TRON: ARES is partially related to Joseph Kosinski’s unproduced TRON: ASCENSION

Director Joachim Rønning is currently in the midst of directing Disney’s third Tron film, Tron: Ares. But, long before this project took off, Tron: Legacy AND Top Gun: nonconformist director Joseph Kosinski he had his version of the sequel ready, and it was titled Tron: Ascension.

During a recent interview on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Kosinski was asked about his big directorial debut with Tron: Legacyand during that conversation, the director revealed that he had met the director of Tron: Ares and said that the film is partially related to the version of the film he was working on. He explained:

“I have some [of a connection.] I met the director of the new film and I know a little about the approach, because it is partially related to a version we call Tron: Ascension. But through a different point of view. So I’m really excited to see what they do with it, and I’m excited that Tron is still alive.

The story for Tron: Ares will focus on the emergence of a sentient program that somehow enters the human world. Leto will take on the role of Ares, which is the manifestation of the Tron program. Jared Leto stars in the film and is said to play a video game programmer and technology CEO in what is described as the lead role.

As for Tron: AscensionKosinski previously spoke about his version of the story, saying: “What excites me is the concept, which is an invasion movie that comes out from inside the machine instead of what we’ve usually seen. So we hinted at that at the end of Legacy with the release of Quorra, but the idea for Ascension was a movie that was, the first act was in the real world, the second act was in the world of TRON, or multiple worlds of TRON, and the third act was totally in the real world. And I think that really opens up, opens up the concept of TRON in a way that would be exciting to see on screen. But there’s also a really interesting character study in Quorra and a “Stranger in a Strange” movie. Land ‘, trying to figure out where he belongs having lived in the real world for a few years, and where he fits in.”

He went on to explain what Quorra would be able to do in the real world as the first digital human hybrid: “I don’t see them having superpowers. I don’t see them being able to shoot lasers out of their eyes or do what I would consider a superhero movie. But in the his DNA itself, being the first human-digital hybrid, there’s something in his being that allows objects within the Grid to exist in the real world and makes them permanent, so that was the idea. So I think the idea is strong, it’s just a matter of right time, right place and the stars aligning like they have to do for movies.

I would have loved to see that version of the film made! This is such a beautiful and unique idea! It will be interesting to see how this new film ties into that as-yet-unrealized story.