Summary

  • Tron: Ares, the highly-anticipated third installment in the Tron franchise, has faced numerous setbacks and production delays, including strikes that have forced indefinite delays and layoffs.
  • Tron: Ares has finally established a production timeline, and began filming in early 2024.
  • Jared Leto's casting as the lead has been divisive, but he will be joined by Evan Peters in an undisclosed role, and other actors like Greta Lee, Jodie Turner-Smith, and Gillian Anderson have also joined the cast.

Tron: Ares is the highly-anticipated third chapter in the Tron franchise, which kicked off in 1982 and continued with the 2010 sequel Tron: Legacy. Revolving around a virtual reality simply known as "the Grid," the franchise has dabbled in interaction with both morally good and corrupt computer programs. While the first Tron was praised for its groundbreaking visuals, Tron: Legacy also walked in its footsteps with its stunning light cycle battles, an iconic score by Daft Punk, and Oscar-nominated sound editing.

The production delay for a third Tron movie seems justified given how the first two movies shared a 28-year-long gap. The original wasn't a big enough hit for Disney to make an immediate sequel, yet after Tron gained a cult following, the studio decided to flesh out the franchise. Tron: Ares has also received many setbacks, including Disney scrapping the idea for another sequel completely in 2015 and original director Garth Davis being replaced by Joachim Rønning. Now, with Tron: Ares finally out of development hell, the third installment is on its way.

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Tron: Ares Latest News

Filming Wrapped In May 2024

In an announcement that seemed like it may never come due to the movie's prolonged development, the latest news confirms that Tron: Ares has wrapped filming in early May 2024. Shared by director Joachim Rønning on Instagram, Tron: Ares has completed principal photography. Though that update is exciting, there's still a long road ahead as the effects-heavy threequel shifts into the post-production phase. However, with more than a year until its planned release, there's no reason Tron: Ares shouldn't arrive on time.

Tron: Ares Release Date

The Next Tron Movie Arrives In Late 2025

A Tron computer program holding a disc

While it may not be as soon as fans may have wished, Tron: Ares has finally established a release date after years of development hell. The legacy sequel has been in various stages of production for nearly 15 years, and the threequel is now slated to premiere on October 10, 2025. The date may change in the interim, but the fact that the film wrapped in May 2024 suggests it won't miss it's date.

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Tron: Ares Cast

Jared Leto Leads A Star-Studded Ensemble

A Tron computer program holding a disc while Jared Leto looks sideways in Blade Runner 2049
Custom Image By SR Image Editor

Leto has proven his acting capabilities with his Oscar-winning performance as Rayon in Dallas Buyers Club, yet Leto has also been behind some critically panned roles like the Joker in the DC Extended Universe

Jared Leto’s Tron 3 casting has proven to be heavily divisive. Leto plays the titular lead role of Ares, and fans are already concerned because of the actor's troubled past with franchise films. Leto has proven his acting capabilities with his Oscar-winning performance as Rayon in Dallas Buyers Club, yet Leto has also been behind some critically panned roles like the Joker in the DC Extended Universe.

Leto will be joined by Emmy winner Evan Peters in an undisclosed role in Tron: Ares, and it seems clear that Peters will play a substantial part. It was also announced that Greta Lee will join the cast as a tech CEO with some valuable technology that needs protecting, while Jodie Turner-Smith joins in an undisclosed role. After months of silence regarding the cast, Gillian Anderson was announced in an undisclosed role not long after the project began filming.

The known cast of Tron: Legacy includes:

Actor

Tron: Ares Role

Jared Leto

Ares

Jared Leto looks emaciated in Morbius

Jeff Bridges

Clu

Jeff Bridges in The Old Man-2

Greta Lee

Unknown

Julio torres as Alejandro talking to Greta Lee as Dalia in Problemista

Evan Peters

Unknown

Evan Peters smirks in American Horror Story Hotel

Hasan Minhaj

Unknown

hasan minhaj as eric nomani in the morning show season 2

Jodie Turner-Smith

Unknown

Jodie Turner-Smith as Melantha Jhirl in Nightflyers looking serious

Arturo Castro

Unknown

Victor looking haunted in Mr Corman

Cameron Monaghan

Unknown

Ian Gallagher looks on from Shameless

Gillian Anderson

Unknown

Gillian Anderson as Emily Maitlis making a defiant look from scoop

Sarah Desjardins

Unknown

Callie Sadecki ((Sarah Desjardins) looking angry in Yellowjackets.

Tron: Ares Story Details

Jared Leto's Ares Will Be The Center Of The Story

Jared Leto looking sideways in Morbius and Olivia Wilde smilingly looking at a sunset in Tron Legacy
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The project summary on Production List reveals a vague idea of what Tron: Ares would actually be about. Referring to the sequel as “a compelling exploration of Ares’ journey," it doesn’t give away much. While both Tron and Tron: Legacy were largely set in digital environments, the ending of Legacy had major repercussions for the future. Quorra stepped out into the real world in the first instance in the franchise when a program could turn human.

Stream Tron and Tron: Legacy on Disney+

Considering that Jared Leto plays a character named Ares, the “journey” in question could be his visit beyond the Grid with damaging consequences for humans. Ares was the Greek god of war and is no stranger to creating discord. While Jesse Wigutow serves as Tron: Ares' screenwriter, Joseph Kosinski told Collider that his original Tron 3 script (titled Tron: Ascension) dealt with an invasion storyline set between the two worlds. If strands of Kosinski’s script do get incorporated within Tron: Ares, then an actual war of the worlds could ensue.

  • Tron Mondo Poster
    Tron: Ares
    Release Date:
    2025-12-19
    Director:
    Joachim Rønning
    Cast:
    Jared Leto
    Rating:
    Not Yet Rated
    Genres:
    Sci-Fi, Action, Adventure
    Writers:
    Jesse Wigutow
    Studio(s):
    Disney
    Distributor(s):
    Disney
    prequel(s):
    TRON, TRON: Legacy
    Franchise(s):
    Tron