TRON: Ares Trailer Unveils AI's Leap from Digital to Real World

Go back to the Grid in TRON: Ares trailer

It's difficult to underestimate the massive influence that Disney's 1982 cult science fiction film, TRON, had on both the film industry -- thanks to combining live action with what were then groundbreaking visual effects, rife with computer-generated imagery -- and 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 Rønning (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 humankind's 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.

Disney's cult sci-fi saga reboot is back with a Tron: Ares trailer that sees the sequel leave the Grid

Disney has unveiled the first trailer for the upcoming sequel to a legacy sequel, Tron: Ares. Some 15 years since we last ventured inside the Grid, the new film "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 AI beings". And judging by the trailer, which can be viewed below, it's going to be a wild ride, with all the Light Cycle action fans could want after a decade and a half of waiting. The history of the Tron franchise has been a case of enduring IP, little content. The first film arrived in 1982, riding the wave of the then-new video game and arcade craze with a story that saw a fresh faced Jeff Bridges play Kevin Flynn, a game developer transported inside a computer world. Using pioneering CGI, the film introduced the iconic Light Cycles, presenting a wholly original fantasy world. While sequels were mooted straight away, it took until 2010 for Tron: Legacy to finally hit screens, focusing on Kevin's son Sam (Garrett Hedlund) and his investigation into his father's disappearance, ultimately leading him into another, altogether more modern digital world. While the film saw Jeff Bridges reprise his role and used state of the art 3D effects, a sequel failed to materialize, and it's best remembered for the iconic soundtrack by Daft Punk. An Animated TV series, Tron: Uprising - which you won't see ranking among the best Disney+ series - set between the two movies, aired on Disney XD in 2012, but failed to gather momentum and was cancelled after one season. Disney has kept the franchise alive via their parks however, with Tron Light Cycle Power Run serving as a flagship roller coaster attraction in both their Shanghai and Orlando resorts. Tron: Ares looks to be a big swing from Disney to keep the franchise relevant, and judging by this first trailer, could be one of the best Disney+ movies of the year. While much of the plot is being kept under wraps for now, we do know that Jared Leto plays Ares, a sophisticated, sentient program which makes its way from the digital world to our own. The trailer's glimpse of a neon red Light Cycle slicing a police cruiser in two while speeding down a packed highway has us very excited for what's in store, especially if Nine Inch Nails' full score (Daft who?) is half as thumping as the snippet we hear in the trailer. Coming from Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales director Joachim Rønning, the third installment in the saga also appears to be very much a soft reboot of the franchise, with none of the threads left hanging after Legacy's conclusion seemingly picked up, and although we hear Jeff Bridges gravely voiceover, his role could well be cameo stuff. The new sneak peak also gives us our first glimpse of Greta Lee as Eve, Evan Peters as Julian and Gillian Anderson. With a topical spin pitting the human race against ever-learning AI and eye-popping visuals, Tron: Ares looks like it will be well worth the wait for content starved franchise fans. We can't wait to plug back into the Grid when the threequel arrives on October 10.

Jared Leto, light cycles appear in "Tron: Ares" trailer: Watch here

A new glimpse of the third "Tron" movie is officially out. "Tron: Ares" received an official trailer on Saturday, feturing the iconic "Tron" light cycles, Jared Leto, Greta Lee and more. The trailer opens with a high-speed police chase, where law enforcement is after two figures on the light cycle motorcycles, first seen in the 1982 original "Tron" movie. "I'm looking for something. Something I do not understand," says a voiceover. Next, Greta Lee is seen sprinting full speed down a city street looking concerned before combat breaks out via a futuristic-looking car, planes and weaponry, including another Tron classic, the massive recognizer. Finally, Leto is seen at the end of the trailer peering upward as "Tron" franchise star Jeff Bridges' voice can be heard in a voiceover, saying "Ready? Cause there's no going back." "'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," according to a synopsis for the film. The film is directed by Joachim Rønning and stars, alongside Leto and Bridges, Greta Lee, Evan Peters, Hasan Minhaj, Jodie Turner-Smith, Arturo Castro, Cameron Monaghan and Gillian Anderson. The first "Tron" movie, released in 1982, starred Bridges as Kevin Flynn, a computer engineer who accidentally enters a digital world and fight villains there to escape. "Tron: Ares" follows the 2010 sequel "Tron: Legacy" which also starred Bridges, as well as Garrett Hedlund, Olivia Wilde and Michael Sheen. Featuring original music from Nine Inch Nails, "Tron: Ares" hits theaters Oct. 10 from Disney, parent company of ABC News.

'Tron: Ares': See New Trailer for Nine Inch Nails-Scored Sci-Fi Epic

Fifteen years after the last Tron film, it's time to take the light cycles for a spin again as Disney has shared the new trailer for Tron: Ares, the third installment in the sci-fi series. The preview doesn't offer up much in terms of storyline -- has the digital world of Tron invaded reality, with light cycles splitting actual police cars in half, or have graphics in the simulation improved mightily over the past decades? -- but it does provide a first look at Jared Leto's protagonist Ares, as well as a sampling of Nine Inch Nails' score; notably, the music is attributed to NIN (who will contribute new songs in addition to the score) and not the Oscar-winning duo of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. "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," Disney previously said of the film. Tron: Ares will also see the return of Jeff Bridges' Flynn; the actor also reprised the role in 2010's Daft Punk-scored Tron: Legacy. While Bridges doesn't appear in the trailer, he's heard in voiceover telling another character, "Ready? Cause there's no going back." The film also stars Evan Peters, Greta Lee, Jodie Turner-Smith, Cameron Monaghan, Sarah Desjardins, Hasan Minhaj, Arturo Castro and Gillian Anderson, and was directed by Joachim Ronning. Tron: Ares will be uploaded into theaters on October 10, 2025.

Jared Leto and Jeff Bridges Debut Ominous, Laser-Filled 'Tron: Ares' Teaser at CinemaCon

James L. Brooks Is Back With a New Film and Already Has Notes on His Next One The lights went down in the Colosseum just after 3 p.m. on Thursday as a spectacle was about to unfold. Blue, green and red lasers shot out from every corner to fill the venue with light as Jared Leto and Jeff Bridges entered from the side of the stage to talk up their new film Tron: Ares. Walt Disney also revealed a new look at its tentpole during its CinemaCon presentation at Caesars Palace. The film -- a follow-up to the 1982 seminal science-fiction film Tron and the 2010 sequel, Tron: Legacy -- stars Leto as Ares, a computer program sent from the digital world into the real world on a dangerous mission to introduce artificial intelligence beings to humans. "Well, first off, as a kid I was obsessed with Tron," said Leto. "It was the '80s and the future felt like it was just around the corner. ... Tron had action, adventure, spandex -- lots of spandex." Leto continued by saying that the universe took him to a place he had never seen before, and he "couldn't get enough." Of his character, Leto said Ares is a highly-advanced program who crosses over from the digital world to the real one on a "do or die mission to fulfill his direction." He said making the film was a blast, and Bridges jumped in to say that it offers an incredible visual experience combined with an auditory one. "The music, we've got Nine Inch Nails, man. You're in for a treat," he said of the iconic band behind the score. Before they introduced the footage, Leto said that if audiences love the original like he did as a kid, "it will hit you right in the grid, wherever that is." The footage opened with an aerial shot of a metropolitan city as motorcycles decked out in red lights race across the freeway, trailed by a police car. Lasers shoot off the bikes and it's enough to split the car in two. "I'm looking for something I do not understand," Ares says in a voiceover. Later sequences show Ares coming to life aas fleet of spaceships that descend upon the city as panicked citizens look to the sky (including a cop played by Lee). "There's no going back," Bridges' video game designer says in a voiceover to close the ominous footage. Directed by Maleficent: Mistress of Evil's Joachim Ronning, Tron: Ares features a cast that also includes Greta Lee, Evan Peters, Hasan Minhaj, Jodie Turner-Smith, Arturo Castro, Cameron Monaghan and Gillian Anderson. Leto, Sean Bailey, Jeffrey Silver, Justin Springer, Emma Ludbrook and Steven Lisberger are producing with Russell Allen serving as executive producers. Credited writers include Jesse Wigutow and Jack Thorne based on characters created by Steven Lisberger and Bonnie MacBird. Last fall, Bridges, who reprises his role as video game designer Kevin Flynn, told Rob Lowe during an appearance on his podcast that Leto went method on the set during filming. "I hadn't met him before. I'm saying, 'What's it gonna be like?' because he was also a producer of the show, big fan of the original, working on it for 10 years. I came in, and you know how each set has a different vibe?" Bridges said on SiriusXM's SiriusXM's Literally! With Rob Lowe. "There was an interesting vibe on this. I said, 'How's Jared? How's he working?' 'He's all right. You know, we call him Ares, you know, so he goes by his name,' and I said, 'Oh, that's interesting.'" Bridges continued: "His name was Ares in the show, and I ended up going, 'Hey Air, what's happening man?' And I say, 'Is it OK if I call you Air?' And he says, 'Yeah, sure you can.' Then we got loose, and it was just wonderful. I mean, we jammed, you know?" CinemaCon, the annual gathering of cinema owners and Hollywood studios, is hosted in Las Vegas by the newly rebranded Cinema United, which for decades was known as the National Association of Theatre Owners. This year's edition runs from March 31 to April 3.

Jared Leto Leaves the Digital World Behind in Laser-Packed 'Tron: Ares' Trailer

Disney's Tron: Ares, the long-awaited sequel to 2010's Tron: Legacy, released the first trailer on Saturday, which sees Jared Leto "who is sent from the digital world into the real world on a dangerous mission, marking humankind's first encounter with A.I. beings," reads the logline. Jeff Bridges, who starred as Kevin Flynn in the original 1982 film, says in the voiceover: "Ready? Because there's no going back." Evan Peters also appears in the trailer, looking up at the sky, which has no shortage of red lasers. On Wednesday, Leto and Bridges took to the stage at CinemaCon to debut Tron: Ares' teaser. "Well, first off, as a kid I was obsessed with Tron. It was the '80s, and the future felt like it was just around the corner. ... Tron had action, adventure, spandex -- lots of spandex," Leto said before adding that his character is on a "do or die mission to fulfill his direction." He also noted that for the fans who grew up loving the original Tron, this one "will hit you right in the grid, wherever that is." Directed by Joachim Rønning, the movie also stars Greta Lee, Evan Peters, Hasan Minhaj, Jodie Turner-Smith, Arturo Castro, Cameron Monaghan and Gillian Anderson. Leto, Sean Bailey, Jeffrey Silver, Justin Springer, Emma Ludbrook and Steven Lisberger produce, while Russell Allen executive produces. The rock band Nine Inch Nails is scoring the film.

TRON: Ares Footage Shows the Digital World Entering the Real World

The footage revealed the havoc unleashed when the highly sophisticated Program, Ares, enters the real world from the digital world. It's humanity's first encounter with AI beings and judging from this footage, it's not the most cordial of meetings. Leto plays Ares, who is on a dangerous mission to our world which brings him into contact with Bridges' Kevin Flynn, the protagonist of the prior two TRON films. The footage showed Ares on his red-tinged light cycle zooming through a real-world city pursued by police cars who are no match to catch him. The overwhelmed citizens are terrified by the sight of a giant hovering Recognizer looming over them. There was a quick shot of Gillian Anderson's character, who appears to be a business executive. The emphasis of the footage -- which boasted music by Nine Inch Nails -- was on wild video game elements invading the real-world and the sort of terror and destruction they can yield. At one point, we hear Flynn say, "Are you ready? Because there's no going back." And then we see Ares suiting up for action. The cast also includes Greta Lee, Evan Peters, Hasan Minhaj, Jodie Turner-Smith, Arturo Castro, and Cameron Monaghan. Directed by Joachim Rønning, TRON: Ares zooms into theaters on October 10, 2025.