DUBAI: When British actress Jodie Turner-Smith stepped into the sleek, neon-lit world of “Tron: Ares,” she wasn’t just joining an iconic sci-fi franchise — she was diving headfirst into a meditation on the intersection of technology and humanity.
In the latest installment, “Tron: Ares,” Jared Leto plays Ares — a sophisticated digital program sent into the real world on a perilous mission. It’s humankind’s first encounter with artificial intelligence in the flesh and a test of what happens when code meets conscience.
Alongside Greta Lee’s Eve Kim — the ENCOM CEO searching for the elusive code written by software engineer Kevin Flynn (the protagonist of 1982’s “Tron”) — Ares finds himself questioning not just his programming but his place in a world full of unpredictable humans.
At Ares’ side — and mostly at odds with him — stands Athena, his second-in-command, portrayed by Turner-Smith. Describing her character, the actress said, “I think it’s always fun when a character represents more of the chaos. In her own way, Athena is the chaos that can come when nuance is unable to be interpreted. And that’s Athena’s struggle throughout the movie; interpreting nuance while she’s having this experience that is changing her.
