Inside The Grid – TRON: Ares: Interview with Jesse Wigutow on Integrating 1980s Nostalgia for Modern Audiences

Since its groundbreaking debut in 1982, the TRON franchise has established itself as a cornerstone of science fiction cinema, captivating audiences with its innovative visual effects, infectious electronic soundscapes, and thought-provoking exploration of digital reality and humanity.

The original TRON introduced viewers to the immersive world inside a computer, while 2010’s TRON: Legacy expanded the mythology for a new generation, delving deeper into themes of artificial intelligence, identity, and human connection. With TRON: Ares, set to further evolve the series’ narrative and technological ambitions, the TRON films continue to shape the conversation around the intersection of humanity and the digital frontier and the potential of abusing unchecked technological innovations whose capabilities we don’t fully understand or can completely commandeer.

When TRON first hit movie screens in 1982, it did more than dazzle audiences with neon, synth pop, and special effects — it spoke directly to a generation just beginning to imagine life inside computer networks.

Screenwriter Jesse Wigutow (who also did some uncredited writing on TRON: Legacy), shared his insights on the latest addition to the franchise: TRON: Ares.

“I vividly recall the era’s [80s] explosion in video gaming— sitting over tabletop Pac-Man at Pizza Hut, playing Gorf, Donkey Kong, and Space Invaders,” reflects screenwriter Jesse Wigutow, recalling a time when the digital world was a still a relative mystery, and the idea of literally stepping inside that world was exciting.

What made TRON so enduring, Wigutow believes, is its primal premise: a hidden universe beneath our machines, governed by its own rules and populated by sentient programs searching for meaning and purpose. Its premise — entering a digital world run by software programs — offered a primal, persistently compelling fantasy.

Honoring Legacy, Pursuing Innovation

Revitalizing this franchise for a new era presented both an opportunity and a challenge. “It is a delicate balance — honoring the legacy while innovating,” Wigutow shares. “There are several layers to this. At the business level, we had to determine what aspects of the franchise were iconic and essential. What do fans expect? What do they need to make TRON: Ares work for them? What elements — like the neon aesthetics, light cycles, and synth-driven soundscape — have become synonymous with TRON?”

Jesse Wigutow

These motifs were not solely a matter of aesthetics; they were the connective tissue that bound generations of fans across three films. Wigutow points to the enduring popularity of TRON-themed rides at Disney parks as evidence of the franchise’s cultural staying power — even with just two films preceding Ares.

Yet, nostalgia alone could not drive or sustain the story. “We used the 1980s references as a connective tissue for long-time fans while ensuring that the film’s emotional stakes, technological anxieties, and character journeys felt immediate and accessible to new viewers,” Jesse continues.

Thematic Spine: Humanity and AI

At the heart of TRON: Ares lies a question that has only grown more prominent and salient. This is beyond our interactions with robots and automated software. What does it mean to be human in a world increasingly shaped by computer networks? “We deliberately leaned into the central question: what defines humanity, especially when juxtaposed with artificial intelligence?” Wigutow muses. “Can AI teach us something about our humanity?” Or vice versa? How can we control it? Should we fear it? Is AI really the enemy or are we? What happens if the code goes rogue, or its overlords?

The original TRON raised enduring philosophical questions — free will, programming, and the blurred boundaries between digital and human existence,” says Wigutow. These themes were ripe for further exploration in subsequent films.

Collaboration and Screenwriting Process

Bringing such complexity to the screen required a collaborative approach. Wigutow continued the work of writer David diGilio who wrote the first draft. David made the initial pass at the characters and mythology of TRON: Ares, most of which Jesse used when he picked up the mantle for the final second screenplay.

“Each of us brought distinct perspectives to the table. David and I often debated and refined the arc of Ares, challenging each other to push the character’s transformation and the narrative’s philosophical underpinnings,” Jesse notes.

This push-and-pull of adding character layers and depth to Ares, Wigutow explains, was essential to crafting a screenplay that honored TRON’s legacy without becoming confined by it. As is the fate with many studio projects, Tron: Ares was in limbo for a years, until Wigutow began rewriting it from the ground up based on DiGiglio’s original draft.

Eve Kim (Greta Lee) Photo by Leah Gallo/ Disney Enterprises, Inc.

Character Arcs: The Evolution of Ares

One of the boldest choices in TRON: Ares was to reimagine Ares (Jared Leto). “Ares originally played a more limited, antagonistic role in early drafts. Over time, as the story evolved and the industry’s landscape shifted, we pivoted to rebuild the narrative around Ares as a protagonist — an artificial intelligence undergoing an awakening,” Wigutow states.

This seminal shift opened up new avenues for exploring the fuzzy boundaries between human and software. The narrative also interrogates the notion of expendability of foot soldiers in a digital universe — are these artificial beings mere cogs, easily replaced and forgotten, or can they transcend their programming into sentient beings?

Integrating 1980s Nostalgia for Modern Audiences

TRON: Ares is steeped in the sights and sounds of the 1980s, but Wigutow was determined the film wouldn’t become a mere exercise in retro aesthetics to stoke nostalgia. “Nostalgia is a powerful tool, but it can’t be the whole story,” he declares. The film’s pulsing synth score from Nine Inch Nails, kinetic light cycle chases, and rich visual language of three networds reference the original, but Ares‘ emotional stakes and technological anxieties are distinctly contemporary as he contemplates life beyond software.

For Wigutow, nostalgia was about more than just references to the 80s. “It was a way of connecting two eras, honoring the franchise’s origins, while pushing its themes and characters into new territory.”

Moral Complexity: Heroes, Villains, and the Gray Area

From the outset, Wigutow wanted to avoid the simple thematic divisions between good and evil. “During development, we asked ourselves how to approach the classic struggle between good and evil, hero and villain. Did we want to blur these lines, especially in crafting Ares’ journey?” The answer was a resounding yes. It was a case of benevolence sparring with malevolence.

Ares’ transformation from antagonist to protagonist forces audiences to grapple with the ambiguity of morality in a digital age. “The film asks whether a being created for a purpose can transcend that purpose, and what it means to choose one’s own path.” Wigutow believes these gray areas are what make stories truly compelling.

When Wigutow initially constructed Ares’ character, he envisioned him as akin to The Terminator. Ares was more of a robot with a mission, unquestionably serving his overlord; free of emotion or distraction.

Athena (Jodie Turner-Smith) Photo by Leah Gallo/ Disney Enterprises, Inc.

Character Dynamics: The Ares and Eve Relationship

At the emotional core of TRON: Ares is the relationship between Ares and Eve Kim (Greta Lee), the new CEO of EMCOM. Ares, as an AI, helps Eve learn to trust, while Eve’s humanity challenges Ares to make self-sacrificial choices. Their relationship is not just a subplot, but a lens through which the story explores trust, sacrifice, love, and transformation as Ares is trained in his newly-found human-like qualities.

The Ethics of Technology in the TRON Universe

TRON has always been a cautionary tale about the double-edged sword of unbridled innovation. “We wanted to reflect on the responsibility that comes with such power,” Jesse ponders. “Can billionaire corporations be benevolent?”

TRON: Ares gently weaves these ethical questions throughout its plot, confronting the dangers of unchecked ambition, the lure of absolute power, and the potential for both creation and destruction.

Defining the Heart of TRON: Ares

If there’s a single thread running through TRON: Ares, it’s the notion that the boundary between artificial intelligence and humanity is more porous than we might think. “While big ideas inform the narrative, the priority was always to build a story that’s both compelling and entertaining,” Wigutow emphasizes.

The film’s climax and resolution reinforce this aim, suggesting that the exchange between humans and AI can be mutually transformative and beneficial.

Ares’ Journey: Wonder and Curiosity

By the film’s conclusion, Ares — a being once defined by code — finds himself in the unpredictable real world. His journey is marked by a growing sense of wonder and possibility, embodying the existential process of human living. For Ares, as for humanity, the future remains unwritten — a source of both vulnerability and hope. He is motivated by curiosity and exploration.

Wigutow adds that certain moments in Ares bear his creative signature. “Scenes like the elevator sequence — where levity and gravity coexist — reflect my sensibility. The opening, too, with Ares repeatedly facing adversity and adapting rapidly, dramatizes exponential growth in AI learning — a narrative beat I find compelling.”

Ares’ development also mirrors the exponential progress of technology. As he rapidly learns to interpret human colloquialisms and absorb literary and musical references from Depeche Mode and Mozart, he acquires a greater appreciation and understanding of his new environment.

by Staff Writer

From our in-house editorial team.