TRON: Ares, the electrifying next chapter of Disney’s seminal TRON” franchise, expands upon the enduring legacy of its groundbreaking predecessors TRON (1982) and TRON: Legacy (2010).
The explosive action-adventure is directed by Joachim Rønning from a screenplay is by Jesse Wigutow, with story by David DiGilio and Wigutow, based on characters created by Steven Lisberger and Bonnie MacBird.
For Norwegian-born director Joachim Rønning (Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, Young Woman and the Sea) and the filmmaking team, the key to approaching “TRON: Ares” was to uphold the cherished legacy already celebrated by generations of dedicated fans around the world, and introduce new audiences to the timely, technological spectacle that embodies “TRON.”
“The bar was really high,” Rønning explains. “I wanted to design something new, but familiar. What drew me to the project was the mix of the digital and real worlds. Having a Program exist in the real world was interesting for me – I hadn’t seen that before. And the idea of Ares finding out what it means to be human, what it takes to be human, was fascinating.”
It was also critical that the story have a strong emotional core. Rønning says, “It needs to
resonate with me on an emotional level, needs heart. I need to get that right to be interested
in these characters, I need to connect with them. Although it’s about an AI program that goes
rogue, I’m not so interested in the AI aspect of this story. For me, it’s about Ares’ journey and
discovering what it means and what it takes to be human. That’s what it’s all about, trying to
answer those questions.”
“The themes of ‘TRON’ are so contemporary,” producer Justin Springer (“TRON: Legacy,”
“Oblivion”) adds with a hint of optimism. “Ares shows more humanity than the human who
created him. That is Ares’ journey. The story between him and Eve is one of companionship
and understanding. It suggests there is a way in which humans and artificial intelligence can
learn from one another, hopefully coexist.”
Springer points to the scene when Eve first discovers that Ares is a Program and reacts with compassion as an example. “This is the moment when Eve first realises that a Program as sophisticated as a human can exist in our world,” he says. “She reaches out; she doesn’t recoil. It’s a sign of optimism in our relationship with technology. The technology is here, it’s happening, and it’s rapidly growing; it’s not something we can put back in the box. We have to figure out how to create a better future for ourselves.”
It was clear to producer Sean Bailey (“TRON: Legacy,” “Gone Baby Gone”) that Joachim Rønning was the perfect fit to direct. “Joachim is a really thrilling director,” he says. “He has the ability to make films that have incredible scope, scale and energy, but which also focus on human elements, whether that be the joy of interaction and human rapport or really deep, fundamental emotions. If you look at his body of work, it really evidences that.”
“Joachim Rønning was such a great choice for this movie,” agrees executive producer Russell Allen (“The Lion King,” “The Little Mermaid”), “because he’s a perfectionist when it comes to visuals and shot composition, which are hallmarks of the ‘TRON’ franchise. And he also brought a sensitivity, a sense of drama, and a sense of comedy to it, which rounded out the movie. He found a great balance between honouring the original films and bringing the franchise into the current day. He was a great collaborator; it was just really satisfying to be in the room with him.”
In “TRON: Ares,” a highly sophisticated digital Program, Ares (Jared Leto), is sent into the real world on a dangerous mission, marking humankind’s first face-to-face encounter with artificial intelligence. As Ares experiences his surroundings and has his first brush with humanity, his consciousness – and conscience – start to evolve. He finds an unexpected ally in the brilliant technologist, computer programmer and current ENCOM CEO Eve Kim (Greta Lee), who is on her own journey to discover a critical code written by Kevin Flynn (Je Bridges). Betraying orders and relentlessly pursued, the two fight not only for their survival but for a future where technology and humanity can intersect.
Tron: Ares draws inspiration from a surprising source—Disney’s Pinocchio
According to producer Je rey Silver (“The Lion King,” “The Little Mermaid”), “‘TRON’ is a Pinocchio story. It’s the tale of a flawed character and how he evolves to become a person, learning the intangible ways of the heart and the ephemeral nature of life. And there’s a curiosity we have about what a mind is, and the closest metaphor we have for it in the modern world is the computer. Whether we view the world of computing as intrinsically physical – a brain – or metaphysical – a mind – the computer offers analogous meaning. Ultimately, ‘TRON’ explores what it means to be human, to have empathy, to be finite.”
The undeniable impact of the original “TRON” films is in part thanks to the pioneering filmmaking technology used and an edgy, innovative connection back to the zeitgeist. That meant there were key elements filmmakers needed to keep top of mind for “TRON: Ares.” The stakes needed to feel heightened, the technology needed to be groundbreaking, and the story needed to feel relevant.
As producer Sean Bailey puts it, “the fascination with these films is the ambition of the ideas, both from the perspective of the plot and of the filmmaking. The technology Steven Lisberger and his team pioneered changed how films could be made. They changed everything that came after.”
Bailey adds, “With ‘TRON,’ you’re obligated to do a few things: you have to say something about the future, you have to technologically innovate, and you have to explore our relationship with technology. Whenever I would say to people in the early days of this film, ‘Imagine the light cycles but at a 130-mph chase on a freeway,’ everybody’s eyes would get big. From a visual perspective, we are saying something very new. And the ideas this movie is exploring in terms of technology and our relationship with it is also very exciting.”
That “TRON: Ares” has something new to say is upheld by the franchise’s creator. “You know,” says Steven Lisberger (“TRON,” “TRON: Legacy”), “today’s audience often complains that movies are no longer radical enough or experimental enough or creative enough. I don’t want to hear that about this movie. This is a highly experimental film! Sure, its lore goes back to 1982, but ‘TRON: Ares’ goes so far past that.”
Director Joachim Rønning revealed that Jared Leto’s character, Ares, was conceived with the idea of a digital being yearning to become “real,” much like Pinocchio’s desire to be a real boy. This emotional core adds depth to the story, as Ares, a sophisticated AI program, enters the human world for the first time and begins to experience life through fresh, childlike eyes.
Beyond the fairy tale parallel, the film also reflects modern anxieties and hopes surrounding artificial intelligence. It flips the original Tron narrative—where humans entered the digital Grid—by sending a digital entity into reality. This inversion allows the story to explore themes of identity, empathy, and what it truly means to be human in an age of rapidly advancing technology.
A Closer Look at the Production
Practical Sets and Shooting In-Camera: Each Grid had its own unique practical set. Production recreated Kevin Flynn’s original office in painstaking detail. Scenes set at Dillinger Corporation were filmed in huge hangars, and the action sequences were shot over the course of six-weeks of night shoots throughout the
streets of Vancouver. “For a film that is so much about technology,” says producer Emma Ludbrook, “and which used technology so much to create it, we had these giant practical sets that were so vast you
couldn’t believe they existed in real life. Having a practical set versus a digital set is very different.”
Designing Three Distinct Grids: Unlike the first two films, “TRON: Ares” takes place on three unique Grids: the ENCOM Grid, the Dillinger Grid and Flynn’s Grid. Spearheaded by graphic designer Ellen Lampl, whom production designer Darren Gilford calls, “a graphics powerhouse,” each Grid was made distinct from the other so as not to confuse the audience.
Light Cycles: “What the light cycle has always represented,” says “TRON” creator Steven Lisberger, “is our
relationship with technology: we got on it, it’s beautiful, it’s scary fast, and we’ve been hanging on ever since. I think that’s one of the reasons the light cycle is so successful without blatantly declaring its meaning; it’s a silent symbol for how we feel: that we’re just moving so fast!” “The light cycles are the crown jewel of the ‘TRON’ design legacy,” says production designer Darren Gilford. “They have earned a place in movie vehicle lore that, like the Batmobile, are almost religious in nature. Syd Mead designed the original one, and when I began updating it, it felt like I was working on a religious artifact. There are certain things that make a light cycle, unwritten rules as to its visual cues, and you have to stay within those boundaries.”
Light Disks: Perhaps as iconic as the light cycles and light suits are the light discs: keepers of personal
data and lethal weapons. As with the Grid, the discs change colour and shape depending on who possesses them and the Program’s position. “A lot of thought went into that,” says property master Dean Eilertson. “Hexagonal shapes were really big in ‘TRON: Legacy,’ and I tend to use them. There’s no rhyme or reason to this; I like the angles.” When Ares, and later Athena, are made Master Control Program, they
graduate to a rounded triangular black disk, illuminated with red lights. “We thought it would still feel like ‘TRON’ even if the MCP disc is a di erent shape. We decided that adding a special disc that wasn’t round would tell the audience who is Master Control.” And, Eilertson admits, “We thought it was cool.”
Production Design: While “TRON: Ares” forges its own path, the world of “TRON,” “has a very distinct visual style,” says producer Sean Bailey. “People say, ‘That looks like “TRON,”’ or ‘That sounds like “TRON.”’ You can’t say that about many franchises out there.” And key to developing that continuity was hiring production designer Darren Gilford and his team, who also designed “TRON: Legacy.” “Darren Gilford is an immense talent,” says Bailey. “He did ‘TRON: Legacy’ and JJ Abrams’ ‘Star Wars,’ and he worked on ‘Ascension’ before it was shelved. I love Darren’s ability to dream of and build the most massive environments but simultaneously pay attention to the smallest, most granular detail. When you see his worlds on screen, you feel the magnitude, but it also feels incredibly real and tactile.”
Cinematography and Filming for IMAX: “‘ TRON’ is all about light,” says executive producer Russell Allen. “So the choice of DP was really, really important. We were super lucky and very excited that Je [Cronenweth] was available and said yes. Je ’s use of light, and his use of darkness, were really great additions to the ‘TRON’ aesthetic. Frankly I couldn’t really imagine doing this movie with any other DP.”
Joachim Rønning (born May 30, 1972) is a Norwegian film director, producer, and writer celebrated for his visually ambitious storytelling and international success. Raised in Sandefjord, Norway, Rønning began making short films as a teenager and later studied at Stockholm Film School. He gained prominence co-directing Kon-Tiki, which earned both Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for Best Foreign Language Film. His Hollywood breakthrough came with Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales and Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, both major box office hits. Known for his adventurous spirit and cinematic scale, Rønning directed Young Woman and the Sea (2024) and is helming Tron: Ares (2025), a bold new chapter in Disney’s sci-fi franchise. Married to philanthropist Amanda Hearst, he is a father of three and continues to shape blockbuster storytelling with a distinctly European flair.
Jesse Wigutow (born May 25, 1973) is an American screenwriter and producer known for his work on both original films and major franchise reboots. He began his career in the early 2000s with Sweet Friggin’ Daisies and It Runs in the Family, and has since contributed uncredited writing to high-profile projects like 8 Mile, Eragon, Tron: Legacy, and Warcraft. Wigutow is the credited screenwriter and story creator for Tron: Ares (2025), and also serves as a writer and producer on Marvel’s Daredevil: Born Again. His career reflects a deep engagement with genre storytelling, often blending psychological depth with blockbuster spectacle.
David DiGilio is an American writer, producer, and showrunner known for crafting emotionally resonant thrillers with military and psychological themes. He created and executive produced Amazon Prime’s The Terminal List, based on Jack Carr’s novel, which explores the mindset of a Navy SEAL grappling with trauma and conspiracy. DiGilio’s earlier work includes the family adventure film Eight Below (2006) and the historical drama series Strange Angel. A psychology major, he brings a cerebral edge to his storytelling, often examining the cost of heroism and the complexity of truth. His upcoming projects include The Terminal List: Dark Wolf, continuing his commitment to authentic, character-driven narratives.
