What’s black and red and sinister all over? Our first look at a mysterious User in Disney’s next chapter of the TRON franchise, TRON: Ares. In the official first-look image from TRON: Ares, Rinzler gives us an over-the-shoulder stare while wearing a black suit lined with red trim. They’re holding a matching black Identity Disc in their right hand and ready to smoke the competition.
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.”
TRON: Ares is a follow-up to Disney’s 1982 seminal science fiction film TRON and the 2010 sequel, TRON: Legacy. Jared Leto leads the cast of TRON: Ares, with Greta Lee, Evan Peters, Hasan Minhaj, Jodie Turner-Smith, Arturo Castro, Cameron Monaghan, and Gillian Anderson filling out the primary cast.
TRON: Ares is in production in Vancouver and is slated for a 2025 release. Joachim Rønning (Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, Kon-Tiki, Pirates of Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales) directs from material written by Steven Lisberger, Bonnie MacBird, and Jack Thorne.
Speaking about the forthcoming TRON film, Rønning said, “I’m excited to be part of the TRON franchise and bring this new film to fans around the world. ‘TRON: Ares’ builds upon the legacy of cutting-edge design, technology and storytelling. Now more than ever, it feels like the right time to return to the Grid.”
Sean Bailey, Jeffrey Silver, Justin Springer, Jared Leto, Emma Ludbrook, and Steven Lisberger are the producers, with Russell Allen serving as executive producer.
TRON: Ares was an unfortunate victim of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes last year, causing the film’s production to be delayed. Speaking about the film’s status at the time, Rønning posted the following message to social media.
“Today 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),” Rønning said in a straight-forward Instagram post in August. “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 #amptp #sagaftra #wga”. That Tron: Ares centers around artificial intelligence is quite interesting, considering the topic is a major point in negotiations for both unions.”
Are you excited about TRON: Ares? What do you think about today’s first-look image? Let us know in the comments section below.