New actress Olivia Wilde a feisty warrior in "Tron: Legacy"

CEBU, Philippines - Actress-on-the-rise Olivia Wilde plays Quorra, a unique computer program that acts as confidant and sometimes warrior to exiled video-game developer Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges), helping him survive his life in The Grid, in Walt Disney Pictures' “TRON: Legacy.” The film is a high-tech 3D action-adventure set in a digital world that’s unlike anything ever captured on the big screen.

The unique program Quorra is like a surrogate daughter to Kevin — a confidant with intelligence, inquisitiveness and the fighting ability to blow just about anyone away. He teaches her of the outside world and in return, she offers him undying loyalty. As a result of her education, however, Quorra adopts Kevin’s yearning for knowledge and now longs to experience the ‘user’ world that lies far beyond the realm of possibility.

Wilde articulates her thoughts on “TRON: Legacy” in the following interview:

Q: What is the human theme of this story?

Olivia Wilde: At the center of “TRON: Legacy” is a family story — about a son searching for his father and becoming a man. Many of the great tales are about coming into your own, coming into adulthood, and this is no different than that, it’s just in an alternate universe. But what makes the story work is that despite all the incredible effects, at its core, it’s a solid human family story. That's why people will relate to it.

Q: Talk about the incredible world of “TRON: Legacy.”

Wilde: Nothing about the film is organic. It’s the real world translated into a digital universe, very high contrast, very slick blacks and bright colors and lights, and it’s just very futuristic. And very beautiful, clean and crisp. I really enjoyed embodying that style. It was great for me, because I got to completely transform.

Q: What was it like donning the light suit?

Wilde: The suit was amazing to put on, because nothing like it had ever been worn before. It was really revolutionary what the costume and art department was able to do. It had electro-luminescent lamps running through neoprene rubber. We were like little Energizer bunnies with battery packs on our backs. It was an amazing feeling when they would turn us all on at the same time. It was a great way to bring us into the moment of the film. You really felt you were in character once your lights were on.

Q: If you knew nothing about “TRON: Legacy,” what would hook you as a female moviegoer?

Wilde: For me personally, what would hook me would probably be the effects, the look of it—at first glance, just how unique it looks. It’s incredibly beautiful. Joseph Kosinski, the director, is a designer and an architect. He comes at this film with a unique perspective that really creates something new. So I’d say first there’s that, and then the family story, which everyone can relate to. A man or a woman, everyone relates to coming into your own as an adult and discovering a relationship with a parent. And I think also that women are just as into light bikes and other incredible props and cool vehicles that we have in this film as men are. I’d say girls would be into that as well. We also have amazing actors in the movie; I think that's going to be a big pull for a lot of people.

Q: Can you talk about working with Garrett Hedlund who plays Sam?

Wilde: Working with Garrett was great; we've been waiting to work together for a long time. We've known each other since we were 18. When I heard he was going to play Sam, it was really exciting, because he has enthusiasm for this film. It was familiar because I shared that enthusiasm; we were both childlike in our excitement for it and willing to dive in headfirst. We both gave everything we had to this film, physically and emotionally.

Q: What does Daft Punk bring to the mix?

Wilde: Daft Punk is going to attract a lot of fans that we wouldn't have otherwise. I think a lot of people are going to plug into the film because they're into this cyber punk feel that Daft Punk has. They are just so cool. I know a lot of people jumped onboard when they heard Daft Punk was involved. They're also not just involved on a level of, “We asked them to give us some songs for the movie.” They were involved from day one; they were meeting with the director and the producers far before the cast joined, and even before the script was finished. And so their esthetic and their creative energy are woven into the film. It’s got this raw, exciting and sexy Daft Punk feel to the entire film. I think they're ahead of their time, in terms of plugging into a futuristic, cool feeling that people like. I think the film does that as well.

(Distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Philippines, “TRON: Legacy” will open across the country on Dec. 17 in IMAX 3D, Digital 3D and regular formats.)