As the world grapples with the implications of artificial intelligence, “Tron: Ares” is racing into theaters, offering dazzling visual effects and a trippy adventure set in a distant future. Disney premiered an eye-popping first look at the film at CinemaCon, the annual trade show for theater owners that’s taking place this week in Las Vegas.
On stage, Jared Leto, the film’s star, promised that the new movie “will hit you right in the grid…wherever that is.”
The long-gestating follow-up to 2010’s “Tron: Legacy,” which was itself a long-gestating follow-up to 1982’s “Tron,” follows a highly sophisticated program, Ares, that is sent from the digital world into the real world on a mission. It marks humankind’s first encounter with A.I. beings.
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The trailer unfolded to the atmospheric music of Nine Inch Nails and overflows with atmospheric details — bright red bikes race down highways, slicing cop cars in half. There’s also a massive machine looming over a cityscape. The whole vibe is very punk rock.
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“I’m looking for something,” Leto says with an eerie, robotic tone. ” Something I do not understand.”
Jeff Bridges, who starred in the first film, as well as its sequel, returns as Kevin Flynn, the gamer who kicked everything off. He joined Leto on stage to pitch the new film. “It’s an incredible visual experience,” Bridges promised. “You’re in for a treat.”
“Tron: Ares” stars Oscar-winner Leto as the titular piece of technology, alongside Evan Peters, Greta Lee and Jodie Turner-Smith. Joachim Rønning, who directed Disney’s “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales” and “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil,” slides behind the camera for the sci-fi adventure. He directs from a script by Jesse Wigutow and Jack Thorne.
Disney used its time at CinemaCon to tout its upcoming slate of films which includes “Zootopia 2,” “The Fantastic Four: The First Steps,” and “Avatar: Fire and Ash.”
