Overview
- In a new Empire interview, Joseph Kosinski says Tron: Ares inverted the story he once developed for Tron: Ascension and should be viewed as a parallel narrative rather than a direct continuation of Tron: Legacy.
- Tron: Ares emerged from the long-stalled Ascension project with Joachim Rønning directing and Jared Leto starring, marking a significant shift from Kosinski’s original plans.
- The 2025 film posted a 53% Rotten Tomatoes score and about $142.2 million worldwide, results widely described as underperformance that cloud the franchise’s near-term direction.
- Reporting cites unnamed insiders who claimed the production lacked a unified vision and suggested it may also have served to boost interest in Disney theme-park attractions, assertions presented as opinions rather than confirmed strategy.
- Recent retrospectives note that Legacy set the visual template the series still uses, and Kosinski reflects that the creative latitude he had in 2010 would be rare today.