Tron 3 should be the 'first virtual reality movie' reveals Jeff Bridges

Hollywood legend Jeff Bridges has expressed hopes that a potential third Tron feature film will become the "first virtual reality movie" to hit mainstream cinemas. The American actor, who starred in the 1982 sci-fi classic as well as its 2010 sequel, admitted that the Tron universe's VR-themed story and unique visual style would be a "cool" fit for the technology.

When asked by Entertainment Weekly about swirling rumours and fan speculation that Tron 3 would look to virtual reality's recent renaissance with Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and mobile VR advances, Bridges said "Yeah, yeah, I've heard those rumours too. I hope that happens."

For those uninitiated with Tron, the films feature players entering into a neon-lit grid game world and battling it out on futuristic bikes in a virtual space.

While there are already several VR game demos that attempt to recreate Tron's Light Cycle clashes, an actual movie would seem like a logical step for the franchise.

The third film in the series, which at one point was named Tron: Ascension, is currently in "cryogenic freeze", claimed director Joseph Kosinski during an interview in February.

Reports have also surfaced claiming that Tron's gatekeepers at Disney are considering rebooting the franchise with a new story based on early Ascension scripts.

Should either version come to fruition however, Bridges is hopeful that VR tech will be involved in some way. "I think [Kosinski has] got the script and everything, you know. Yeah, I don't know that I'm supposed to talk about it or not. I don't know... wouldn't that be cool... to see Tron in that world?"

VR has already gained the attention of film and TV production companies – including Netflix, which has its own support for watching movies in VR. However, while interactive and non-interactive VR films starred at this year's Sundance Film Festival, there has yet to be a major blockbuster movie that takes on the immersive technology in the way James Cameron's Avatar did for 3D.