Jared Leto moves forward on Tron 3 with new director

Jared Leto hasn't given up on his Tron movie yet. EW has confirmed that the actor is set to star in the next installment of Disney's sci-fi franchise, which is moving ahead with director Joachim Rønning (Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales). The film's tentative title is Tron: Ares.

Representatives for Leto did not immediately respond to EW's request for comment.

Leto, who is also a producer on this third Tron film, has been trying to get it off the ground for years. He's no stranger to sci-fi franchise revivals, what with his major role in 2017's Blade Runner 2049. Back in 2020, EW reported that Leto would star in the film with Garth Davis (Lion) directing, but that version didn't end up coming to fruition. Now Rønning is in talks to helm the project, and he has a Disney pedigree — having previously helmed 2019's Maleficent: Mistress of Evil and the upcoming Daisy Ridley vehicle Young Woman and the Sea.

The original 1982 Tron film starred Jeff Bridges as computer programmer Kevin Flynn, who ends up transported into a world inside the computer mainframe. Bridges reprised the role in 2010's Tron: Legacy, which was directed by Joseph Kosinski (who went on to helm this year's Top Gun: Maverick). Both Tron movies were moderate successes at the box office, but were praised for their innovative special effects and have inspired dedicated fans over the years — Leto clearly among them.

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