Tesla Robots and Musk’s AI Promote New “Tron: Ares” Film in Unprecedented Collaboration

The premiere of “Tron: Ares” was marked by an unusual partnership: Disney joined forces with Elon Musk’s companies, Tesla and xAI, for its promotional campaign. As part of the marketing push, Tesla’s Optimus robots greeted guests on the red carpet and distributed snacks in the theater.

Tesla also released a video showing one of the robots humorously attempting to “start a fight” with Jared Leto, the film’s lead actor. This moment is a direct nod to the movie’s plot, where a battle AI program named Ares is sent from the digital world into the real one. Furthermore, a few days before the event, Elon Musk showcased the Tesla team training the Optimus robot in kung-fu moves, which also became part of the film’s marketing strategy. This was discussed in one of the previous news items.

Another technological highlight of the evening was the AI Grok from xAI, which allowed guests to generate their own personal digital avatars.

Directed by Joachim Rønning, “Tron: Ares” is scheduled for release in the U.S. on October 10, 2025. According to The Wall Street Journal, Disney initially considered generating one of the film’s secondary characters using AI tools as part of its marketing strategy but ultimately abandoned the idea over concerns it might provoke a negative backlash.

The “Tron” franchise has a long history, beginning with the first film directed by Steven Lisberger in 1982. Its sequel, “Tron: Legacy” (2010), directed by Joseph Kosinski, grossed approximately $409.9 million worldwide.

The collaboration between Disney and Musk’s companies presents a fascinating example of how cutting-edge technologies—from humanoid robots to neural networks—can be integrated into movie marketing, creating an immersive experience that blurs the lines between the film’s universe and the real world.