Tron Fans Rejoice As Ares Finally Begins

By Britta DeVore | Updated

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Although it may come with its own unique set of flaws and problems, today we’re grateful for social media as Tron: Ares director Joachim Rønning used his Instagram not only to give a behind-the-scenes tease of the film’s production but to also confirm that cameras were rolling.

Tron: Ares Set Photo

The dazzling image is one fit for the grid (certainly Rønning’s Instagram grid) as eye-catching neon red colors wash over a chair on the set of the film.

While it’s unclear who this specific seat belongs to, with the “TR3N” logo emblazoned on the back, there’s no questioning what project we’re looking at.

Tron: Ares Has Faced Production Issues

Tron: Ares has faced major slowdowns, specifically due to the writers’ and actors’ strike at the core of most Hollywood hold-ups last year.

The first update for Tron 3 came last month when the filmmaker revealed that things were up and running with today’s announcement pushing production even further along.

In his post’s caption, Rønning wrote, “WEEK 1 ON THE GRID #tron” nodding to the cast, cameras, and crew all being in their place for the clapperboard to mark a fresh take. 

Tron Fanbase Since 1982

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Audiences have been obsessed with the digital sci-fi franchise since Jeff Bridges first tapped into the grid in 1982’s Tron.

The original movie, which was written and directed by Steven Lisberger, was on the breaking edge of technology as Bridges’s character, a computer programmer named Kevin Flynn, found himself sucked into the very machines he was working on and fighting with the software inside.

The movie became a cult classic but it would be decades until its follow-up, Tron: Legacy would hit screens, and then another full decade until Tron: Ares went into production.

Tron: Legacy Underwhelmed

Some may be wholly surprised that Tron: Ares ever received the greenlight considering that Joseph Kosinski’s (Top Gun: Maverick) sequel, Tron: Legacy, was much more lackluster than initially projected.

Starring Garrett Hedlund as Kevin’s son, Sam Flynn, the movie told the next chapter in the Flynn family’s tussle with the machines. Like his father, Sam was pulled into the grid and forced to find a way out, all while on the hunt for his missing parent.

Still Box Office Viable

Tron: Legacy also had the star power of Olivia Wilde and Michael Sheen, as well as a fun performance by Daft Punk, but the film just didn’t have what it took to impress the critics.

When it came to a box office haul, though, Legacy did manage to scrounge up some terrific numbers, earning $400.1 million against its $170 million production budget.

Despite the lump sum of cold hard cash, the negative reviews from the fandom and critics were enough to push what would become Tron: Ares more than a decade into the future.

Waiting For Tron: Ares Release Date

Over the last more than a full decade since Tron: Legacy blasted onto screens, production for Tron: Ares has been underway but has just undergone a slew of changes.

From casting personnel from storylines, the vision for the title that would turn the franchise into a trilogy couldn’t be settled on. Finally, last year, thanks to Jared Leto, audiences got the long-awaited confirmation that the wheels were spinning on Tron 3.

While no release date for Tron: Ares has been set at this time, we know that Leto will star alongside Evan Peters, Greta Lee, Jodie Turner-Smith, Gillian Anderson, and more. A plot hasn’t fully been released to the public but Rønning has previously teased that the storyline will follow the rise of AI.

Source: Instagram