Though there was some chatter in the wake of Tron: Legacy's release in 2010 about a potential sequel, the idea seemed to vanish into development limbo until around 2017, when it emerged that Jared Leto was in talks to star. Fast-forward to today, and Deadline reports that Joachim Rønning is in talks to direct what is currently known as Tron: Ares.
Despite talk of a reboot in the mix there, it seems that Tron: Ares will indeed be a direct sequel to Legacy, written by Jesse Wigutow. No plot details have been released, but it appears that Leto is playing Ares, a character who was in earlier drafts of the script.
“I am so very excited and proud to confirm that YES – I will be starring in Tron,” Leto wrote in 2020. “We will work as hard as we possibly can to create something that I hope you all will love. We have some very special ideas in store for you all… See you in the grid! I’m struck with such gratitude for the opportunity to bring this movie to life, especially as both the original video game and the film affected me so deeply as a young child. The fact that I get to be a part of this new chapter is mind-blowing."
Rønning is a Disney stalwart, having directed Pirates Of The Salazar's Revenge (the awkward UK title for Dead Men Tell No Tales) and Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil. He's also finishing up Young Woman And The Sea, which stars Daisy Ridley and chronicles the daring journey of Gertrude Ederle, a New York teen who became the first woman to swim across the English Channel.
Though final deals aren't quite in place, Disney is clearly pushing this one forward and Tron: Ares is now starting to gather a crew ready for a potential August shoot in Vancouver.
