It’s shaping up to be a pretty good year for Joseph Kosinski: Based on its promising trailer, the Tron: Legacy director might just redeem the whole notion of the “reboot,” and as a reward, Disney has just purchased the rights to his upcoming graphic novel Oblivion for seven figures, in what’s being called “one of the largest rights deals of the year.” Oblivion (due this fall through Radical Publishing) is set on a future, now-uninhabitable Earth where radiation has forced mankind to relocate above the clouds while savage aliens have taken over below. The main story involves a repairman who leads a lonely life on the surface tending to the drone ships that patrol for aliens; when he finds a beautiful woman in a crashed spaceship, he embarks on “a journey filled with romance and adventure.” (Sort of like WALL-E, minus the clear liberal agenda.)
The deal also apparently included a possible Tron sequel, which Kosinski could direct next or—interestingly enough—tackle the remake of the 1979 Disney sci-fi film The Black Hole that he’s been working on since last fall. (Astute viewers may have noticed the sly Easter egg shot of a Black Hole poster in the Tron: Legacy preview.) As of now it hasn’t been announced which one of these three will be Kosinski’s next project—a decision that will probably be made once the first Tron grosses come in—but one thing is for certain: You’re going to start hearing the name Joseph Kosinski a lot more.