TRON: ARES Stars Gillian Anderson and Evan Peters Promise a Fresh Take That Honors the Original
The Tron universe is powering up again with Tron: Ares, and according to Gillian Anderson and Evan Peters, this new chapter strikes the perfect balance between innovation and nostalgia.
Anderson tells GamesRadar+:
“So much of that was in the writing and in what Jared and Justin and Yokem imagined for this, and I think they did such an exceptional job, tying all of the worlds together and making it feel like it's all new.
“But, at the same time, harkens back to the elements that everybody only hopes are in there. There's a lot in there that I think people are going to be very happy about.”
The story picks up decades after the events of Tron: Legacy, with Greta Lee starring as Eve Kim, the CEO of Kevin Flynn’s legendary tech company, ENCOM. Her mission is to find the mysterious permanence code, a piece of programming that could allow digital creations to exist in the real world indefinitely.
In the Tron universe, digital constructs can normally only last 29 minutes before fading out of existence. The permanence code could change everything, or destroy it.
Evan Peters steps into the role of Julian Dillinger, the grandson of the original Tron villain Ed Dillinger, with Gillian Anderson playing his mother, Elisabeth. Julian sets events in motion by unleashing a powerful military AI known as Ares, played by Jared Leto, alongside his counterpart Athena, portrayed by Jodie Turner-Smith.
When Eve gets too close to discovering the permanence code, Julian sends Ares after her, igniting a fast-paced digital war that blurs the line between the grid and reality.
Peters explains:
“[In the] second film, the Dillingers are unveiling NCom12 and now Julian is unveiling this military AI, Ares. So it sort of kicks off the movie.
“But like you said, it was in the writing, and then our characters' relationship and dynamic – that was pretty fresh and new to the series. I was excited to jump on board with that.”
Anderson adds that the production went to great lengths to make the world feel tangible.
“There's some great sequences, some great chase sequences, and obviously the mixture of the CG and also the practical sets, it doesn't feel too digitalized.
“It really feels like this is a world that exists, which is hard to do. And it's a race against time. I feel like it's really a pressure cooker and a time bomb. It just moves.”
Directed by Joachim Rønning, Tron: Ares was written by Jesse Wigutow, who also worked on Daredevil: Born Again. The cast includes Hasan Minhaj, Arturo Castro, Sarah Desjardins, Jeff Bridges, and a cameo from Cameron Monaghan.
With its mix of badass visuals, grounded performances, and a storyline that ties generations of the Tron universe together, Tron: Ares moves the franchise forward in exciting new ways.