Step inside the Grid with director Joachim Rønning as he shares insights on Disney’s TRON: Ares, its cast, AI themes, and the film’s bold new vision.
d23.com
Exclusive Q&A:
October 7, 2025
By Courtney Potter
We’re mere days away from the sure-to-be-electrifying debut of the next chapter in Disney’s iconic
TRON franchise—
TRON: Ares… and the excitement is palpable! In the new film, 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. But 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 genius technologist, computer programmer, and current ENCOM CEO Eve Kim (Greta Lee)—who’s on a journey to discover a critical code written by Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges). Betraying orders and ruthlessly pursued, Ares and Eve fight not only for their own survival, but for a future where technology and humanity can intersect.
Also starring Evan Peters, Jodie Turner-Smith, Hasan Minhaj, Arturo Castro, and Cameron Monaghan, with Gillian Anderson,
TRON: Ares is produced by Sean Bailey, Leto, Emma Ludbrook, Jeffrey Silver, Justin Springer, and Steven Lisberger, with Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross, Russell Allen, and Joseph Kosinski serving as executive producers. Directed by Joachim Rønning, the film hits U.S. theaters this Friday, October 10.
D23 recently sat down with Rønning for an exclusive chat about the making of the film; what excites him about the world of
TRON; and so much more. (For an in-depth look behind-the-scenes of
TRON: Ares, D23 Gold Members are welcome to check out the Fall 2025 digital issue of
Disney twenty-three by
clicking here, or purchase a print issue at
DisneyStore.com.)
Read on for a peek into Rønning’s exciting directorial “Grid”…
D23: Thanks for chatting with us, Joachim! So, were you a fan of the original TRON when it first came out in 1982?
Joachim Rønning (JR): I’m a little bit of a late bloomer when it comes to the
TRON universe. I think I was about 10 years old when the first movie came out, so—I’m not hiding behind my age or anything—but it didn’t really register that much with me at the time. So I’ve discovered the film later in life. And obviously being a part of this—making this movie and suddenly being the “keeper of the flame” here—I’ve fallen in love with it. I think it’s such a masterpiece in many ways; both [previous] films are, actually. So obviously we’re paying huge respect and homage to the original movie—and to its protagonist, Flynn—in many ways.
D23: How would you explain TRON: Ares, especially to someone who maybe isn’t as familiar with the world of TRON?
JR: For me, what always draws me to any story is the heart of it; does it have a big heart? When people think about
TRON, they don’t necessarily think about a strong emotional core—but that’s
always going to be very important for me as a filmmaker and as a storyteller, and I think this movie has that. It’s what I’ve been really working hard to give it. The film is about Ares, who ventures out into the “real world” and in many ways wants to become real—and has to learn what it means and what it takes to be human. That really resonated with me, that we’re trying to put some good into the world; it’s the
TRON with the biggest heart, I would say, so far. That said, it’s also wall-to-wall action! And that’s always going to be fun too; that’s part of the roller-coaster ride of the whole film. But it doesn’t work if you don’t
feel it; if you don’t feel for the characters. So that’s been my number one priority.
D23: Was there something that particularly intrigued or excited you about having this story follow humankind’s first encounter with an AI being?
JR: When we started out making this movie a couple of years ago, AI wasn’t in the newspapers daily like it is now. So our story has had to change a little bit, because AI has become a much bigger part of everyone’s lives in this last year. That’s actually been a bit of the challenge—how do we stay ahead of that and make it feel fresh? For me, again, it’s less about Ares existing as an AI program; I see him more as a “being” from another level, but he wants to exist on a
human level.
D23: Speaking of challenges, were there any other interesting or memorable hurdles you faced during the making of TRON: Ares?
JR: Many filmmakers, myself included, dream about making a science fiction movie at some point in their career. I, for one, have
always wanted to do it. Honestly, this has been such an amazing ride—to be a part of the design process; working with all the technology we’ve been using; having the resources we have access to, like shutting down a city and doing six weeks of night shoots for a motorcycle chase! So the scope of it, and working within this genre, is what I’ll take away as one of the biggest “learning curves” for me, I’d say, in my role as director.
D23: Can you speak a bit to this film’s incredible cast? What was it like assembling and working with them?
JR: Well, the human factor—where you get to work with some of the best actors in the world—is so fantastic. This is such an amazing ensemble piece, across the board. You just feel very lucky, on a daily basis, that you’re there as a director and you have a camera so you can film what’s going on in front of you—because it’s just a spectacle, both internally
and externally… Not to be pretentious or anything, but cinema is my art form. That’s what I grew up with. That’s where I want my stories to be told. It’s a physical experience; it’s a social experience. And I think a lot of actors feel the same. So when you make a big movie like this, you get to choose from the “top shelf.” Because all these elements, we get to come together and make something extraordinary.
D23: Can you tell us a little about working with Nine Inch Nails on the score?
JR: It’s been the first question anybody asks me when I’ve said I’m directing the new
TRON movie: “Who’s doing the score?” Obviously, Daft Punk’s score [for 2010’s
TRON: Legacy] was so iconic and legendary—and very, very hard, if not impossible, to top. It’s been a very short list over the years, and Nine Inch Nails were always on it—and I think we just realized more and more, as the script and the movie were coming together, that they’d really be perfect for it. It’s a little bit of a departure; it’s still in that electronic kind of world, but it’s a little harder, a little grittier, a little bit more industrial—which is very much this film. To be a part of this adventure with Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, and have them doing it under the Nine Inch Nails banner and really making a meal out of it… I feel like everything they touch, they elevate, and it’s the same with this project. It’s been a fantastic journey with them.
D23: Is there anything else you’d like the readers of D23.com to know about the film, and your experience making it?
JR: This is my fourth Disney movie, so I’m probably their No. 1 fan! That’s why it’s been so great doing this; I feel like I’ve grown as a filmmaker while with the company, so now to be able to tell this kind of story for Disney has been a thrill. I think it’s been fun for everyone involved, and I think it will be for the fans as well. It really has something for everyone.
www.hollywoodreporter.com
but I'm pretty meh with the story.
