Disney’s highly anticipated sequel Tron: Ares has suffered a devastating box office debut, crashing far below studio expectations and marking another significant setback for the entertainment giant’s theatrical releases. The $180 million sci-fi spectacle opened to a disappointing $33.5 million domestically and just $27 million internationally, bringing its global opening weekend to only $60.5 million[2][4].
The underwhelming performance represents a sharp decline from initial projections, which had anticipated an opening as high as $50 million[2]. The film ultimately earned just 90.2% of its total domestic gross during its opening weekend, finishing with a final domestic total of $36,855,366 and a worldwide haul of $63,583,227[1]. This means the film grossed only 0.4 times its production budget globally, not accounting for the substantial marketing and distribution costs[1].
A Franchise That Waited Too Long
The timing of Tron: Ares may have been its biggest obstacle. The film arrived a full 15 years after 2010’s Tron: Legacy, which itself came 28 years after the original 1982 Tron[2]. By comparison, Tron: Legacy opened to $44 million in 2010, which translates to approximately $81.92 million in today’s dollars[4]. The lengthy gap between installments likely contributed to diminished audience interest and franchise fatigue.
Industry analysts point to multiple factors behind the film’s failure. The movie’s opening day gross of $14.3 million (including previews) fell below even the infamous Jared Leto vehicle Morbius[5]. Audience reception proved lukewarm at best, with PostTrak data showing only 57% of viewers indicating they would “definitely recommend” the film[4]. The movie received a B+ CinemaScore, matching Tron: Legacy’s grade but signaling mediocre word-of-mouth for a major tentpole release[4][5].
Critical and Audience Response
Social media reactions quickly drew unflattering comparisons to other recent box office disappointments, with some critics calling Tron: Ares “another flashy but soulless mess” similar to Madame Web[4]. While critics acknowledged the film’s impressive visual effects, the spectacle alone wasn’t enough to draw audiences to theaters[4]. The mixed critical reception and tepid audience scores suggest the film failed to connect emotionally despite its technical achievements.
For star Jared Leto, Tron: Ares represents another box office bomb in a string of underperforming franchise films[4]. The actor’s track record with major studio tentpoles has become increasingly problematic, with this latest failure likely to impact future casting decisions for similar high-budget productions.
Implications for Disney and the Franchise
The financial underperformance of Tron: Ares raises serious questions about the future of the franchise and Disney’s theatrical strategy. Opening in 4,000 theaters with an average run of just 1.0 weeks per theater[1], the film failed to generate the sustained interest needed for a successful theatrical run. The movie currently ranks 2,563 on the all-time domestic box office list and 2,724 on the worldwide list[1], placing it firmly in the middle tier of theatrical releases rather than the blockbuster territory Disney had hoped for.
Some within the industry have bizarrely attributed the failure to lingering COVID-19 effects on theatrical attendance[4], though this explanation seems questionable given other films’ recent successes at the box office. The more likely culprits include the extended gap between films, lack of franchise momentum, mixed word-of-mouth, and an increasingly crowded marketplace where audiences are more selective about their theatrical experiences.
The domestic box office accounted for 58% of the film’s total gross, with international markets showing even less interest[1]. This global underperformance is particularly concerning for Disney, which has increasingly relied on international revenues to offset domestic shortfalls. With the film tracking at just 323rd place among all-time domestic box office for Walt Disney movies[1], Tron: Ares will likely be remembered as one of the studio’s bigger disappointments of the decade.
As Disney continues to evaluate its theatrical slate and franchise strategy, the failure of Tron: Ares serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of waiting too long between sequels and the importance of maintaining franchise momentum. For the Tron universe, the future now looks decidedly uncertain.
Sources:
[1] The Numbers - Tron: Ares Box Office and Financial Information: https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Tron-Ares-(2025)
[2] Screen Rant - 8 Reasons Why Tron: Ares Failed To Make A Dent At The Box Office: https://screenrant.com/8-reasons-why-tron-ares-failed-to-make-a-dent-at-the-box-office/
[3] Box Office Mojo - 2025 Worldwide Box Office: https://www.boxofficemojo.com/year/world/
[4] Cosmic Book News - Disney & Jared Leto’s ‘Tron: Ares’ Bombs At Box Office: https://cosmicbook.news/tron-ares-bombs-box-office-covid-blamed
[5] Dark Horizons - “TRON: Ares” De-Rezzed At Box-Office: https://www.darkhorizons.com/tron-ares-de-rezzed-at-box-office/