Disney's Tron: Ares stumbled right out of the gate when it hit theaters last weekend, taking in just $33.5 million from 4,000 North American theaters, with another $27 million from overseas markets for worldwide debut of $60 million.
Not the best start for a movie with a reported production budget of $180 million budget (not counting the usual marketing costs), and things have not improved during the sci-fi threequel's second weekend in theaters.
With Universal's Black Phone 2 claiming the top spot, Ares dropped to No. 2 at the domestic box office after taking in $3 million on Friday, marking a 66% drop from its opening weekend. The movie is expected to make around $54 million through its first 10 days.
A third Tron movie was always going to be a gamble for Disney, and the studio's decision to return to The Grid after Tron: Legacy's underwhelming box office performance has not paid off. The mixed-negative critical reception probably didn't help matters. With 181 reviews counted, Tron: Ares currently sits at 52% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Is this the final nail in the Tron franchise's coffin? A recent THR piece certainly suggested that it could very well be, while laying at least some of the blame at the feet of leading man Jared Leto.
"With Ares flopping, the insider says Leto’s currency in town has run colder than Morbius’ vampire blood. To be clear, the flameout of Tron isn’t Leto’s burden alone. 'You could have had Ryan Gosling, it wasn’t going to work,' says the first agency partner. 'No one asked for this reboot. If you say, 'Tron: Ares is good, we just needed a different actor,' you’re deluding yourself.'"
Tron: Ares follows a highly sophisticated Program, Ares, who is sent from the digital world into the real world on a dangerous mission, marking humankind’s first encounter with A.I. beings. The feature film is directed by Joachim Rønning and stars Jared Leto, Greta Lee, Evan Peters, Jodie Turner-Smith, Hasan Minhaj, Arturo Castro, Cameron Monaghan, with Gillian Anderson, and Jeff Bridges.
Sean Bailey, Jared Leto, p.g.a., Emma Ludbrook, p.g.a., Jeffrey Silver, Justin Springer, p.g.a., and Steven Lisberger are the producers, with Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross, Russell Allen, and Joseph Kosinski serving as executive producers. The screenplay is by Jesse Wigutow, with story by David DiGilio and Wigutow, based on characters created by Steven Lisberger and Bonnie MacBird.