Disney’s highly anticipated sci-fi sequel “Tron: Ares” has done poorly at the box office. It made only $33.5 million in its first weekend in the US, even though it cost $180 million to make. The disappointing opening was about $10 million less than already low expectations. This has people in the industry wondering if Oscar-winning actor Jared Leto can still lead big franchise movies.
Global Performance That Didn’t Live Up to Expectations
The movie made $27 million outside of the US. This brings its total for the first weekend to $60.5 million. This is much less than the $80-90 million that was first expected. Moreover, this is a worrying drop from “Tron: Legacy,” which came out in 2010. The earlier film made $44 million in the US and $400 million worldwide on a $170 million budget. With this, Tron: Ares struggles to match its predecessor’s performance.
Even though it opened at number one in Brazil, Mexico, Spain, the UK, Australia, and Hong Kong, the movie didn’t get a lot of people excited. The movie got a B+ CinemaScore, which isn’t very good. Young men aged 18 to 24, who are the main audience, didn’t do very well.
Leto’s box office appeal is going down
The third movie in the “Tron” series is another failure for Leto at the box office. His movies after 2020 have all been failures: “The Little Things” made $31 million worldwide, “House of Gucci” made $153 million worldwide on a $75 million budget. “Morbius” made $167 million worldwide, and “Haunted Mansion” made $118 million worldwide against a $150 million budget.
Information about the movie and how it was received
Joachim Rønning directed “Tron: Ares,” which stars Greta Lee, Evan Peters, Jodie Turner-Smith, Hasan Minhaj, and Jeff Bridges as Kevin Flynn again. The movie is about an advanced program called Ares that comes from the digital world to the real world. This marks a significant event. People encounter Tron: Ares level of artificial intelligence for the first time.
The movie got mixed reviews from critics, with a 56% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. However, audiences liked it more, giving it an 87% rating. Nine Inch Nails, a famous industrial rock band, wrote the music for the movie. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross are the movie’s executive producers.
What to Expect in the Future
The B+ CinemaScore shows that “Tron: Ares” had a soft opening and bad word-of-mouth. This situation means it might leave theaters quickly. The movie is set to come out in China on October 17. This could bring in some more money. However, it might not be enough to save its run in theaters. Disney+ streaming should start in early 2026, about three to four months after the movie comes out in theaters on October 10.
Even though Leto made a big deal out of promoting the movie, like appearing 30 feet above London’s Piccadilly Circus at the premiere, the flashy marketing campaign didn’t lead to ticket sales. Reviewers speculate that Tron: Ares needed a stronger marketing push to succeed.
