Tron: Ares director has one critique of the franchise's previous films: "They lacked a little bit of heart"
Exclusive: Joachim Rønning declares it's "not enough" to just have action in a Tron film

Tron: Ares director Joachim Rønning has been forthright on where he believes the third film in the iconic sci-fi franchise can improve on its predecessors.
"For me as a filmmaker, it's not enough just to have action; I need to connect with the characters, I need to connect with the emotional core of the movie," Rønning says in the new issue of SFX magazine, which features Predator: Badlands on the cover and hits newsstands on Wednesday, September 10.
"If I should say any critique of the previous movies, it's that I feel they lacked a little bit of heart, and I don't want to watch a movie without heart. That was very important for me to get that into the story and into the movie."
To that end, Rønning aims to inject some more pathos in the neon-infused world of light cycles and systems, namely through the emergence of Jared Leto's Ares, a program suddenly thrust into the 'real' world.
"As an audience, hopefully you will see the world a little differently when you see it through [Ares'] eyes," Rønning says.
That emotional attachment will also come through Greta Lee's Eve, a computer programmer who opens up to Ares after a traumatic past.
"For Eve, she's coming out of a deep tragedy that she has to learn to cope with. She's given up in many ways until she meets Ares, and together they discover life and humanity."
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Tron: Ares releases in cinemas on October 10. Read more in the latest issue of SFX magazine, which will be available from Wednesday, September 10. Here's the Predator: Badlands cover you need to be looking out for on newsstands below...
Let the hunt begin! Our battle-world exclusive #PredatorBadlands cover feature is on sale 10 September. Get it, before it gets you!@DannyTRS pic.twitter.com/t5VmoVNqjTSeptember 4, 2025
I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.
- Jack ShepherdFreelance Journalist
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