Jodie Turner-Smith Joins Cast of Disney’s “Tron: Ares” Alongside Jared Leto and Evan Peters

British actress Jodie Turner-Smith, known for her roles in “Queen & Slim” and the upcoming “Star Wars” series “The Acolyte,” is set to star in Disney’s “Tron: Ares.”

Turner-Smith joins the already impressive cast, which includes Jared Leto, Evan Peters, and Greta Lee from “Past Lives.” The film will be directed by Joachim Rønning, known for “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil,” with a script written by Jesse Wigutow and Jack Thorne.

In the third installment of the “Tron” franchise, Leto will portray Ares, a program that gains sentience and enters the human world. Lee will play a video game programmer and CEO of a tech company who seeks to protect her groundbreaking technology. Additional details about Turner-Smith’s role have been kept under wraps.

Production for “Tron: Ares” is scheduled to begin in August, pending any potential actors’ strike.

Since her breakout performance in “Queen & Slim,” Turner-Smith has delivered notable performances in films such as “After Yang” opposite Colin Farrell, “Without Remorse” starring Michael B. Jordan, and “The Independent” with Brian Cox. She has also secured major roles in Netflix’s “White Noise” and “Murder Mystery 2.”

Turner-Smith recently starred as Anne Boleyn in Sony Pictures Television’s three-part mini-series, which aired on Channel 5 in the U.K. and later on AMC+ in the U.S. Her performance garnered her a nomination for an NAACP Image Award.

In addition to “Tron: Ares,” Turner-Smith will appear in the Apple TV+ series “Bad Monkey” alongside Vince Vaughn, based on Carl Hiaasen’s novel. She has also completed filming for “Star Wars: The Acolyte” for Disney+.

The “Tron” franchise has a rich history, with the original film debuting in 1982, starring Jeff Bridges. Although it initially flopped at the box office, it gained a cult following due to its pioneering digital visual effects. The franchise continued with the 2010 sequel “Tron: Legacy,” directed by Joseph Kosinski and featuring Bridges, Garrett Hedlund, and Olivia Wilde.

Jared Leto has been attached to star and produce the third “Tron” movie since 2017, and production officially began in January 2023. Justin Springer, Jeffrey Silver, and Emma Ludbrook are also producing the highly anticipated film.