Daft Punk fans yearning for the futuristic soundtrack of Tron: Legacy are in for a surprise with the film’s sequel, Ares, which will crank up the industrial intensity.
The divergence from the duo’s legendary Legacy soundtrack will soon manifest in the raw, cinematic style of Nine Inch Nails. Band members Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross are a fascinating pairing for the Tron franchise due to their innate, eerie ability to blend deeply visceral and machine-like elements in their music.
The film’s director, Joachim Rønning, has now opened up about the decision to bring on the influential band as Daft Punk’s successors.
“With Nine Inch Nails making the music, this installment will be a little grittier, a little bit more industrial,” Rønning told Empire. “It’s been important for me to contrast The Grid and the real world. In that sense, Nine Inch Nails lends itself perfectly into this new Tron world that we are creating.”
While the storyline of Ares is expected to take a darker turn, the film will retain a human pulse à la Daft Punk’s third album, Human After All.
“What I always look for in any story is a strong emotional core,” Rønning explained. “This film will probably be more emotional than people are expecting. It’s about the cost of being human.”
When Tron: Ares lights up theaters next year, it will break a 15-year silence since Legacy rebooted the iconic 1982 sci-fi saga. The star-studded cast includes Jared Leto, Evan Peters and Greta Lee, among others. The film is scheduled to release in US theaters on October 10th, 2025.