The movie titled “Tron: Ares” is set to premiere this fall, promising fans the most daring installment in the Tron franchise. In the film, a wealthy tech entrepreneur named Julian Dillinger, played by Evan Peters, endeavors to transfer inhabitants from the digital realm of “The Grid,” featured in the Tron universe, into our physical world as an endless supply of strength and military power. He creates digital soldiers that can be recreated at the same rate they are erased (effectively: destroyed). However, one sophisticated program called Ares, portrayed by Jared Leto, struggles to erase memories of his past and appears poised to break free from his programming, potentially carrying out a mission of his own.
During our visit to the set of Tron: Ares, ComicBook was among several media outlets given the opportunity to interview producer Justin Springer. Our discussion ranged over various topics, including the fresh perspective for Tron: Ares and attempts to delve into how the upcoming third Tron film will tie into Tron: Legacy, which left many viewers with a suspenseful cliffhanger in the 2010s.
How Tron: Ares Is Inspired By Alien First Encounter Lore
Going as far back as Legacy, Springer recounted his conversation with Steven Lisberger, the brainchild behind Tron. According to him, Lisberger was musing about the inspiration behind Tron. He mentioned that during the late 1970s and early 1980s, there was a frenzy surrounding extraterrestrial life, as if we were on the brink of first contact. Lisberger explained that he often pondered what if intelligent life didn’t originate from outer space, but instead emerged from within machines, and if we had created it, what that would entail. Springer found this idea captivating for a movie plot.
In essence, the film is primarily a debut work, set within a machine rather than outer space, as Springer explained. The question it raises is: since we made this creation, do we have the power to manage it, and if so, should we? At what stage does its sophistication surpass our control, making it autonomous?
How Tron: Ares Still Uses the “DNA” of Tron: Legacy‘s Abandoned Sequel
In 2010, director Joseph Kosinski experienced his breakthrough with the movie “Tron: Legacy,” which he co-produced alongside “Top Gun: Maverick” and “F1.” Despite a decent box office haul of $409.9 million on a budget of $170 million, the success was somewhat dampened due to the film’s modest earnings. The planned sequel, “Tron: Ascension,” faced years of developmental stagnation, even with Jared Leto attached. However, it appears that “Tron: Ares” might be a reworked version of the “Ascension” concept. During an interview, Joseph Kosinski mentioned some similarities, but emphasized that “Tron: Ares” is a new story, albeit with certain elements reminiscent of “Ascension.” During the development process, there was discussion about incorporating some of the previously conceived ideas, or it might have been an organic evolution of the storyline to ensure they weren’t simply rehashing old material.
In simpler terms, Springer explained that certain concepts have always appealed to them, some of which they worked on with Joe and Joachim Rønning previously. Many people were involved in this process. The main idea for this project originated from Lisberger in 2010, serving as the foundation for what ‘Ascension’ would have been about. After abandoning a sequel, they retained the core concept because it remained relevant.
Why The Time Is Now For Tron: Ares
One intriguing aspect is that it’s been quite some time since the development process and the release of the film “Legacy,” yet the idea that initially seemed fresh hasn’t lost its relevance over the years; instead, it has grown even more pertinent. In essence, this concept for a movie resonates more with current cultural trends now than ever before, and we’ve been pursuing this idea persistently since then. Moreover, advancements in technology have significantly improved, enabling us to create realistic light cycles in the real world and achieve the visual effects we envisioned. Essentially, our ability to execute these elements now is superior compared to what it would have been a decade ago.
Absolutely, several themes, concepts, and key elements originating from our previous stages of development have persisted and are now manifesting in the film. This is because these ideas align with the central theme we’ve been refining over a significant period.
The End of Tron Legacy & Olivia Wilde’s Quorra Also Being in the Real World
One primary motive behind fans eagerly anticipating a direct follow-up to the movie “Tron: Legacy” was due to its thrilling cliffhanger ending. The sequel introduced an intriguing concept – a digital lifeform known as Isomorphic Algorithms (ISOs) naturally emerged in the Grid and thrived during their digital evolution. In the final moments of the film, Sam Flynn (played by Garrett Hedlund), along with the last ISO, Quorra (Olivia Wilde), managed to breach the barrier between the digital world and reality. This significant crossover event was expected to be further developed in the third film, causing speculation among fans about whether or how “Tron: Ares” would handle this intriguing plot point.
We won’t be sharing that particular story at this moment as we explore new narratives. However, the old story hasn’t been erased or discarded; it still exists. This new tale shares the same universe, but it doesn’t follow the same characters or events from our previous story, ‘Legacy.’ Instead, we’re starting anew with a different character entering this world and having their own unique experiences. Essentially, we’re not contradicting what happened in ‘Legacy’; it still took place, and it continues to have an impact on the universe of our new story.
Based on trailers for Tron: Ares, it seems plausible to suggest a hypothesis: Quorra’s transition between the digital and real worlds was eventually detected by advanced technological groups in our world. This discovery led to the development of a process to create digital beings, such as Ares, in the physical realm. This scenario would pay homage to the legacy of Tron: Legacy, without necessitating a direct link to its narrative or appearances from other cast members apart from Jeff Bridges’ character, Flynn.
Tron: Ares will be released in theaters on October 10th.
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2025-09-04 18:23