TRON: ARES Director Reveals How Nine Inch Nails Shapes The Disney Sequel and Redifines The Franchise
The TRON franchise may only have a couple of films under its belt, but the franchise has had a big impact on cinema. From pushing the boundaries of visual effects to delivering groundbreaking soundtracks, TRON has always stood apart.
The original 1982 film featured a score from legendary composer Wendy Carlos, while TRON: Legacy etched itself into pop culture history with Daft Punk’s electrifying soundtrack. Now, the upcoming TRON: Ares is keeping that tradition alive with a bold new musical direction.
It was previously confirmed that TRON: Ares would feature a score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. The duo are no strangers to film scoring with projects like The Social Network and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem under their belts, but this time is different. For the first time ever, the pair will be scoring a movie as their industrial rock band, Nine Inch Nails.
Speaking with ComicBook, director Joachim Rønning explained how much of a creative influence Reznor and Ross had on the film, even while he was still shooting.
“Music is such a big part of the franchise…So when when they agreed to do it and even do it on their Nine Inch Nails banner as a band, it was such an amazing add to the team as we were trying to make this movie.
“I knew this was happening when I was shooting the film. So I used to listen to all Nine Inch Nails getting into the groove, because it’s also so big part of the concept and the story…It was just like constantly on in my trailer and like just listening to it. I even think about that.”
Rønning went on to explain how their involvement brought a new edge to TRON: Ares.
“They’re so accomplished so that just that just them themselves would have been amazing. But then having them do it under that thing, as Nine Inch Nails was such a big win for us.
“And I was happy with it because, it informed us somehow how the real world should feel, it’s industrial and a little grittier than the previous films.”
The director also touched on the deeper themes of the movie, noting that he sees the TRON series as a cautionary tale that feels more relevant than ever with today’s technology.
“That’s also a little bit of the appeal. I think that they have somehow been able to catching the zeitgeist and also look ahead for what is going to happen tomorrow.
“Obviously with this film it’s AI an now it’s very present and it’s our everyday tech and and it wasn’t like that when we started….So it feels timely. And I think that’s part of the appeal of this and I’ve learned a lot about technology making this film. It’s been an amazing ride.”
With Nine Inch Nails driving the soundtrack and AI at the center of the story, TRON: Ares looks like it’s ready to evolve the franchise in an awesome and exciting new way.
Fans will get to experience it when the film hits theaters on October 10.