Jeff Bridges is poised to reprise his role for Tron: Ares, marking his third appearance in Disney's enduring sci-fi series.
The 73-year-old Oscar-winning actor — who has been candid about his cancer battle — revealed he is part of the production during a recent appearance on the Film Comment podcast.
'I’m heading off this Saturday to play a part in the third installment of the Tron story,' Bridges explained, highlighting a span of over four decades since his role in the 1982 original.
The new film features Jared Leto as the titular character Ares, with Joachim Rønning directing from a script by Jesse Wigutow and Jack Thorne.
'Jared Leto is the star of this third one,' Bridges added. 'I’m really anxious to work with him. I’ve admired his work.'
Jeff Bridges is poised to reprise his role for Tron: Ares, marking his third appearance in Disney's enduring sci-fi series; seen in 2022
The 73-year-old Oscar-winning actor — who has been candid about his cancer battle — revealed he is part of the production during a recent appearance on the Film Comment podcast; Bridges in 1982's Tron
On Monday, Disney confirmed Bridges' return for the new film with a photo of him reading the script on set.
The original Tron made its mark by trailblazing the utilization of computer-generated imagery to craft the digital universe of a video game, following Bridge's character Kevin Flynn's journey as he gets transported into it.
In the 2010 sequel, Tron: Legacy, Flynn is trapped inside a much more sophisticated version of the game by his digital double, Clu, who was also played by Bridges and digitally de-aged using CGI.
'I didn’t like the way I looked in it,' Bridges said on the podcast.
'I felt like I looked more like Bill Maher than myself. It was kind of bizarre.'
He also mentioned hearing that Tron: Ares would feature even fewer AI elements, with the production opting for more practical sets in the new movie.
'There are beautiful sets that I’ve seen,' he said. 'So we’ll see.'
The actor remained tight-lipped about his role in Tron: Ares, leaving fans in suspense as to whether he will reprise his iconic character as Kevin Flynn or take on a completely new persona.
'I’m heading off this Saturday to play a part in the third installment of the Tron story,' Bridges explained, highlighting a span of over four decades since his role in the 1982 original; Bridges and Olivia Wilde in 2010's Tron: Legacy
'Jared Leto is the star of this third one,' Bridges added. 'I’m really anxious to work with him. I’ve admired his work'; Leto in April
In the climax of Tron: Legacy, Flynn merges with Clu, effectively deleting them both from the virtual realm, enabling his son, Sam (Garrett Hedlund), and Quorra (Olivia Wilde), a sentient digital being, to safely return to reality.
Hedlund and Wilde, however, are not set to appear in Tron: Ares.
Instead, Tron: Ares will focus on Leto's advanced program, Ares, who embarks on a risky expedition from the digital realm into our reality, marking humanity's inaugural encounter with sentient A.I. beings.
Tron: Ares also stars Greta Lee, Evan Peters, Hasan Minhaj, Jodie Turner-Smith, Arturo Castro, Cameron Monaghan, and Gillian Anderson.
In the 2010 sequel, Tron: Legacy, Flynn is trapped inside a much more sophisticated version of the game by his digital double, Clu, who was also played by Bridges and digitally de-aged using CGI
'I didn’t like the way I looked in it,' Bridges said on the podcast. 'I felt like I looked more like Bill Maher than myself. It was kind of bizarre'; Bill Maher in 2023
In February, Disney unveiled the first glimpse of Leto in the film, coinciding with the announcement that filming commenced in January.
'I’m excited to be part of the Tron franchise and bring this new film to fans around the world,' Rønning said in a statement.
'Tron: Ares builds upon the legacy of cutting-edge design, technology, and storytelling. Now more than ever, it feels like the right time to return to the Grid.'
The movie is scheduled to release in theaters at some point in 2025.