The road to a third film in the Tron series has been rocky at best and turbulent at worst. It’s a franchise that has always had something of a complicated relationship with the Walt Disney Company. Neither the original Tron (1982) nor its sequel Tron: Legacy (2010) were exactly box office smash hits, yet both of them earned a reputation of being cult classics with their devoutly dedicated followings. Given that the franchise is decently popular yet historically isn’t the most profitable IP under the House of Mouse’s belt, this has led to Disney not really knowing what to do with the future of the series.
Though a sequel to Tron: Legacy was in development with prior director Joseph Kosinski (Top Gun: Maverick) and the rest of the second film’s cast, the project was ultimately canceled by the Walt Disney Company. Then, it was announced that a reboot was in development that would ultimately reset the franchise altogether. If that weren’t confusing enough, Disney then announced that the next Tron film would actually be a sequel from director Garth Davis (Lion). That update came in 2020 and since then information around the project has been nonexistent…until now.
One name that has been attached to all the different versions of a third Tron film is Oscar-winner Jared Leto, who despite years of the project being in development hell, has maintained that fans would get to see the return of the series one day. Now it seems that we’ll finally get the opportunity with the now-officially titled Tron: Ares, which now has a set director in Joachim Rønning (Maleficent: Mistress of Evil). For the first time in a long time, it looks like a new trip to the Grid may finally be on the horizon.
Despite years in development hell, Tron: Ares is still in the very early stages of production, but there’s still quite a bit of information we’ve learned. To find out exactly what that info is, here is everything we know so far about Tron: Ares.
Editor’s Note: This article was updated on May 7, 2024.
Tron: Ares
- Release Date
-
2025-00-00
- Main Genre
-
Sci-Fi
- Writers
-
Steven Lisberger
, Bonnie MacBird
, Jack Thorne
Does ‘Tron: Ares’ Have a Release Date?
Tron: Ares is scheduled to be released exclusively in theaters on Friday, October 10, 2025.
Sometime after the theatrical window, Tron: Ares will be made available to stream on Disney+ alongside the prior two Tron movies as well as the animated series Tron Uprising.
Does ‘Tron: Ares’ Have a Trailer?
No, a trailer for Tron: Ares has not been released. Given that the movie’s release date is still a year and a half away, we likely won’t get a trailer until Spring 2025 at the very earliest. However, it does seem likely that those attending D23 in August 2024 will be treated to an exclusive first look at the movie, although nothing has been confirmed.
Who Is Starring in ‘Tron: Ares’?
Jared Leto, despite winning an Oscar for his performance in Dallas Buyers Club, hasn’t had the greatest luck when it comes to blockbusters, particularly superhero films. His roles in both Suicide Squad and Morbius weren’t very warmly received, but hopefully, his role in Tron: Ares will pivot that reputation. It’s not yet known what role exactly Leto will be playing, but he’s likely the main protagonist given he was the first person cast in the film. Leto worked with Disney earlier last year on Haunted Mansion.
Also joining the cast in an undisclosed role is Emmy-winning actor Evan Peters, who garnered much acclaim in 2022 with his role as Jeffrey Dahmer in the Netflix limited series Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. Greta Lee (Past Lives) and Jodie Turner-Smith (Star Wars: The Acolyte) have also been cast, with Lee playing a tech CEO and video game designer. Cameron Monaghan (Shameless), Sarah Desjardins (Yellowjackets), Hasan Minhaj (Patriot Act), Arturo Castro (The Menu), and Gillian Anderson (The X-Files) will also be a part of the cast in undisclosed roles.
Since the film’s announcement, many have wondered if any characters and actors from the first two films would be returning for the next installment. On April 29, fans wondered no more, as it was announced that Academy Award winner and the star of the original Tron film would be returning with Jeff Bridges. Bridges will almost undoubtedly be reprising his iconic and beloved role as Kevin Flynn – the technological genius responsible for defeating the Master Control Program in the first film and creating the new Grid in the second.
If the film truly is a sequel as it’s been reported, the likelihood of seeing other characters from the franchise like Bruce Boxleitner, Garrett Hedlund, and Olivia Wilde again seems possible.
What Is the Story of ‘Tron’ So Far, and Why Has a Sequel Taken So Long?
The very long and complicated history of the computer-based science-fiction series began in 1982, with the release of the first film, simply titled Tron. Upon releasing in theaters, audiences were introduced to Kevin Flynn – a brilliant young hacker and former employee of a major tech company called ENCOM. While trying to expose the company’s secrets, Kevin finds himself entering an entire virtual world where programs aren’t just lines of code, but are living thinking beings. With the help of a security program by the name of Tron (Bruce Boxleitner), Kevin is able to get back home to the real world while also helping Tron defeat the maniacal Master Control Program (David Warner). Sometime later, Kevin rejoined the company and eventually became its CEO, beginning to come up with plans for a new digital world inspired by the one he explored.
It’s easy to dismiss the original Tron as a product of the 1980s, but at the time these special effects were far ahead of their time. With fully computer-generated environments and vehicles, nothing quite like Tron existed at the time, and it became easy for fans of the film to fall in love with the film’s entirely unique world. Alas, Tron also wasn’t a huge box office hit, not even doubling up its initial budget. Despite lukewarm financial numbers, Tron still amassed a dedicated following and gained traction as a cult classic, and that didn’t go unnoticed by Disney.
History would ultimately repeat itself almost thirty years later when Disney decided to produce a sequel to Tron, titled Tron: Legacy (2010). This time audiences follow the exploits of Kevin Flynn’s son, Sam (Garrett Hedlund), as he attempts to solve the mystery of his father’s disappearance. He discovers that, for the last couple of decades, Kevin has been imprisoned in a new version of the Grid that he created, with his captor being a deranged clone of himself by the name of CLU. The rogue program has turned the once-free Grid into a malevolent dictatorship, even going as far as to turn innocent programs like Tron into mindless soldiers. Though Kevin sacrifices himself to help Sam and his companion Quorra (Olivia Wilde) escape, it seemed that Kevin’s vision for the perfect system was no more, although though there was a loose plot thread with Tron falling into the digital sea as he began to break his mind control programming. An interesting plot development that could perhaps be addressed in a sequel?
Turns out fans would have to wait quite a while to find out, as Tron: Legacy wasn’t the hit that Disney was expecting. Although about 300 million dollars and profit doesn’t sound like a bad payday, most of that comes from the international box office as the film just barely broke even domestically. Add in the absolutely massive marketing push the film had and the numbers for what was supposed to kickstart a blossoming franchise just didn’t add up for Disney.
Still, there is more than enough material out there for a third entry. We already mentioned that Tron is possibly still out in the Grid and now free of CLU’s control. Plus, some hardcore fans might remember that a sequel short, Tron: The Next Day (2011), which as the name implies picked up a day after the events of the second film. The short implies that Flynn, despite apparently exploding at the end of Legacy, may still be alive and well in the Grid, and Sam may be trying to get him back home now that he’s accepted his role as ENCOM’s majority stockholder.
What Will ‘Tron: Ares’ Be About?
The official plot synopsis for Tron: Ares from Disney reads:
“TRON: Ares” follows a highly sophisticated Program, Ares, who is sent from the digital world into the real world on a dangerous mission, marking humankind’s first encounter with A.I. beings.
Who Is Making ‘Tron: Ares’?
Several different filmmakers have been attached to direct a third Tron film. First, there was Joseph Kosinski, who directed Tron: Legacy and blamed Disney’s focus on Marvel and Star Wars as the primary reason for his version of the sequel never getting off the ground. Then Lion (2016) director Garth Davis boarded the project, but evidently, he too departed from the film. Now, directing duties have fallen onto Joachim Rønning, who has worked with Disney quite a few times, having directed Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, and Young Woman and the Sea.
In addition to Rønning in the director’s chair, Jesse Wigutow (It Runs in the Family) will be penning the screenplay.
When and Where Did ‘Tron: Ares’ Film?
Filming on Tron: Ares was expected to happen sometime in Summer 2023, but due to the SAG-AFTRA strikes, filming was never able to start. Filming officially started.in January 2024. Director Joachim Rønning spoke on the matter, saying:
The absolute best moments of my career have been watching an actor perform in front of the camera – taking the scene and the text to a higher place. I’ve been fortunate to collaborate with amazing talent. It’s a huge part of why I’m a filmmaker. However, like myself, being an actor or a writer, means you’re a freelancer. And I can tell you, the constant uncertainty is not for everyone. To that end I don’t think it’s unreasonable to ask for a better safety net.
Many of my best friends are writers. Everything starts with the story. Everything starts with you. That must continue. And that means that AI needs to be regulated. There is no doubt about the threat the technology poses to all creatives.
Today [August 15, 2023] was supposed to be our first day of principal photography on TRON: ARES (a movie subsequently about AI and what it means, and takes, to be human). Instead, we are shut down with over a hundred and fifty people laid off. It’s indefinite, which makes it exponentially harder for everyone.
The AMPTP, SAG-AFTRA and WGA need to speed up the negotiating process and not leave the table until it’s done. This is Hollywood. We close deals for breakfast. Why do we suddenly have all the time in the world when every day is so precious? These tactics are extremely frustrating. It’s time for diplomacy so we can get back to work – under conditions that are fair to everybody.
In November 2023, Collider exclusively revealed that shooting for Tron: Ares was set to begin in Vancouver, BC, right after the holiday season. Production on Tron: Ares has now resumed and the news was announced with the release of a new behind-the-scenes image on Rønning’s Instagram page.
In April 2024, photos of Jared Leto in costume and on set made their way online. In the same way red lightsabers represent evil characters in the Star Wars franchise, red typically also represents the colors of the villains of the Tron universe. Only time will tell what side Leto’s new character will take in the upcoming conflict of Tron: Ares.
It seems clear that Disney wants to put to rest any fears that the third Tron film will be unceremoniously canceled as the past iterations have. Those fears may no longer be warranted, because as of May 6, 2024, Tron: Ares has officially wrapped principal photography. It’s been a long road to completion, with numerous re-writes, changes in directors, and a historic industry strike taking place, it seems that the third Tron film may finally be releasing (unless Disney just decides to use the film as a tax write-off in the same way Batgirl and Coyote vs. Acme were to Warner Bros).
Are the Previous ‘Tron’ Films Available to Stream on Disney+?
Yes, both Tron and Tron: Legacy are available to stream in their entirety on Disney+. Also, available on the platform is the excellent-animated series Tron: Uprising, which takes place in between the events of the two films.