Since 1982, the TRON franchise has pioneered CGI effects and sci-fi visuals, pushing boundaries on the silver screen and inspiring a whole generation of artists, filmmakers, and blockbusters into the 21st century. Now, coming September 16th, fans of the series will be treated to an experience that’s been a long time coming.

In conjunction with the release of TRON: Ares in October, Disney is planning a re-release of TRON and TRON: Legacy that will, for the first time, display the cult classic and its sequel in all its cinematic glory; no longer will TRON‘s digital landscape be relegated to standard definition—now, we shall see it through the eyes of UHD 4K.

Tron & Tron: Legacy Are Getting An UHD 4K Release In September – And It’s About Time

One of the many staples of the TRON franchise has been its trailblazing special effects, from the original’s early CGI all the way to the nascent de-aging technology of its 2010 sequel. Now, in a matter of days, that reputation will be commemorated with a remaster that fully captures the aesthetic beauty behind the design of Kevin Flynn’s “digital frontier.”

It’s hard to overstate how overdue this re-release is for fans of the franchise; since TRON: Legacy, there have been calls for Disney to upgrade the films with a modern 4K restoration, just as they’ve done on Disney+ with тιтles like Star Wars. Today, it seems they’ve listened to those calls, as TRON’s crisp revamp is just on the horizon.

Why The Tron Franchise Still Resonates 43 Years Later

Undeniably, the appeal of TRON lies in its special effects, which were both ground-breaking at the time and still impressive today. However, the perseverance of this franchise extends beyond these surface-level visuals, instead lying in the unique premise of being sucked into a boundless digital world amid the rapid sophistication of technology both past and present.

Moreover, this appeal likewise extends to our modern age through the proliferance of artificial intelligence throughout industry and daily use, something that will be explored in the upcoming legacy sequel TRON: Ares, which releases October 10th, 2025.

Resultantly, amid man’s technological dominance of land, sea, and space, the last frontier motions as a vast, uncharted digital landscape, with TRON persevering as an early chapter of man’s exploration and confrontation with this radical future of tomorrow as seen through the brilliant eyes of VFX artists 43 years in the past.