3-D ‘Tron’ film wows Comic-Con; Sheen says Bridges brought ‘extra dimension of awesomeness’

New 3-D ‘Tron’ film wows Comic-Con with footage

SAN DIEGO — The follow-up film to 1982’s “Tron” wowed the high-tech crowd at Comic-Con.

The cast and creators of “Tron: Legacy” discussed the new film and shared about eight minutes of 3-D footage with some 6,000 fans at the annual pop-culture convention Thursday.

The clip centered on the character of Sam Flynn, played by Garrett Hedlund, entering the digital world where his father disappeared decades earlier.

Hedlund is shown being whisked away from the real world, stripped of his clothes and dressed in the glowing suit that has become a symbol of the “Tron” world.

The actors wore custom-made illuminated suits wired with electricity during filming.

“It was an honor to be able to wear something like that,” said star Olivia Wilde. “It was really beautiful.”

Jeff Bridges, who reprises his role as Kevin Flynn from the original film, said, “we were working with black velvet and white adhesive tape” back in the ’80s.

The Oscar winner actually plays two characters in “Tron: Legacy,” including a younger version of himself achieved with computer effects.

Director Joe Kosinski thanked Comic-Con fans for helping make the “Tron” sequel a reality. He said fan reaction to early sketches from the new film at Comic-Con two years ago helped secure funding for “Tron: Legacy.”

The film was shot entirely in 3-D, Kosinski said, using cameras developed by James Cameron.

Michael Sheen, another star of the film, noted that “Tron: Legacy” is actually in 4-D.

“It’s a 4-D film because Jeff Bridges brings an extra dimension of awesomeness,” Sheen said.

Bridges said the second film appealed to him for the same reasons the first did 27 years ago.

“It tickled the kid in me, to be sucked inside the computer,” he said.

“Tron: Legacy” opens in December.

Comic-Con continues at the San Diego Convention Center through Sunday.

Online:

www.comic-con.org