Jared Leto leads Tron: Ares directed by Joachim Rønning

Jared Leto takes to the grid.

The Academy Award winner has officially been cast in the next installment of the ‘Tron’ franchise, ‘Tron: Ares’. Joachim Rønning of “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” fame is currently in talks to direct, IndieWire can confirm.

Deadline It was first reported that ‘Tron: Ares’ would serve as a direct sequel to ‘Tron: Legacy’, which saw Jeff Bridges reprise his role from the original 1982 sci-fi film. Garret Hedlund and Olivia Wilde also starred in the 2010 film directed by Joseph Kosinski. A planned follow-up was canceled in 2015 supposedly Kosinski, Hedlund and Wilde return. Leto was rumored to be joining the cast at the time.

“Tron: Ares” is written by Jesse Wigutow and production will begin in August 2023. “Tron” follows an arcade lover who is trapped by a computer program called the Grid and forced to participate in gladiator games to survive.

Ares will be produced by Leto, Justin Springer, Jeffrey Silver and Leto’s Paradox partner Emma Ludbrook.

Leto continues his collaboration with Disney after starring in Marvel’s “Morbius” and the upcoming “Haunted Mansion.” The acclaimed actor has been making waves for reportedly sticking around as the MCU film’s blood-sucking anti-hero Morbius. Director Daniel Espinosa explained how Leto chose to use a wheelchair even during bathroom breaks to maintain his character’s alter-ego personality.

Leto is known for his intense commitment to his roles, staying in character in Ridley Scott’s House of Gucci as prosthetic Paolo Gucci, and Apple TV+’s WeCrashed, Israeli WeWork founder Adam Neumann. On the set of “Blade Runner 2049,” Leto used custom contact lenses to blind himself to play the villainous Niander Wallace. On the set of “Suicide Squad,” Leto allegedly sent various actors disturbing objects such as live rats, used condoms and anal beads.

Leto responded to Method acting claims in January 2021, saying, “My job is to show up, do everything I can, and be overprepared. And deliver. It’s also my job to show up, to make it a pleasure to work with him, to cooperate, and to have good experiences on set.”

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