TRON 3 or National Treasure 3: Which Disney Sequel Happens First?

On the surface, the TRON and National Treasure franchises may not have anything in common. One is about a man’s journey to built a perfect society inside a computer grid, while the other is a quest American history to find hidden treasures. There aren’t many similarities between the two in terms of story, but they find themselves in almost the exact same situation when it comes to their futures. Both franchise have had two movies, delivered decent (but not stellar) numbers at the box office, and have steadily built an increasingly loyal fanbase in the decade since their second installments were released.

TRON 3 and National Treasure 3 are certainly hot topics amongst movie fans around the world. Cries for these threequels have gone mostly unrecognized over the years, but recent updates have changed the tune, offering folks hope that the films will actually happen. Disney is currently developing a script for both National Treasure 3 and TRON 3, but that’s the only official information out there at the moment. It’s anyone’s guess as to what happens next. The way Disney likes to play with nostalgia, odds suggest that both franchises will return to the big screen. Which will be the first to make it to production and release? That’s a different question entirely.

It’s hard to tell which of these projects has the most momentum behind it. Disney executives apparently love the script for TRON 3, but National Treasure has a spinoff TV series in the works at Disney+ in addition to the third film, making it clear that the studio values the property. Neither project has a director or release date, so they obviously aren’t at the top of Disney’s priority list.

By the nature of the projects alone, National Treasure 3 seems more likely to arrive first. That’s nothing but an educated guess, and any number of things could set it back, such as rewrites or Nic Cage’s busy schedule. But from a purely logistical standpoint, National Treasure makes for a much quicker production.

While there may be a lot of travelling in National Treasure, and even some potential stunt work, the bulk of the work on the film will take place during principal photography. There will be some effects added on the backend, and plenty of editing to do, but that’s about it. TRON is much more complicated.

If you’ve seen TRON: Legacy, you know that there are endless visual and special effects that go into making a movie like that. Everything about the world of TRON needs to be created digitally in post-production, which makes for a longer overall process.

Again, this is all speculation. There could already be deals in place regarding TRON 3 that no one knows about. Disney might be ready to begin shooting as soon as the pandemic is over. We don’t know. From what we do know, however, these two projects seem like they’re in the same stage of development. If that’s the case, and the timelines to begin the productions are even remotely similar, National Treasure 3 will be the first one to hit theaters.

Which of these potential movies are you most excited to see? Let us know in the comments!