Jeff Bridges: Back on the Grid for 'TRON: Legacy'
ET |
Jeff Bridges returns for more high-tech action in the long-awaited 3D sequel to 1982's groundbreaking 'Tron,' and the Oscar winner reveals what it's like to face his computer-rendered thirtysomething self in 'TRON: Legacy'!
"You had to remember what it was like to be a kid; you were playing pretend and it was all in your imagination, so that was more of the technique that you had to use," Jeff tells ET.
In order to play Clu 2.0, a younger version of himself in the TRON world, Jeff required a clear mask with holes and 154 dots on his face to get the perfect degree of performance capture, not to mention working with green screens instead of sets, and no actual costume or makeup or visible cameras.
In IMAX and conventional theaters December 17, the 3D 'TRON: Legacy' follows 27-year-old Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund) as he searches for his father, Kevin Flynn (Bridges), who mysteriously disappeared two decades ago. Drawn by a signal from the old Flynn's Arcade that Sam believes could have only come from his father, he is pulled into a cyber universe to battle sinister forces for survival.
"The movie holds up just by itself -- you don't have to have seen the first one, but if you have seen the first one, there's a great consistency going through to the second one," says Jeff. "There's some interesting twists and turns that you [will see] revealed."
"I'm not the most technological person; that's why it's so cool to experience this and be a part of something like this. It's a once-in-a-lifetime thing," says Garrett, who describes the film as "so grand and so incredible and revolutionary." After seeing the final cut just days ago, he says, "I walked out kind of speechless."
"I felt like, 'Wow, I was picked for the lacrosse team and I don't even play lacrosse," says co-star Olivia Wilde, who plays a program named Quorra, of being cast in the film. "It was such a challenge and so much fun." She adds, "The world on TRON is very, very sexy. … Everything is just slick. … It's very forward-thinking."
As for working with Jeff, Garrett says that the veteran star is very much like "The Dude" himself from 'The Big Lebowski,' saying, "He's so inspired by everything in life -- literature and music and philosophy and spirituality -- and I am as well, so to be able to pick his brain like that was great." He adds that Jeff would play the guitar and sing songs from 'Crazy Heart,' which had yet to hit theaters, for him in his trailer.
Watch ET for more 'TRON: Legacy' excitement!
