It’s time to reenter the Grid. More than four decades after Tron first launched us into a world of glowing circuits and digital warriors, the franchise is powering back up for a new era. Not only is a brand-new film on the way this October, but Disney’s theme parks are syncing up with an electrifying upgrade of their own.
“The Grid. A digital frontier. I tried to picture clusters of information as they moved through the computer. What did they look like? Ships, motorcycles? Were the circuits like freeways? I kept dreaming of a world I thought I’d never see. And then, one day I got in.” – Kevin Flynn
It’s hard to believe it’s been 43 years since Tron debuted (and 15 years since its sequel, Tron: Legacy). Over the years, the franchise’s cult following has been more than patient as they await new installments of their beloved series. They’ve never given up the fight to ensure it comes to pass, and it seems it worked as Disney is finally giving us a third movie called Tron: Ares, which will premiere on Oct. 10, 2025.
But even before that, TRON Lightcycle / Run will be getting a red-hued Tron: Ares-themed overlay featuring music from the soundtrack by Nine Inch Nails beginning on September 15th.
Replacing the blue and orange lighting effects on the ride, riders will fly through tunnels of vibrant red and orange light trails. In addition, music from Nine Inch Nails will drive the experience between the Grid and reality, creating a fully immersive, futuristic symphony of light, speed, and sound.
So, now, let’s look at the storyline for the new movie and venture into the franchise’s presence at Disney Parks. Will we ever see a Tron-themed ride at the Disneyland Resort? Let’s talk about it!
Tron – The Original (1982)
Tron follows Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges), a video game maker, who hacks into his former employer’s mainframe, transporting him into the digital world. As he journeys through cyberspace, he faces off with a Master Control Program (David Warner) and joins forces with a security program, Tron (Bruce Boxleitner) to defeat the MCP. While the original undoubtedly has its quirks, the sequel helped bring the story to life in a more streamlined way…
Tron: Legacy – The Sequel (2010)
Twenty-eight years after the first movie, Disney released Tron: Legacy, with some original actors returning to reprise their roles. The story unfolds to reveal a mystery: Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) has disappeared, and years later, his son, Sam Flynn (Garret Hedlund) seeks to discover what happened. After receiving a signal from his dad from within the digital world, Sam also ends up in cyberspace. Along the way, he meets an Isomorphic Algorithm, Quora (Olivia Wilde), who helps him find his father and battle the villainous program, CLU.
Tron: Ares – Premiering Oct. 12, 2025
For years, we’ve heard rumors of a third installment- and between Disney announcements and commentary from various actors and directors, it’s been a roller coaster of emotions. But it’s finally happening!
The Plot:
Disney describes Tron: Ares as a “follow-up” to the Sci-Fi films Tron and Tron: Legacy; however, rather than continuing the storyline of Sam and Quora, the new movie has a new angle, with Disney sharing that “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 Cast:
While some fans may not be happy with the brand-new concept, there are some constants to keep them invested. In April 2024, Walt Disney Studios confirmed that Jeff Bridges had joined the cast in an Instagram post! captioned, “Jeff Bridges returns to the grid.”
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Jared Leto stars as the main character, Ares. Other cast members include Greta Lee (Past Lives, The Morning Show), Evan Peters (American Horror Story, the X-Men films), Hasan Minhaj (Haunted Mansion), Jodie Turner-Smith (Nightflyers), Arturo Castro (Narcos, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story), Cameron Monaghan (Gotham, Star Wars Jedi video games), and Gillian Anderson (The X-Files, The Crown).
Last year, Leto returned to the Grid via Disney World’s TRON Lightcycle / Run, exclaiming, “I feel like I’m home!” Check out the full video below.
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“I’m excited to be part of the Tron franchise and bring this new film to fans around the world,” the film’s director, Joachim Rønning posted on social media, Tron: Ares builds upon the legacy of cutting-edge design, technology, and storytelling. Now more than ever, it feels like the right time to return to the Grid.”
The Music:
In August 2024, during D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event in Anaheim, details were announced about the soundtrack. DisneyD23 posted on Instagram, “You’re going to get what you deserve (via @nineinchnails).” That’s right, Nine Inch Nails provides the music for Tron: Ares (some of which will be featured on the attractin overlay at Walt Disney World Resort).
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Here’s a first listen to the film’s soundtrack:
Sneak Peeks & Behind-the-Scenes
Production for Tron: Ares began in January of 2024, in Vancouver, Canada. On Feb. 29, 2024, Jared Leto and Disney Studios released our first look at the film in an Instagram post with Jared Leto captioning, “ARE YOU READY?? TRON: ARES 2025 – See you on the grid.” Included were an image and a video reveal captioned, “#SYSTEMCTL START ARES.” Director Joachim Rønning (Maleficent: Mistress of Evil and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales) followed suit on his Instagram, sharing the image along with the caption, “Meet ARES!”
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In May 2024, Rønning also shared behind-the-scenes images from the movie on Instagram. The caption reads, “That’s a wrap on TRON:ARES – Thanks to an incredible and tireless crew, I really believe we pushed the filmmaking limits on this movie. Even through six weeks of night shoots, I don’t remember you slowing down. Also, a big thank you to our wonderful cast for leaving everything on screen. I can’t wait to show the world what we’ve done.”
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Release Date for Tron: Ares
On April 5. 2024, Rønning took to Instagram to announce the movie’s October 10, 2025, release date.
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TRON Ride Debuts at Walt Disney World Resort
In April 2023, the TRON Lightcycle / Run E-Ticket attraction in Tomorrowland at Magic Kingdom Park.
NOTE: If the motorcycle-style ride vehicle is the obstacle, you can request to be seated in a traditional vehicle (there are only a few of these, so you may need to wait).
The queue experience is also extremely cool.
Although Shanghai Disneyland was the first to debut a Tron-themed attraction in 2016, TRON Lightcycle Power Run, now that the ride has landed on U.S. soil, is it possible Disney will build a similar attraction on the West Coast? We certainly hope so!
Walt Disney World TRON Lightcycle / Run – Everything You Need To Know!
Will We Ever See a Tron Attraction at Disneyland?
Remember ElecTRONica, the nighttime party running from 2010-2012 in Disney California Adventure? What about the “World of TRON” super speed tunnel on the deeply-missed PeopleMover from 1982 through ’95? Unfortunately, that’s the closest Disneyland has gotten to any Tron offering so far, but fans have long talked about how they’d like to see a Tron coaster hit Disneyland Park.
If you didn’t get to experience ElecTRONica during its short stint at Disneyland, here are some images from the event:
Of course, we have thoughts about where a Tron-themed attraction should go. If you’ve been following us on MiceChat, we often discuss Tomorrowland‘s need for an overhaul. Though the land has several popular attractions, there’s still a lot of unused space (and therefore so much untapped potential).
So, what if Disney converted the old Carousel of Progress/America Sings/ Innoventions/Star Wars Launch Bay building for a new Tron attraction? With rumors swirling around the subject for years, maybe Disney will hop on board the Tron train. Our best bet is to continue talking about it.
Now that you know the history of the Tron franchise, take a look at the official trailer for the new movie:
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Let’s Hear From You!
We’re pretty sure you’d like to see Disneyland’s Tomorrowland get some much-needed TLC, but is a Tron ride on your wish list? What do you think about the premise of the upcoming Tron movie? Would you’ve liked to see a continuation of the second film or does the new storyline appeal to you? Have you ridden TRON at Shanghai Disneyland or Walt Disney World? What did you think of the attraction? Let us know in the comments!
