Tron: Uprising
Genre
Developer
Director
Voices
ComposerJoseph Trapanese
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Num seasons1
Num episodes19
Executive producerCharlie Bean
EditorSean Coyle
Runtime22-31 minutes
Company
NetworkDisney XD
First airedMay 18, 2012
Last airedJanuary 28, 2013
Related

Tron: Uprising is an American animated science fiction television series produced by Disney Television Animation. Set in the Tron fictional universe, the series takes place between the events of the films Tron (1982) and Tron: Legacy (2010). 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.[2] It revolves around Beck, a young program who becomes involved in an insurrection inside the computer world of the Grid.

A total of 19 episodes were produced and aired on Disney XD in the United States from May 18, 2012, to January 28, 2013.[3][4][5]

Synopsis

Beck is a young, anthropomorphized computer program who becomes involved in a revolution inside computer world of the Grid against the villainous Clu 2.0 and his henchmen. Beck adopts the persona of legendary warrior Tron and becomes the enemy of General Tesler. Subsequently, he is trained by the actual Tron, who also mentors him to grow into a courageous and powerful leader.[6][7]

Characters

Main article: List of Tron (franchise) characters

Main

  • Beck (voiced by Elijah Wood) is a young program who leads a revolution against Clu. He is referred to by the public as "Tron" and "the Renegade".
  • Tron (voiced by Bruce Boxleitner) is the original protector of the Grid who was supposedly killed by Clu. Unable to protect the Grid due to his injuries, Tron sought out a new protector and found Beck whom he trains.
  • Mara (voiced by Mandy Moore) is a co-worker and friend of Beck.
  • Zed (voiced Nate Corddry) is a co-worker and friend of Beck.
  • General Tesler (voiced by Lance Henriksen) is Clu 2.0's henchman and the main antagonist of the series.
  • Able (voiced by Reginald VelJohnson) is the owner of the eponymous garage and Beck's, Mara's, and Zed's boss.
  • The Grid (voiced by Tricia Helfer) is the narrator.

Recurring

  • Clu 2.0 (voiced by Fred Tatasciore impersonating Jeff Bridges) is an A.I. program created by Kevin Flynn in his own image who has goals of creating the perfect world. Clu betrayed Flynn and Tron, then took over the Grid.
    • Tatasciore also voices Kevin Flynn in the episode "Scars".
  • Bartik (voiced by Donald Faison) is a program who joined a task force formed by Paige to hunt down the Renegade.
  • Hopper (voiced by Paul Scheer) is a program who joined a task force formed by Paige to hunt down the Renegade.
  • Dyson (voiced by John Glover) is a former member of Tron's squadron.
  • Perl (voiced by Kate Mara) is a member of a criminal gang.
  • Cyrus (voiced by Aaron Paul) is Tron's former apprentice.
  • Keller (voiced by Marcia Gay Harden) is a scientific program employed by Tesler.
  • Cutler (voiced by Lance Reddick) is a veteran of the Isomorphic Algorithm (ISO) wars.
  • Quorra (voiced by Olivia Wilde) is an ISO.[8] Wilde reprised her role from Tron: Legacy.
  • Link (voiced by David Arquette) is a resident of Argon.
  • Gorn (voiced by Kathryn Hunter) is a technician specializing in disc manipulation.

Production

Design

The series features an animation style that mixes 2D animation and CGI animation.[9][10] The look of the series was inspired by Star Wars: The Clone Wars, ThunderCats, and Aeon Flux.[3]

Director Charlie Bean explained "the idea was to create a distinct style for the CG show not seen elsewhere on television or in film."[11] 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.[12] Mielgo won the Primetime Emmy Award for his art direction in 2013.[13]

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."[14]

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.

Release

Marketing

A trailer for the series, with a voice-over by Bruce Boxleitner, was released online in May 2012.[15] and on the home video releases of Tron: Legacy, on April 5, 2011.[10] 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 in 2011.[16][17] Disney released the first, pre-season episode on May 18, 2012, 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.

Streaming

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.[18] The full series was later added for streaming on Disney+, which was released in November 2019.[19]

Music

Main article: Tron: Uprising (soundtrack)

The series is scored by Joseph Trapanese, who arranged Daft Punk's score for Tron: Legacy.[3] A soundtrack album for the score was released digitally and manufacture on demand CD by Walt Disney Records on January 8, 2013.[20] 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.

Reception

Critical response

The series premiere earned mostly positive reviews. IGN gave the episode "Beck's Beginning" a ranking of 8 out of 10.[21] On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 100% of 5 critics' reviews for the first season are positive.[22]

Over time, the series developed a cult following among fans of the Tron franchise, with many praising its animation style, darker tone, and world-building.[23]

Awards and nominations

AwardCategoryRecipientResult
40th Annie Awards[24]Best Animated Special Production (Episode: Beck's Beginning)Tron: Uprising
Character Design in a Television Production (Episode: The Renegade, Part 1)Robert Valley
Production Design in a Television Production (Episode: The Stranger)Alberto Mielgo
Storyboarding in a Television Production (Episode: The Reward)Kalvin Lee & Robert Valley
65th Primetime Emmy Awards[13]Outstanding Individual Achievement In Animation – Art Direction (Episode: The Stranger)Alberto Mielgo

References

  1. ^ "Meet the Hero of 'TRON: Uprising' in 31-Minute 'Beck's Beginning' [Video + Review]". May 15, 2012.
  2. ^ Michael Schneider (November 4, 2010). "Disney XD orders 'Tron: Legacy' toon". Variety. Retrieved November 9, 2010.
  3. ^ Graser, Marc (May 20, 2012). "'Tron: Uprising' nurses a franchise". Variety. Retrieved May 20, 2012.
  4. ^ Wallace, Lewis (November 4, 2010). "Disney Plans Tron: Uprising Drama Show". Wired. Archived November 9, 2010 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved November 9, 2010.
  5. ^ "预告片：创-崛起". TV Fantasy. Retrieved May 3, 2012.
  6. ^ "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.
  7. ^ 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.
  8. ^ "Keck's Exclusives First Look: Tron Reboots Olivia Wilde's Quorra". TV Guide. June 4, 2012. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
  9. ^ "Tron: Uprising Announcement on MTV's Movie Blog". Archived from the original on April 1, 2011.
  10. ^ Truitt, Brian (April 15, 2012). "First look: 'TRON' gets animated with 'Uprising'". USA Today. Archived April 15, 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved April 22, 2012.
  11. ^ "Tron: Uprising Producers Talk Timelines, Influences & the Grid". May 18, 2012. Archived November 24, 2013 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved October 14, 2013.
  12. ^ Rome, Emily (February 20, 2012). "'Tron: Uprising': An early look at Disney's return to the Grid". Los Angeles Times Hero Complex. Archived June 29, 2013 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved October 14, 2013.
  13. ^ Weisman, Jon (August 14, 2013). "Emmy Wins Come Early for 'Adventure Time,' 'Portlandia,' 'Simpsons'". Variety
  14. ^ Goldman, Eric (January 12, 2013). "Tron: Uprising Producer – "We Need More Viewers"". IGN. Retrieved January 15, 2013.
  15. ^ Droege, CB (May 2, 2012). "TRON: Uprising sneak peek changes sides". TG Daily. Retrieved May 3, 2012.
  16. ^ Brian Gallagher. "SDCC 2011: Second Tron: Uprising Season One Trailer". MovieWeb. Archived from the original on September 30, 2012. Retrieved July 29, 2011.
  17. ^ "SNEAK PEEK: 'TRON: UPRISING' SERIES COMING TO DISNEY XD, 2012". Stich Kingdom. Archived from the original on March 22, 2012. Retrieved July 29, 2011.
  18. ^ 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.
  19. ^
  20. ^ "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.
  21. ^ White, Cindy (May 17, 2012). "Tron: Uprising - "Beck's Beginning" Review". IGN. Retrieved 2023-06-30.
  22. ^ "Tron: Uprising: Season 1 | Rotten Tomatoes". www.rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved 2025-10-27.
  23. ^ Tishman, Sasha (2025-12-01). "10 Rare Animated Shows That Became Cult Classics". CBR. Retrieved 2026-04-05.
  24. ^ "Nominations for the 40th Annual Annie Awards Announced". Coming Soon. December 3, 2012. Retrieved January 6, 2013.