How many Tron movies are there?

By Alex Wiggan

In 1982, Tron opened in cinemas. The science-fiction adventure movie, co-produced by Walt Disney Productions, told the story of a computer programmer and video game developer, who is transported into a mainframe computer.

Utilising (at the time) state-of-the-art special effects, including some the industry’s earliest uses of computer generated imagery (CGI), Tron was a movie unlike any other. It arrived during a period of real interest in video games, a year before the infamous video games crash of 1983, and wowed critics with its technical wizardry.

After Tron’s release, the film built up a cult following which remained a part of its legacy over the next couple of decades. This loyal following, along with further advances in technology, convinced Disney to green light sequels ensuring Tron was more than a one-film wonder.

But how many Tron movies are there and what is the viewing order? For all the details and more, power up and keep reading.

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The Tron movies

Image: ©Walt Disney/Buena Vista Pictures

Tron (1982)

The Tron movie series began in 1982 with the release of Tron. The film followed software engineer and video game arcade owner Kevin Flynn, as he attempted to hack his way into the computer system of technology company, ENCOM.

Eventually Kevin went direct to the source, by breaking into ENCOM, before being digitised and transported into the computer mainframe. Here he took part in a series of games, all while attempting to find a way back to the real world. (96 mins)

Tron: Legacy (2010)

Picking up the story decades after the events of the first film, Tron: Uprising focused on Kevin’s adult son, Sam, who goes in search of his missing father. During his search, Sam is transported into the Grid, where he teams up with Kevin as well as an algorithm named Quorra, to defeat an evil program called Clu. (125 mins)

Tron: Ares (2025)

Following the release of Tron: Legacy, the Tron movie series would go on hiatus for fifteen years, while Disney worked out how best to take the series forward. After an extended period in development hell, a third instalment was then given the go-ahead under the title, Tron: Ares.

In this movie, a sophisticated program known as Ares is sent from the digital realm into the real world.

The Tron movies in order

To date, there are three entries in the Tron movie series. Should you wish to watch the movies in order, please follow this list:

Tron (1982)
Tron: Legacy (2010)
Tron: Ares (2025)

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And finally, who are the cast of the Tron movies and are the films the work of the same director?

Notable actors in the Tron movie series include Jeff Bridges, Bruce Boxleitner, David Warner, Cindy Morgan, Barnard Hughes, Dan Shor, Peter Jurasik, Garrett Hedlund, Olivia Wilde, Michael Sheen, James Frain, Cillian Murphy, Daft Punk, Jared Leto, Evan Peters, Greta Lee, Jodie Turner-Smith, Cameron Monaghan, Arturo Castro, and Gillian Anderson.

In terms of the directors, the Tron movies are the work of the following:

Steven Lisberger directed Tron
Joseph Kosinski directed Tron: Legacy
Joachim Rønning directed Tron: Ares

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Editor/writer/non-playable character

Alex Wiggan

Alex is a writer, editor, and blogger specialising in movies, TV, comics, retro toys, and general geekery. He is a championing voice in nerd content, an expert in pop culture, and a trusted movie critic who publishes new reviews on a weekly basis. After graduating with a degree in film & television studies from the University of Derby in the UK, Alex went on to study journalism in Sheffield, before acquiring NCTJ accreditation. Prior to a career in blogging, Alex was a magazine editor, a senior copywriter, a features writer, and a freelancer.

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