Disney captivated audiences at Comic-Con with an electrifying presentation for ‘Tron: Ares’, featuring a stunning laser light show and a star-studded panel.
Disney Dazzles at Comic-Con with ‘Tron: Ares’
No, Dr. Doom didn’t show up at this year’s Comic-Con. But Disney sure brought the dazzle with a laser light show that outshone their performance at CinemaCon, featuring a Tron: Ares logo in vibrant neon red and two Tron-like warriors marching to the front of the stage.
Star-Studded Panel
“Did you see that entrance?” asked moderator Kevin Smith, “That cost more than Clerks!“
On the panel were director Joachim Rønning, Jared Leto, Evan Peters, Arturo Castro, Gillian Anderson, Cameron Monaghan, Jodie Turner-Smith, Greta Lee, and Jeff Bridges, who reprises his role as Kevin Flynn from the original 1982 movie. Both Leto and Bridges received enthusiastic cheers from the crowd.
Plot Insights
In the third Tron movie, a highly sophisticated program, Ares (played by Oscar winner Leto), is sent from the digital world into the real world on a perilous mission. Evan Peters portrays the villainous tech executive Julian Dillinger.
Bridges reflected on the franchise’s legacy, saying, “1982! 43 years ago! C’mon man! And we’re continuing the story? Steven (Lisberger) created this wild world that was so fun to be a part of.” He also noted, “These times, artificial intelligence is on everybody’s minds and hearts these days.”
Artistic Responsibility
Lisberger emphasized the importance of exploring technology artistically, stating, “The most important thing is that we kick this technology around artistically before it kicks us around.” He expressed concern over grim news about the future, advocating for inspiring young people about the potential of technology.
Leto’s Passion for Tron
“I am an official Tron superfan. If I wasn’t on the stage, I would be in the audience right now cheering like all these crazy people here,” Leto shared. He reminisced about how the 1982 film captured his imagination and inspired his dreams.
“We worked on this movie for 9, I think it’s 10 years now. It started with the word Ares,” the Dallas Buyers Club Oscar winner revealed.
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Exclusive Clips
In one of two clips previewed by Disney, Leto’s Ares and Turner-Smith’s Athena are generated by Evan Peters’ villainous Dillinger, a descendant of Ed Dillinger from the first film. Dillinger instructs these programs to retrieve a valuable piece of code from Greta Lee’s Eve, who possesses a motorcycle of her own, though it pales in comparison to the roaring red lightcycles.
In an action-packed sequence, Eve must escape from a revived Athena, a bionic woman who survives a fall, showcasing the high-stakes excitement of the film.
Working with Legends
“I just can’t stop smiling because I’m working with [Jeff Bridges],” Leto said, recalling his excitement during his first scene.
“Greta, you got a script for this, and you’re like this is like Past Lives,” joked Smith.
Lee humorously added that her motivation for joining Tron: Ares was simply because “I got to ride a lightcycle.”
Musical Score
Grammy-winning rock band Nine Inch Nails is behind the score for Tron: Ares, reminiscent of the pop band Daft Punk’s work on the 2010 film, Tron: Legacy. Last week, they released “As Alive As You Need Me To Be,” marking their first new music in five years.
