TRON: Legacy wasn't a huge hit when it opened in 2010, but many fans felt it was a worthy follow-up to the 1982 original. There's been talk of a third chapter for years, and it finally arrives in theaters this weekend.
Unfortunately, if the first social media reactions are any indication, it may only be worth seeing for its impressive visuals. Critics have taken to X to weigh in since last night's world premiere, describing it as "visually stunning" and an "audio [and] visual feast."
The plot is described as "extremely dumb" with "underwhelming set pieces" and "basic characters." Jared Leto, meanwhile, receives little in the way of praise, with many wishing that Joseph Kosinski had got to make his Legacy follow-up, TRON: Ascension.
Last month, it was projected that TRON: Ares would open with $44 million in North America this weekend. Based on these first reactions—which, even with the most mediocre of movies are often better than this—we can expect negative reviews to put a big dent in that.
TRON: Ares follows a highly sophisticated Program, Ares, who is sent from the digital world into the real world on a dangerous mission, marking humankind's first encounter with A.I. beings.
The movie stars Jared Leto, Greta Lee, Evan Peters, Hasan Minhaj, Jodie Turner-Smith, Arturo Castro, Cameron Monaghan, and Gillian Anderson. Joachim Rønning directs; producers are Sean Bailey, Jeffrey Silver, Justin Springer, Leto, Emma Ludbrook and Steven Lisberger.
TRON: Ares (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), featuring all original music by Nine Inch Nails, will be released on September 19 via Interscope Records. The release marks the first-ever film score by the pioneering band, although bandmates Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross have composed 20 scores under their own names, winning two Oscars, three Golden Globes, a GRAMMY and an Emmy in the process.
TRON: Ares arrives in theaters on October 10, 2025.