A new Tron sequel starring Jared Leto is in the works

Tron: Legacy
(Image credit: Disney)

Tron 3 is alive and well – and reportedly set to star Jared Leto.

According to Deadline, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales director Joachim Rønning is set to helm Tron: Ares with Leto as the lead. Jesse Wigutow (Eragon) has penned the script.

In 2010, Top Gun: Maverick helmer Joseph Kosinski directed Tron: Legacy, a direct sequel to Steven Lisberger's 1982 sci-fi action flick. The film, produced under Walt Disney Pictures, takes place twenty years after the events of Tron and stars Garrett Hedlund, Olivia Wilde, and Jeff Bridges as Flynn, in a reprisal of his original lead role. The sequel took in over $400 million at the global box office, but a planned follow-up was subsequently scrapped.

Kosinski blamed the film's cancellation on Disney's acquisition of Marvel and Star Wars, saying that it was a "different Disney by 2015." In 2022, however, Leto revealed that he was hard at work trying to get another Tron sequel made.

"I'm a super fan of Tron, and we are working hard on Tron with our incredible partners at Disney," The Morbius star previously told Screenrant. "Just an amazing group of creative people. We’re getting closer. We’re getting closer and closer, and who knows? Something may be [coming] sooner than later."

It's likely that Leto will replace Garrett Hedlund's character, either taking over the role of Flynn's son Sam or starring as a new character entirely.

For more, check out our list of the most exciting upcoming movies in 2023 and beyond, or, skip right to the good stuff with our list of movie release dates.

Lauren Milici
Senior Writer, Tv & Film

Lauren Milici is a Senior Entertainment Writer for GamesRadar+ currently based in the Midwest. She previously reported on breaking news for The Independent's Indy100 and created TV and film listicles for Ranker. Her work has been published in Fandom, Nerdist, Paste Magazine, Vulture, PopSugar, Fangoria, and more.