The first trailer for TRON: Ares was released on Saturday, and so far, the response appears to have been overwhelmingly positive. While director Joachim Rønning looks to be taking a bold new approach to the long-running franchise, the visuals are impressive, and the story has intrigued fans.
The TRON and TRON: Legacy follow-up will see Jared Leto's Ares, a rogue A.I., bring The Grid to the real world. Talking to Empire Online (via SFFGazette.com), Rønning shed new light on what to expect from the character and how he fits into where TRON goes next.
"Not to be too clichéd, but I always thought about him a bit like Pinocchio," the filmmaker explained. "Ares wants to be a real boy. We talked a lot about him almost being an infant, discovering the world for the first time, and how we wanted the audience to see the world through his eyes."
"The little things that we take for granted, or don’t see anymore. That was important," Rønning added. "And then a bigger theme for the film is what it takes - what it means - to be human. Especially in this case, because he’s a computer program."
Many eagle-eyed fans have noticed that Ares seems to have a triangular Identity Disc, and it will indeed be an upgrade from the classic circular design. That promises to make the rogue A.I. even more formidable than those we've previously seen in The Grid.
"It’s definitely a weapon," Rønning teased. "And it’s just a superior disc. When you’re a part of a franchise, you want to evolve the design, although I’m sure people are gonna freak out that it’s not round: ‘Oh no!’ But we have round discs as well. Take it easy."
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.
The movie stars Jared Leto, Greta Lee, Evan Peters, Hasan Minhaj, Jodie Turner-Smith, Arturo Castro, Cameron Monaghan, and Gillian Anderson. Joachim Rønning directs; producers are Sean Bailey, Jeffrey Silver, Justin Springer, Leto, Emma Ludbrook and Steven Lisberger.
TRON: Ares arrives in theaters on October 10, 2025. A new still featuring Leto's Ares has also been released which you can see below.