Tron Ares Disappointing Box Office Numbers Revealed for Opening Weekend

TRON ARES Box Office Tally: Opening Weekend Figures Released

Disney’s sci-fi sequel, Tron Ares, stumbled out of the gate, earning a weak $33.5 million from 4,000 North American theaters in its opening weekend. This is a particularly poor showing given the film’s massive $180 million production budget (not counting marketing costs). Compounding the issue, the decades-old franchise has never been a commercial powerhouse. Internationally, the film fared only slightly better, adding just $27 million for a disappointing $60 million global total through Sunday.

While the studio had aimed for a solid domestic opening of $45 million to $50 million, Tron: Ares ultimately fell short of expectations. The film, a PG-13 visual spectacle known for its neon-hued action, did manage to draw crowds to premium large formats. Screens like Imax, Dolby, and 3D accounted for a significant 67% of total ticket sales.

Although Tron: Ares received a respectable “B+” CinemaScore from exit polls, suggesting general audience approval, the futuristic adventure struggled to expand beyond its core demographic. The audience skewed heavily male (nearly 70% of opening weekend crowds), which limited its box office potential. As a result, the film’s final weekend tally significantly underperformed the prior installment, 2010’s Tron: Legacy, which opened to $44 million (unadjusted for inflation).

However, it did massively outperform the 1982 original, which launched with $4.7 million before becoming a cult classic. The newest installment stars Jared Leto, Greta Lee, and Evan Peters, and was directed by Pirates of the Caribbean alum Joachim Rønning. It follows a timely plot about humanity’s first contact with AI as an advanced program enters the physical world.

According to David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research, although Tron: Ares was “tracking well,” interest “stalled during the last 10 days and the opening dropped.” However, Gross remains optimistic about the film’s international prospects. He points out that the science fiction genre generally performs well overseas, stating, “This is effects-driven, good-guys-versus-bad-guys storytelling that’s understood and well-liked across all cultures.”

Did you go see Tron Ares this weekend?

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