After facing a series of delays and setbacks, filming on Tron: Ares is now officially underway. The third film in the Tron franchise, plans for a follow-up to 2010’s Tron: Legacy began as early as the second film’s release but would later fall through when Disney announced they had scrapped the film in 2015. In 2017, the project would get fresh life with Jared Leto attached to star. Filming was intended to finally get underway in August last year, but the project was again delayed due to the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.
Now, director Joachim Rønning has confirmed that the frequently troubled Tron 3 has finally begun filming by posting a new set photo to Instagram. Check it out below:
While the photo only reveals the production’s stylized Tron 3 logo, featuring the number 3 in place of the letter O, the director also accompanied the picture with the caption “WEEK 1 ON THE GRID.”
Will Tron 3 Be Worth The Wait?
Despite only enjoying moderate box office success at the time of its original 1982 release, the first Tron movie would eventually become regarded as a cult classic and hailed for its ground-breaking visual effects and unique premise. Given the honored place the original Tron held within the pop culture landscape, anticipation was high when Disney first began work on a sequel as far back as 2005. Yet, when Tron: Legacy finally made its debut 28 years after the first movie’s release, reactions were mixed despite the sequel’s ability to generate a healthy box office profit.
Nonetheless, at the time there was still enough interest to justify Disney’s initial investment in Tron: Legacy director Joseph Kosinski’s vision for a third movie, originally slated to be called Tron: Ascension. Described as an “invasion movie” that would have seen characters from the Grid cross over into real life, it would have also seen the return of Olivia Wilde and Garrett Hedlund to their respective characters. Yet, those plans would later be thrown into disarray when Disney opted not to move forward with the project before filming was set to begin in 2015.
While little is known about the plans for the current iteration of Tron 3, it probably comes as a relief to many that work on the threequel is finally underway after so many setbacks. Currently slated for a December 2025 release, the release of Tron: Ares will mark an expansive 43 years since the first movie wowed audiences and introduced the world to the digital realm of the Grid. With any luck, Rønning and Leto will be able to deliver a movie worthy of the franchise’s enduring legacy.
