First “Tron: Ares ”trailer promises pulse-pounding, neon-soaked return to the Grid

The first extended look at the long-awaited sequel to "Tron: Legacy" was unveiled at Disney's D23 fan event.

After nearly 15 years, our first extended look at Tron: Ares, starring Jared Leto, has arrived.

At Disney's D23 fan event in Anaheim, Calif., original Tron star Jeff Bridges took to the stage alongside new costars Leto, Greta Lee, and Evan Peters to share a trailer for the threequel.

The trailer for Tron: Ares revealed that the film will address current debates around AI and big tech. "We've been looking in the wrong direction for intelligent life," Peters' character says. Leto's voiceover narrates in a sinister tone, “I came here to find something. Something important. Permanence."

There are slick neon visuals, motorbike chases, and a whipping new score from *drumroll* Nine Inch Nails.

"It’s really unbelievable to think we made the original in 1982," Bridges addressed the crowd. "We never thought it would have this legacy that’s continued on all these years, but here we are. What a beautiful time to bring this back. What a perfect time to revisit this amazing world. More appropriately, to say this amazing world visit us."

Peters told the crowd, "I play Julian Dillinger. You know the name Dillinger doesn’t always mean great things," referring to Ed Dillinger, the villainous plagiarist and coworker of Kevin Flynn (Bridges), played in the original film by David Warner.

Lee took the mic to share, "I play a human character, I can say that, named Eve Kim, and she’s a brilliant programmer. She allows Ares to come into our world." Leto joked, "Thankfully, I never got around to signing my NDA. I play Ares, the master of the Grid — a program who's looking for a way to make the world his own, permanently."

This will be the first new installment in the Tron franchise since 2010 when Tron: Legacy was released. It's only the third film overall. The franchise's origins date back to 1982, when Steven Lisberger and writer Bonnie MacBird's Tron was released.

Tron starred Bridges as Kevin Flynn, a computer programmer who's unwittingly whisked into the machine and conscripted into a dangerous, although aesthetically pleasing, game of survival. The film quickly became a cult classic for its sensational visuals, proto-Matrix concept, and unforgettable score from electronic music pioneer Wendy Carlos.

Tron: Legacy returned Bridges to the film's digital playing field, or Grid. Bruce Boxleitner also returned in the dual role of Alan Bradley, Flynn's coworker, and the voice of Tron itself, the game's self-governing security program. Joining the veterans was Garrett Hedlund, playing Flynn's son, and Olivia Wilde as a cyber-warrior named Quorra. Michael Sheen, James Frain, and Beau Garrett also starred.

Related: Jeff Bridges returns for Tron: Ares, jokes his de-aged self looked like Bill Maher in Legacy

The film earned back nearly double its budget at the box office but split critics down the middle. Writing for EW at the time, Owen Gleiberman found the sequel "sleeker, sharper, and far more visually intoxicating" than the original. Tapping Daft Punk to score the film was the one decision made by director Joseph Kosinski (Top Gun: Maverick) that no one criticized.

What we saw of Tron: Ares today certainly promises more sleek, sharp visual intoxication. But it comes after an unusually long and bumpy road to production.

The threequel was first announced in 2015, with Hedlund, Wilde, and Kosinski all signed on to return. Within a month, Disney announced that, in fact, the third installment would not be moving forward. Jeff Bridges threw a pretty random hat in the ring two years later, suggesting a possible third movie could be a VR experience.

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Then Leto signed on to star with Garth Davis as director, then Davis dropped out. Joachim R?nning of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales stepped in at the helm, but then the SAG and WGA strikes of 2023 led to Disney laying off 150+ crew from the film.

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Kids, we finally made it. Leto, Bridges, and R?nning were able to pull Tron: Ares over the finish line with the help of a surprisingly stacked ensemble cast, including Lee, Peters, Hasan Minhaj, Cameron Monaghan, Gillian Anderson, Jodie Turner-Smith, Arturo Castro, and Sarah Desjardins.

If the crowd at D23 is any indication, the people are ready for more Tron. Tron: Ares is set to hit theaters on October 10, 2025.

Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly.