "There is no doubt about the threat the technology poses to all creatives."

Amid his call for negotiations to continue, Rønning expressed solidarity with striking writers and actors. "Like myself, being an actor or a writer, means you're a freelancer," he wrote. "And I can tell you, the constant uncertainty is not for everyone. To that end, I don't think it's unreasonable to ask for a better safety net."

Tron: Ares is poised to continue the story that began with the original 1982 Tron film, which starred Jeff Bridges as Kevin Flynn, a computer programmer who gets sucked into a video game world. It was not a box office hit but did develop a cult following, in part due to its impressive special effects. That eventually led to a 2010 sequel, Tron: Legacy, in which Bridges reprised his role alongside Garrett Hedlund and Olivia Wilde.

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