Tron: Ares (stylized as TRON: Ares) is an American science fiction film produced by Walt Disney Pictures. A standalone sequel to Tron: Legacy (2010) and the third installment in the Tron film series, it is directed by Joachim Rønning from a screenplay by Jesse Wigutow and Jack Thorne. The film stars Jared Leto, Greta Lee, Evan Peters, Hasan Minhaj, Jodie Turner-Smith, Arturo Castro, Cameron Monaghan, Gillian Anderson and Sarah Desjardins, with Jeff Bridges reprising his role as Kevin Flynn from the first two films.
Development of a sequel to Tron: Legacy began in October 2010 by franchise creator Steven Lisberger. Plans changed when the franchise would be moving towards a reboot instead in March 2017, with Leto playing a new character. Garth Davis was set as director in August 2020 when Wigutow was working on the script but stepped down in January 2023. Rønning replaced him a month later. Production was expected to begin in August 2023 but was delayed by the 2023 Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Filming ultimately began in January 2024 in Vancouver and wrapped in May. By August, Nine Inch Nails was announced to be composing the score, including an original song, making this film their first to be properly credited by their band name.
Tron: Ares was released in the United States by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures on October 10, 2025.[1]
Plot[]
ENCOM and its corporate rival, Dillinger Systems, is in an arms race to revolutionize technology. ENCOM CEO Eve Kim, accompanied by her partner Seth, visit a remote station in Alaska set up by former ENCOM founder Kevin Flynn to uncover the Permanence Code, an algorithm created by Flynn that allows digital beings to stay materialized in the real world. Upon finding the code, she tests it by creating an orange tree, and the tree lasts and even fails to freeze in the cold weather.
Meanwhile, Dillinger Systems CEO Julian Dillinger, grandson of former ENCOM executive Ed Dillinger, introduces Ares, a Master Control Program, as the perfect and easily expendable soldier, although Ares himself shows signs of self-awareness. After Ares de-materializes and returns to the Dillinger Systems-manufactured Grid, Julian's mother Elisabeth expresses her concern over the Programs' limited lifespan, which Julian alludes to solve by finding the Permanence Code. He sends Ares and his battalion to extract Eve's personal files from ENCOM's Grid, and after acquiring them, Ares forgoes his programming to rescue his comrade Caius before Julian extracts them and shuts down the ENCOM Grid.
With Eve's personal files, Ares discovers her life leading up to her rise as CEO of ENCOM before tracking her jet's return trip from Alaska. At the ENCOM headquarters, Eve learns of Dillinger's cyberattack and flees by motorcycle, forcing Julian to dispatch Ares and his second-in-command Athena to capture her. Riding Light Cycles, Ares and Athena pursue Eve until Ares corners her at a port, where Eve destroys the drive containing the Permanence Code just as Ares and Athena's 29-minute life span expires, while Eve is digitized into Dillinger Systems' Grid.
Upon Eve's arrival into the Dillinger Grid, Ares learns that extracting the information containing the Permanence Code via her identity disc will inevitably kill her, Ares informs Julian, who adamantly accepts the risk. Disillusioned, Ares lies to Athena about Julian being "indisposed" in an effort to save Eve's life; he bargains with her that he will help her escape in exchange for gaining the Permanence Code for himself, but Athena, realizing Ares is compromised, reports to Julian, who orders Ares be executed. As Athena and her forces surround them, Ares and Eve escape and return to the real world through the Dillinger Systems HQ, commandeering a van to return to ENCOM.
Along their trip, Ares not only shows more signs of individuality, but determines that Eve's quest for the Permanence Code was an act of inferiority toward her younger sister Tess, who was working on humanitarian efforts before dying from cancer. With Seth's help, Eve prepares to send Ares into Kevin's original Grid to find a copy of the Permanence Code, but Athena, on orders from Julian to re-capture Eve, arrives and attacks the office, and though Ares is sent into the Grid, Athena destroys the particle laser to trap him before targeting Eve, but the smoke from the laser triggers the fire sprinklers, distracting Athena long enough for her to de-resolve.
After Ajay arrives, Eve makes a plan to use Athena's particle laser to retrieve Ares and thwart Julian's plans. Inside Kevin's Grid, Ares meets a digital aspect of Kevin himself, where they discuss Ares' reason for permanence. Meanwhile, Athena re-materializes herself, intent on completing her mission, creating a large Recognizer to track down Eve, fatally wounding Elisabeth when she attempts to abort the particle lasers. Back in Flynn's Grid, after Ares expresses his desire to live only one life and enlightenment with his newfound awareness, Kevin grants him permanence and returns him to the real world using the particle laser located in the office of Flynn's old arcade.
Athena causes massive damage to the city in her search for Eve, who distracts her to buy Ajay and Seth time to shut down the Dillinger Grid. Despite her Recognizer being destroyed by the U.S. Air Force, Athena captures Eve and prepares to return her to the Dillinger Grid, but the now-human Ares confronts her. The two engage in a decisive battle, with Ares emerging victorious, just as Ajay and Seth shut down the Dillinger Grid, causing all Dillinger-crafted Programs (sans Ares, who is no longer one) to de-resolve for good, including Athena. Now free, Ares parts ways with Eve, who goes on to use the Permanence Code for beneficial efforts. At the Dillinger HQ, Julian escapes into the Grid to flee from persecution.
Sometime later, Eve receives a postcard from Ares, who had begun roaming the world and learning more about himself and his aspect of life as he embarks on a search for Sam Flynn and Quorra. Meanwhile, Julian emerges in the damaged Dillinger Grid, who obtains and is possessed by an identity disc containing the consciousness of Sark, his grandfather's program.
Cast[]
- Jared Leto as Ares, a Program created within Dillinger Systems' processing unit.
- Greta Lee as Eve Kim, the current CEO of ENCOM following Sam Flynn's resignation.
- Evan Peters as Julian Dillinger, the arrogant CEO of Dillinger Systems.
- Hasan Minhaj as Ajay Singh, one of Eve's colleagues and friends at ENCOM.
- Jodie Turner-Smith as Athena, another Dillinger-created Program who is Ares' second-in-command.
- Arturo Castro as Seth Flores, one of Eve's colleagues and friends at ENCOM.
- Cameron Monaghan as Caius, a Program who is part of Ares' battalion.
- Gillian Anderson as Elisabeth Dillinger, Julian's mother.
- Sarah Desjardins as Erin, Ajay's assistant.
- Jeff Bridges as Kevin Flynn, the founder of ENCOM and creator of the original Grid.
Music[]
Nine Inch Nails was announced in August 2024 to be providing the score for the film, marking the first time Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross have composed a soundtrack under the name of their band, instead of their own names.[2][3]
Release[]
Tron: Ares released theatrically on October 10, 2025, including engagements in IMAX.[4][5]
External links[]
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedTheatricalRelease - ↑ Nine Inch Nails Are Taking On The Score To Tron: Ares (August 9, 2024).
- ↑ Nine Inch Nails to Score Upcoming Tron: Ares Film (August 10, 2024).
- ↑ Lang, Brent (2024-04-05). Disney Sets 'Star Wars' Movie 'The Mandalorian & Grogu,' 'Toy Story 5' and Live-Action 'Moana' for 2026 Release Dates (in en-US).
- ↑ Imax Touts 2025 Slate: Biggest-Ever Filmed with Its Cameras Includes 'M:I 8', 'Superman: Legacy' & 'Tron: Ares' (May 16, 2024).