worlds will collide Go back to the Grid in TRON: Ares trailer It's more of a standalone reboot rather than a direct sequel to 2010's TRON: Legacy. Jennifer Ouellette Apr 5, 2025 2:24 pm | 30 Let there be light cycles. Credit: Walt Disney Studios Let there be light cycles. Credit: Walt Disney Studios Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn more An AI program enters the real world in TRON: Ares. It's difficult to underestimate the massive influence that Disney's 1982 cult science fiction film, TRON, had on both the film industrythanks to combining live action with what were then groundbreaking visual effects, rife with computer-generated imageryand on nerd culture at large. Over the ensuing decades there has been one sequel, an animated TV series, a comic book miniseries, video games, and theme park attractions, all modeled on director Steve Lisberg's original fictional world.Now we're getting a third installment in the film franchise: TRON: Ares, directed by Joachim Rnning (Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil), that serves as a standalone sequel to 2010's TRON: Legacy. Disney just released the first trailer and poster art, and while the footage is short on plot, it's got the show-stopping visuals we've come to expect from all things TRON.(Spoilers for ending of TRON: Legacy below.)TRON: Legacy ended with Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund), son of Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) from the original film, preventing the digital world from bleeding into the real world, as planned by the Grid's malevolent ruling program, Clu. He brought with him Quorra (Olivia Wilde), a naturally occurring isomorphic algorithm targeted for extinction by Clu. Jared Leto stars as the human form of Ares, a sophisticated computer program sent into the real world. Walt Disney Studios Jared Leto stars as the human form of Ares, a sophisticated computer program sent into the real world. Walt Disney Studios Eve Kim (Greta Lee) runs as digital and real worlds collide Walt Disney Studios Eve Kim (Greta Lee) runs as digital and real worlds collide Walt Disney Studios Jared Leto stars as the human form of Ares, a sophisticated computer program sent into the real world. Walt Disney Studios Eve Kim (Greta Lee) runs as digital and real worlds collide Walt Disney Studios Disney greenlit a third film in the franchise in October 2010, intended to pick up where Legacy left off and follow the adventures of Sam and Quorra as Sam took full control of his father's company, ENCOM. But by 2015, the studio had cancelled the project, allegedly the result of the dismal box office showing of Tomorrowland. By 2020, the project had been revived and reimagined as a standalone reboot rather than a Legacy sequel, although the main AI, Ares, did appear in earlier (pre-reboot) versions of the script. One pandemic and a couple of Hollywood strikes later, and the finished film is finally set to hit theaters this fall.The official premise is quite succinct: "TRON: Ares follows a highly sophisticated Program, Ares, who is sent from the digital world into the real world on a dangerous mission, marking humankinds first encounter with A.I. beings." Jared Leto stars as Ares, with Evan Peters and Greta Lee playing Julian Dillinger and Eve Kim, respectively. The cast also includes Jodie Turner-Smith, Cameron Monaghan, Sarah Desjardins, Hasan Minhaj, Arturo Castro, and Gillian Anderson in as-yet-undisclosed roles. Bridges is returning as Kevin Flynn. Nine Inch Nails composed the soundtrack.TRON: Ares hits theaters on October 10, 2025. Credit: Walt Disney Studios Jennifer OuelletteSenior WriterJennifer OuelletteSenior Writer Jennifer is a senior writer at Ars Technica with a particular focus on where science meets culture, covering everything from physics and related interdisciplinary topics to her favorite films and TV series. Jennifer lives in Baltimore with her spouse, physicist Sean M. Carroll, and their two cats, Ariel and Caliban. 30 Comments