TRON:_Uprising
Tron: Uprising
Animated science fiction series
Tron: Uprising (stylized as TRON: Uprising) is an American animated science fiction television series. Set in the Tron fictional universe, the series takes place between the events of the films Tron (1982) and Tron: Legacy (2010). A total of 19 episodes were produced and aired on Disney XD in the United States from May 18, 2012, to January 28, 2013.[2][3][4] The series was mainly directed by Charlie Bean, who also acted as executive producer, while Justin Springer, Edward Kitsis, and Adam Horowitz served as consulting producers.[5]
| Tron: Uprising | |
|---|---|
| Genre | |
| Based on | |
| Developed by | |
| Directed by | |
| Voices of | |
| Composer | Joseph Trapanese |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 19 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Charlie Bean |
| Running time |
|
| Production companies | |
| Original release | |
| Network | Disney XD |
| Release | May 18, 2012 (2012-05-18) – January 28, 2013 (2013-01-28) |
| Related | |
| Tron Tron: Legacy | |
Beck is a young program who becomes the leader of a revolution inside the computer world of the Grid against the villainous Clu and his henchmen. A mechanic, he is trained by Tron, the greatest warrior the Grid has ever known. Tron not only trains Beck in the fighting and light cycle skills to challenge the brutal military occupation of the city of Argon, but also guides and mentors him to grow beyond his youthful, impulsive nature into a courageous and powerful leader. Beck adopts Tron's persona and becomes the enemy of General Tesler and his oppressive forces.[6][7]
Mains
- Beck (voiced by Elijah Wood) is the protagonist of the series. Beck is a young program who leads a revolution against Clu. He is trained by Tron and he challenges the evil forces of Tesler and Clu. Beck is referred to by the public as "Tron" and "the Renegade".
- Tron (voiced by Bruce Boxleitner) is the original protector of the Grid, Tron was supposedly killed by Clu. However, Tron survived that battle with injuries. Unable to protect the Grid, Tron sought out a new protector and found Beck, whom he vowed to train. In "Scars", it is revealed Dyson also scarred the left side of his face. He is later fully healed in "Terminal"
- Mara (voiced by Mandy Moore) is a co-worker and one of Beck's friends at Able's Garage. Saved early in the series by Beck, Mara becomes one of the most dedicated, and optimistic believers in Tron's return and the Renegade's actions, often supporting him openly and questioning the official news reports painting the Renegade as a terrorist.
- Zed (voiced by Nate Corddry) is a co-worker and friend of Beck's at Able's Garage. Due to his long-standing romantic interest in Mara, Zed becomes jealous of her fanatical support of the Renegade and becomes opposed to the extreme actions being taken against the established regime. Beck often makes this worse by taking advantage of Zed while acting as the Renegade, reinforcing Zed's ill-feelings.
- General Tesler (voiced by Lance Henriksen) is Clu's henchman and the main antagonist of the series. Tesler was originally tasked with eliminating rumours of Tron's survival and suppressing reports of Tron's return. He rarely participates in action directly, but when he does has shown himself to be a capable combatant and tactician.
- Paige (voiced by Emmanuelle Chriqui) is a young program who is one of Tesler's field commanders. While hardened and dedicated, she is less antagonistic than Tesler and takes a personal interest in the new "Tron". Originally a medical program, Paige volunteered to be reformatted as a soldier after surviving what she believed to be an ISO attack, unaware that the killings she witnessed were done under Tesler's orders.
- Able (voiced by Reginald VelJohnson) is the owner of Able's Garage (which is the best repair shop in Argon City). Able is fully aware that Tron is still alive, and is one of the first to discover Beck's double life. While not openly supporting Beck, Able often allows him leeway from his regular duties and covers for Beck's absences from work. In "No Bounds", he is killed by Cyrus, when the bomb he took off of Zed and Mara got reactivated.
- Pavel (voiced by Paul Reubens) is Tesler's second-in-command. Although Pavel has been with Tesler far longer than Paige, his sadistic tendencies and lack of finesse often leads to Paige being given duties which require a more positive public image. This has led Pavel's loyalty to Tesler to be stretched, as well as damaging his working relationship with Paige.
- The Grid (voiced by Tricia Helfer) is the unique main setting of the Tron universe.
Recurring
- Clu (voiced by Fred Tatasciore) is the updated version of the original Clu from the original Grid, he was created by Kevin Flynn (the creator of the Grid). Clu betrayed Flynn and Tron then took over the Grid.
- Tatasciore also voices Kevin Flynn (Clu's original user) in episode 9 "Scars Part 1".
- Bartik (voiced by Donald Faison) is a program who joined a task force formed by Paige to hunt down the Renegade. He and his friend Hopper are shown sometimes picking on Zed and some of the workers. In "Terminal", he and Hopper later decided to switch sides and protect the Renegade after witnessing the workers stand up to Pavel.
- Hopper (voiced by Paul Scheer) is a program who joined a task force formed by Paige to hunt down the Renegade. He is Bartik's friend, like Bartik, he sometimes picks on Zed and some of the workers. IN "Terminal", he and Bartik later decided to switch sides and protect the Renegade after witnessing the workers stand up to Pavel.
- Dyson (voiced by John Glover) is a former friend turned traitor of Tron. Dyson betrayed Tron by joining Clu's army and he is now Clu's highest and most dangerous operative.
- Perl (voiced by Kate Mara) is a female member of a criminal gang who lures Zed into bringing her into Able's Garage, where she stole the ENCOM 786 lightcycle. She was later arrested by Paige.
- Cyrus (voiced by Aaron Paul) is Tron's first official Renegade. After Tron was beaten by Dyson, Cyrus stepped in to save Tron. Cyrus then became the first "Renegade" before Beck. However, he believed that in order to free the grid, he should destroy it. Tron, upset that Cyrus saw things differently, imprisoned Cyrus in a crack in the grid, provided by Able. Cyrus then meets up with Beck and explains that he is the first renegade. Cyrus used Beck, along with himself, as battery power to thereby "freeing" the programs oppressed by Clu. He broke out of the compressed space, but fell back when Beck broke free. However, Cyrus escaped and caused havoc as the Renegade, blaming his crimes on Beck.
- Keller (voiced by Marcia Gay Harden) is a scientific program initially employed by Tesler to brainwash the programs of Argon City into obeying Clu. When she witnesses the brutality of Tesler's regime and her brainwashing device is destroyed by the Renegade, she flees the city, pursued by Beck and Paige.
- Cutler (voiced by Lance Reddick) is a veteran of the Isomorphic Algorithm (ISO) wars. He fought for the ISOs and wore an armband as a sign of his past. Cutler went to Argon City after hearing about the "Renegade". He returns in "Terminal", where it is revealed he was captured and repurposed by Clu.
- Quorra (voiced by Olivia Wilde) is the last surviving ISO.[8]
- Link (voiced by David Arquette) is a minor character who often appears in the background in major key events. He is a mechanic who works in Able's garage, and friend of Beck and Mara. He is quiet, and rather clumsy, causing accidents and irritation among his workplace. He is often ignored by his peers, and given menial tasks much to his frustration. He was once approached by Pavel, who easily manipulated him to falsely testify the identity of the "Renegade" in exchange for a vehicle. Despite this, he has shown admiration for the "Renegade", and is seen among the rebellion in the final episode.
- Gorn (voiced by Kathryn Hunter) is a technician operating in Purgos, Argon City's ghetto. She specializes in erasing or modifying memories of various programs, and is often tasked with this by Pavel when he orchestrates a frame-up. Ultimately, she is herself mutilated and rendered mute in order to keep silent about Pavel's schemes.
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Viewers (millions) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Beck's Beginning" | Charlie Bean | Edward Kitsis & Adam Horowitz | May 18, 2012 (2012-05-18) | 1.79[9] | |
| After his city is invaded and a friend killed by Clu's soldiers, a young program named Beck takes the name of "Tron" and, aided by the real Tron, fights back. (31-minute prelude episode, initially produced as a 10-segment miniseries.) | ||||||
| 2 | "The Renegade, Part 1" | Charlie Bean | Story by : Edward Kitsis & Adam Horowitz Written by : Kamran Pasha & Adam Nussdorf & Bill Wolkoff | June 7, 2012 (2012-06-07) | 0.58[10] | |
|
As Tron trains Beck, Beck begins to doubt that he can be the next Tron. While trying to evade security, Beck lands in a prison transport and is taken to the games. Meanwhile, Zed falls for a female named Perl and brings her to the garage to show her his work, where she steals Able's classic ENCOM 786. Guest Star: Ben Schwartz as Rilo | ||||||
| 3 | "The Renegade, Part 2" | Charlie Bean | Story by : Edward Kitsis & Adam Horowitz Written by : Kamran Pasha & Adam Nussdorf & Bill Wolkoff | June 14, 2012 (2012-06-14) | 0.37[11] | |
| When Beck and Cutler are thrown into a deathmatch, Cutler forfeits and Beck has to return as the Renegade to rescue him. | ||||||
| 4 | "Blackout" | Charlie Bean | Edward Kitsis & Adam Horowitz | June 21, 2012 (2012-06-21) | 0.54[12] | |
| Beck is sent by Tron to destroy an Occupation-manned energy drill causing power blackouts in Argon City before its destructive power destabilizes the Grid. | ||||||
| 5 | "Identity" | Charlie Bean | Bill Wolkoff | June 28, 2012 (2012-06-28) | 0.38[13] | |
|
When Beck's identity disc is stolen on the Light Rail, his memory begins to unravel. Hoping to prevent permanent memory loss or identification as the Renegade, he and Tron go to Purgos, Argon City's closest neighbor, to recover it. Guest Star: Lake Bell as Lux, Mark Boone Junior as Kobol, and Adam DeVine as Galt | ||||||
| 6 | "Isolated" | Charlie Bean | André Bormanis | July 5, 2012 (2012-07-05) | 0.36[14] | |
|
After stealing a valuable data cube from General Tesler's ship, Beck (as the Renegade) is chased by Paige over the Sea of Simulation. When they crash on a destabilized island, Paige reflects on the events that led her to becoming a soldier of the Occupation. Guest Star: Parminder Nagra as Ada and Olivia Wilde as Quorra | ||||||
| 7 | "Price of Power" | Charlie Bean | Adam Nussdorf | July 12, 2012 (2012-07-12) | 0.35[15] | |
| Beck intercepts a disk modification that enhances the physical abilities of any program who wears it, but it has some unfortunate side effects. | ||||||
| 8 | "The Reward" | Charlie Bean | Story by : André Bormanis Written by : Scott Nimerfro & André Bormanis | October 19, 2012 (2012-10-19) | N/A | |
| When General Tesler offers a reward, as well as the lifting of Argon City's curfew, for the capture of the Renegade, programs all over Argon City began to falsely accuse each other. | ||||||
| 9 | "Scars, Part 1" | Charlie Bean | Bill Wolkoff | October 26, 2012 (2012-10-26) | N/A | |
| Dyson, once Tron's lieutenant and now high-ranking in Clu's takeover, comes to Argon City to check up on Tessler. | ||||||
| 10 | "Scars, Part 2" | Charlie Bean | Bill Wolkoff | November 2, 2012 (2012-11-02) | N/A | |
| Beck seeks to stop Tron from killing Dyson. | ||||||
| 11 | "Grounded" | Charlie Bean | Adam Nussdorf | December 3, 2012 (2012-12-03) | N/A | |
| A furious Tesler publicly challenges the Renegade to appear in Argon Square and surrender himself, promising to free additional prisoners and end the curfew if he does so. Beck accepts the challenge and narrowly escapes capture. Able later reveals that he knows that Beck is the Renegade. | ||||||
| 12 | "We Both Know How This Ends" | Charlie Bean | Adam Nussdorf & Akela Cooper | December 10, 2012 (2012-12-10) | N/A | |
| Able heads to the Outlands to confront Tron over his use of Beck as the Renegade, leaving Mara in charge of the garage. | ||||||
| 13 | "The Stranger" | Charlie Bean | Scott Nimerfro & Adam Nussdorf and Ryan Mottesheard | December 17, 2012 (2012-12-17) | N/A | |
| On a trip to Gallium City through a storm, Beck discovers a one-way portal. He also learns that he wasn't the first program that Tron had trained as a renegade. | ||||||
| 14 | "Tagged" | Charlie Bean | Adam Nussdorf & Bill Wolkoff | December 24, 2012 (2012-12-24) | N/A | |
|
The Renegade recruits three programs who caught his attention by tagging the grid with the message, "Tron Lives." He discovers one of them is Mara. Guest Star: Jamie Hector as Moog and Jack Huston as Rasket | ||||||
| 15 | "State of Mind" | Charlie Bean | Story by : Mark Litton Written by : Bill Wolkoff & Adam Nussdorf | December 31, 2012 (2012-12-31) | N/A | |
| Tesler uses a mind-control agent to build an army. When Mara falls victim to it, Zed and the Renegade work together to help rescue her. | ||||||
| 16 | "Welcome Home" | Robert Valley | Story by : Scott Nimerfro & Donna Thorland & Adam Prince Written by : Scott Nimerfro & Donna Thorland | January 7, 2013 (2013-01-07) | N/A | |
|
Beck tries to rescue a fleeing government scientist before Paige and the Occupation finds her; Paige and Beck become passengers on the same runaway train and Beck must save the innocent programs on the train without revealing his identity. Guest Star: Matt Jones as Lenz and Paul Rust as Ott | ||||||
| 17 | "Rendezvous" | Charlie Bean | Bill Wolkoff | January 14, 2013 (2013-01-14) | N/A | |
|
Beck and Paige go out on a date, and Paige begins to see Beck's views. Meanwhile, Pavel tests the augmentation boost, but Paige catches him, misconstruing Beck's advice. Tired of her interference, Pavel plots to get rid of Paige once and for all, while Beck decides that an appearance by the Renegade may finally win Paige over. Guest Star: Matt Jones as Erg | ||||||
| 18 | "No Bounds" | Charlie Bean | Story by : Scott Nimerfro & Donna Thorland Written by : Scott Nimerfro | January 21, 2013 (2013-01-21) | N/A | |
| Cyrus, seeking revenge on Beck and Tron, impersonates the Renegade and kills an innocent program. With the city against him, Beck is forced to make the difficult choice of saving Tron or his friends. | ||||||
| 19 | "Terminal" | Charlie Bean | Scott Nimerfro & Adam Nussdorf & Donna Thorland | January 28, 2013 (2013-01-28) | N/A | |
| Tron tells Beck that he is dying and that the only way to stop his illness is to use the Occupation's new super recognizer. | ||||||
Design
The series features an animation style that mixes 2D animation and CGI animation.[16][17] The look of the series was inspired by Star Wars: The Clone Wars, ThunderCats, and Aeon Flux.[2]
Director Charlie Bean explained 'the idea was to create a distinct style for the CG show not seen elsewhere on television or in film.'[18] He worked closely with art director Alberto Mielgo, character designer Robert Valley (animation artist for the Gorillaz music videos) and lead vehicle designer Daniel Simon, who was previously responsible for many vehicle designs in the Tron: Legacy feature film, including the light cycles.[19] Mielgo won the Primetime Emmy Award for his art direction in 2013.[20]
Casting
In December 2010, it was announced that Elijah Wood, Bruce Boxleitner, Lance Henriksen, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Mandy Moore, Paul Reubens, Nate Corddry and Reginald VelJohnson would voice characters in a television series based on the Tron franchise, titled Tron: Uprising.[6][7]
Cancellation
On January 14, 2013, producer Edward Kitsis responded to rumors of cancellation by stating, "I don't know what the future [of Tron: Uprising] is now. I know at the present, I can say we need more viewers."[21] Disney XD moved the program in the broadcast schedule to Monday mornings at 12:00 AM Eastern until the first season episodes finished airing on January 28, 2013. After the last episode of the first season aired, no more episodes of Tron: Uprising have been produced.
Marketing
A trailer for the series, with a voice-over by Bruce Boxleitner, was released online in May 2012 (2012-05).[22] and on the home video releases of Tron: Legacy, on April 5, 2011 (2011-04-05).[17] Disney XD presented CGI models of characters, concept art, and the original trailer that was with the home releases of Tron: Legacy at San Diego Comic Con 2011.[23][24] Disney released the first, pre-season episode on May 18, 2012 (2012-05-18), in which the full 31-minute episode was featured on Disney XD on Demand, YouTube, Facebook, iTunes a week earlier. The prelude episode was broadcast only on Disney Channel, and was originally going to be a 10-part miniseries.
Netflix
On May 9, 2013, it was announced that Disney had reached an agreement with Netflix wherein Tron: Uprising would appear on the streaming service, however it was removed one year later.[25]
Disney+
The full series is available for streaming on Disney+, which released in November 2019.[26]
| TRON: Uprising (Music from and Inspired by the Series) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by | ||||
| Released | January 8, 2013 (2013-01-08) | |||
| Recorded | 2012 (2012) | |||
| Genre | Symphonic techno, orchestral | |||
| Length | 1:15:42 | |||
| Label | Walt Disney | |||
| Tron music chronology | ||||
| ||||
The series is scored by Joseph Trapanese, who arranged Daft Punk's score for Tron: Legacy.[2] A soundtrack album for the score was released digitally and manufacture on demand CD by Walt Disney Records on January 8, 2013 (2013-01-08).[27] Trapanese later digitally released two extended plays for the show featuring additional tracks not heard on the initial product: Tron: Uprising - Hero EP in 2015 and Tron: Uprising - Occupied EP in 2020.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Beck's Theme – Lightbike Battle" | 3:57 |
| 2. | "Tesler Throwdown" | 4:13 |
| 3. | "Paige's Past" | 3:53 |
| 4. | "Lux's Sacrifice" | 4:51 |
| 5. | "Price Of Power" | 5:01 |
| 6. | "Rescuing The Rebellion" | 3:07 |
| 7. | "Dyson Drops In (Scars Suite)" | 2:11 |
| 8. | "Tron's Promise (Scars Suite)" | 4:42 |
| 9. | "Tron's Turn (Scars Suite)" | 2:22 |
| 10. | "Beck Betrayed (Scars Suite)" | 1:43 |
| 11. | "Torture (Scars Suite)" | 3:33 |
| 12. | "Revenge (Scars Suite)" | 2:41 |
| 13. | "Redemption (Scars Suite)" | 3:29 |
| 14. | "Goodbye Renegade" | 2:24 |
| 15. | "Compressed Space" | 5:53 |
| 16. | "Renegade's Pledge – End Credits" | 1:52 |
| 17. | "Lightbike Battle" (3OH!3 and JT Remix) | 4:43 |
| 18. | "Inferno" (Opiuo Remix) | 5:07 |
| 19. | "Dyson" (David Hiller Remix) | 5:00 |
| 20. | "Rezolution" (performed by Cole Plante) | 5:00 |
| Total length: | 1:15:42 | |
Critical response
The series premiere earned mostly positive reviews. It also currently holds an 8.8 rating on TV.com,[28] and 8.1 rating from 7,064 users on IMDb.com.[29] "Beck's Beginning" was given a positive review, with IGN ranking it 8 out of 10.[30]
Awards and nominations
| Award | Category | Recipient | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40th Annie Awards[31] | Best Animated Special Production (Episode: Beck's Beginning) | Tron: Uprising | Nominated |
| Character Design in a Television Production (Episode: The Renegade, Part 1) | Robert Valley | Won | |
| Production Design in a Television Production (Episode: The Stranger) | Alberto Mielgo | Won | |
| Storyboarding in a Television Production (Episode: The Reward) | Kalvin Lee & Robert Valley | Nominated | |
| 65th Primetime Emmy Awards[20] | Outstanding Individual Achievement In Animation – Art Direction | Alberto Mielgo | Won |
- Graser, Marc (May 20, 2012). "'Tron: Uprising' nurses a franchise". Variety. Retrieved May 20, 2012.
- Wallace, Lewis (November 4, 2010). "Disney Plans Tron: Uprising Drama Show". Wired. Retrieved November 9, 2010.
- "预告片：创-崛起". TV Fantasy. Retrieved May 3, 2012.
- Michael Schneider (November 4, 2010). "Disney XD orders 'Tron: Legacy' toon". Variety. Retrieved November 9, 2010.
- "TRON: Uprising Coming to Disney XD in 2012". Coming Soon. November 5, 2010. Archived from the original on December 24, 2010. Retrieved January 11, 2011.
- Gilchrist, Todd (December 21, 2010). "TRON: Legacy' Screenwriters Discuss Stars, Story of the Upcoming TV Series". Box Office. Archived from the original on February 24, 2013. Retrieved December 24, 2010.
- "Keck's Exclusives First Look: Tron Reboots Olivia Wilde's Quorra". June 4, 2012. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
- Kondolojy, Amanda (May 21, 2012). "Friday Cable Ratings: NBA Playoffs + 'Sportscenter', 'Common Law', 'Fairly Legal', 'Storage Wars' & More". TV By the Numbers. Archived from the original on May 25, 2012. Retrieved May 27, 2012.
- "Thursday's Cable Ratings: Another 11 Million for Heat/Celtics Semi-Finals on ESPN". The Futon Critic. June 8, 2012. Retrieved June 9, 2012.
- "Thursday's Cable Ratings: "Burn Notice" Tops Viewers, "Swamp People" Takes Demos". The Futon Critic. June 15, 2012. Retrieved June 15, 2012.
- "Ratings – Thursday's Cable Ratings: "Swamp People," "Burn Notice" Take Top Honors". TheFutonCritic.com. June 21, 2012. Retrieved May 6, 2022.
- "Thursday's Cable Ratings: "Anger Management" Opens on Top for FX". The Futon Critic. July 2, 2012. Retrieved July 2, 2012.
- "Thursday's Cable Ratings: "Anger Management" Opens on Top for FX". The Futon Critic. July 6, 2012. Retrieved July 6, 2012.
- "Thursday's Cable Ratings: "Anger Management" Opens on Top for FX". The Futon Critic. July 13, 2012. Retrieved July 13, 2012.
- Truitt, Brian (April 15, 2012). "First look: 'TRON' gets animated with 'Uprising'". USA Today. Retrieved April 22, 2012.
- "Tron: Uprising Producers Talk Timelines, Influences & the Grid". May 18, 2012. Archived from the original on November 24, 2013. Retrieved October 14, 2013.
- Rome, Emily (February 20, 2012). "'Tron: Uprising': An early look at Disney's return to the Grid". Los Angeles Times Hero Complex. Retrieved October 14, 2013.
- Weisman, Jon (August 14, 2013). "Emmy Wins Come Early for 'Adventure Time,' 'Portlandia,' 'Simpsons'". Variety.
- Goldman, Eric (January 12, 2013). "Tron: Uprising Producer – "We Need More Viewers"". IGN. Retrieved January 15, 2013.
- Droege, CB (May 2, 2012). "TRON: Uprising sneak peek changes sides". TG Daily. Retrieved May 3, 2012.
- Brian Gallagher. "SDCC 2011: Second Tron: Uprising Season One Trailer". MovieWeb. Retrieved July 29, 2011.
- "SNEAK PEEK: 'TRON: UPRISING' SERIES COMING TO DISNEY XD, 2012". Stich Kingdom. Archived from the original on March 22, 2012. Retrieved July 29, 2011.
- Chmielewski, Dawn (May 9, 2013). "Netflix adds Disney Junior and Disney XD shows". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on May 10, 2013. Retrieved May 12, 2013.
- "TRON: Uprising Soundtrack Music From And Inspired By The Disney XD Animated Television Series Set For Digital Release On January 8, 2013 PR Newswire". PR Newswire. December 20, 2012. Retrieved December 29, 2012.
- Tron: Uprising Archived November 11, 2012, at the Wayback Machine at TV.com Archived May 20, 2019, at the Wayback Machine
- Cindy WhitePosted (May 17, 2012). "Tron: Uprising - "Beck's Beginning" Review". IGN. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
- "Nominations for the 40th Annual Annie Awards Announced". Coming Soon. December 3, 2012. Retrieved January 6, 2013.
