Disney’s Tron franchise has been in flux ever since Tron: Legacy bowed in 2010. But in 2017, Jared Leto became linked to a potential third installment that would have seen him playing an all-new character named Ares. The project lingered in development for years until last summer, when Leto announced that the film had gotten a greenlight. Now, it’s official. The Hollywood Reporter brings word that Disney is finally moving forward with Tron: Ares, which currently has Joachim Rønning in negotiations to direct.
This actually isn’t the first time we’re learning about the name of the film. When Leto confirmed the sequel’s greenlight on Twitter last year, he originally shared a message revealing the “Ares” subtitle before quickly deleting it and posting a new announcement that simply referred to the project as TRON. The origins of Leto’s character date back to earlier Tron 3 drafts credited to both Dave DiGilio and Jesse Wigutow. Evidently, Ares was written specifically with Leto in mind to play the role.
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Rønning’s involvement, on the other hand, is a brand new development. If his deal goes through, he’ll replace Garth Davis (Lion), who had been previously attached to direct the movie since 2020. But fortunately, Rønning has already worked with Disney on several prior occasions. He most recently helmed Maleficent: Mistress of Evil for the studio in 2019. Before this, he was known for co-directing films with his longtime collaborator, Espen Sandberg. Their joint directorial projects include Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales and the 2012 Norwegian-language film Kon-Tiki, which received a nomination for Best International Feature at the 85th Academy Awards. Rønning’s next movie, Young Woman and the Sea, stars Daisy Ridley and will debut on Disney+ this year.
The original Tron hit theaters back in 1982 and starred Jeff Bridges as Kevin Flynn, a video game designer who is suddenly transported into a virtual world of his own creation. Bridges reprised his role nearly three decades later in Legacy, which also introduced Garrett Hedlund as his character’s son, Sam. It’s unclear if either actor will return to star opposite Leto in Ares. Regardless, Disney is going ahead with Wigutow’s latest draft of the film’s screenplay.
Are you happy to hear that Leto’s Tron sequel is officially moving forward? Do you think Rønning is a good choice to direct the film? Let us know in the comment section below!
Recommended Reading: The Making of Tron: How Tron Changed Visual Effects and Disney Forever
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