Tron: Ares isn’t just the newest installment in the popular franchise; it’s also bringing with it some major changes that may rub longtime fans the wrong way. Jared Leto suits up and enters the grid in Tron: Ares, 15 years after Tron: Legacy revived the franchise. Tron: Ares wrapped filming in March, and director Joachim Ronning shared some behind-the-scenes photos to celebrate. And this week, we got the first trailer for Tron: Ares. While some things remain the same in Tron: Ares, there will also be changes to established Tron archetypes like the Identity Disc and Leto’s suit. But Ronning reassures fans they haven’t totally eliminated what fans are accustomed to. There’s a method to the madness.
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Empire spoke to director Joachim Ronning about the changes made in Tron: Ares. For example, instead of circular Identity Discs, Leto’s Ares will have triangular discs. These discs contain all of a user’s information and record their every movement, and just look cool. Ronning says Ares’ disc “has other… abilities than what we’re used to seeing.” The Identity Discs are also used as weapons, and since the ones used by Ares are triangular with sharp edges, that makes them even more lethal.
“You’re not wrong,” Ronning admits. “It’s definitely a weapon, yeah. And it’s just a superior disc. When you’re a part of a franchise, you want to evolve the design, although I’m sure people are gonna freak out that it’s not round: ‘Oh no!’ But we have round discs as well,” trying to quell any immediate backlash. “Take it easy.”
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These changes come as Tron: Ares introduces a never-before-seen grid area. “Darren Gilford, our production designer, and I wanted to create something unique for the Dillinger Grid,” Ronning said. “Because this is new – we haven’t been on this grid before. So that disc is part of the bigger picture of how that grid is designed.”
Changes have also been made to Ares’ Tron suit: specifically, the lines on the costume. “The lines, which are such a Tron trademark, they…. well I think we probably spent a year designing the suit, with Darren Gilford and Weta. I’m not gonna even tell you the money that was spent building these suits,” Ronning said with a laugh.
“But it was because it was so important to me that it all felt like the ’82 Tron, but at the same time something new. We wanted to take Tron to the next level. And it all ties in with the design of the Dillinger grid, together with the Identity Disc. You can see that the [suit’s] lines are a little more jagged. The design is a little harder. Unfriendlier.”
Tron: Ares follows a highly sophisticated Program, Ares, who is sent from the digital world into the real world on a dangerous mission, marking humankind’s first encounter with A.I. beings. The film stars Jared Leto, Jeff Bridges, Greta Lee, Evan Peters, Jodie Turner-Smith (Star Wars: The Acolyte), Arturo Castro (The Menu), and Cameron Monaghan (Star Wars Jedi) with Gillian Anderson (The X-Files).
What do you think about the changes made in Tron: Ares? The movie speeds into IMAX theaters on October 10th. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
