When *Tron: Legacy* came out in theaters in December 2010, it didn’t become the blockbuster everyone anticipated. Despite a large marketing campaign for the highly anticipated sequel, opening weekend ticket sales were lower than hoped for, leading many to doubt the future of the *Tron* franchise. Now, 15 years later, the new film *Tron: Ares* is facing a similar situation, as it hasn’t performed well in theaters.
Everyone expected Jared Leto’s new movie to be a huge hit this fall, but it didn’t perform well during its opening weekend. The film, a sequel to *Tron: Legacy*, was actually more expensive to make than the original, and it earned less money in its first few days in theaters. You can find the complete list of top-performing movies below, and I’ll share my thoughts on the results after that.
| TITLE | WEEKEND GROSS | DOMESTIC GROSS | LW | THTRS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Tron: Ares* | $33,500,000 | $33,500,000 | N/A | 4,000 |
| 2. Roofman* | $8,000,000 | $8,000,000 | N/A | 3,362 |
| 3. One Battle After Another | $6,675,000 | $6,675,000 | 2 | 3,127 |
| 4. Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie | $3,350,000 | $3,350,000 | 4 | 3,049 |
| 5. Soul On Fire* | $3,000,000 | $3,000,000 | N/A | 1,720 |
| 6. The Conjuring: Last Rites | $2,935,000 | $2,935,000 | 5 | 2,334 |
| 7. Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Movie: Infinity Castle | $2,250,000 | $2,250,000 | 6 | 1,834 |
| 8. The Smashing Machine | $1,796,992 | $1,796,992 | 3 | 3,321 |
| 9.The Strangers: Chapter 2 | $1,550,000 | $1,550,000 | 8 | 1,878 |
| 10. Good Boy | $1,360,000 | $1,360,000 | 9 | 1,650 |
Tron: Ares Struggles To Justify Its Cost As It Underwhelms Worldwide
Critics, including myself, have been impressed by the stunning visuals of *Tron: Ares*, but the movie was incredibly costly to produce. After years in development, the final production budget reached a hefty $180 million (not including marketing costs, according to Variety). Disney hoped a strong opening would warrant further installments in the franchise, but after a disappointing first three days, those plans seem unlikely.
Experts predicted *Tron: Ares* might earn up to $90 million worldwide, but it looks like it will fall short of that goal. The film brought in $33.5 million domestically over the weekend, less than the expected $40-45 million, and $27 million internationally. This gives it a worldwide total of just over $60 million, which is a disappointing result.
Despite its high production cost, *Tron: Ares* had a disappointing opening weekend, landing as only the 19th largest domestic debut of the year. Early numbers show it even earned less than last weekend’s limited release of *Taylor Swift: The Official Release Party of a Showgirl*, which brought in $34.1 million. While *Tron: Ares* did slightly outperform Danny Boyle’s *28 Years Later*, that film was made with a budget only a third of the size of the new *Tron* movie.
It’s hard to ignore the fact that *Tron: Ares* isn’t performing as well as *Tron: Legacy*, even when you don’t account for inflation. *Tron: Legacy* earned $44 million in its first weekend in the US and Canada back in 2010. While *Ares* did better than the very first *Tron* film from 1982, that’s not a significant achievement considering the original *Tron* only made $4.8 million when it premiered.
The main question surrounding *Tron: Ares* is whether it will ultimately prove to be a worthwhile project, much like *Tron: Legacy* did. While *Tron: Legacy* (2010) didn’t perform spectacularly domestically – it just barely made the Top 20 at the box office, and faced criticism for its digital de-aging of Jeff Bridges – it earned $117.5 million in the US and a total of $400 million worldwide, which ultimately paved the way for *Tron: Ares* to be made.
Can the new movie recapture the success of its predecessor? It faces a bigger challenge, largely due to when it’s being released. *Tron: Legacy* benefited from coming out in December, a time when few major films compete for audiences. Hollywood typically saves its biggest releases for later in the year. However, *Tron: Ares* will be entering a crowded market, with several other blockbusters already scheduled for release in November and December, potentially diverting attention from it.
The new film *Tron: Ares* hasn’t had a strong opening, and many people will be watching closely to see if it can improve. I’ll be sure to cover its performance, including how much its box office numbers change from week to week, in my report next Sunday.
Released As Blockbuster Counterprogramming, Roofman Starring Channing Tatum Fails To Garner Much Attention
Derek Cianfrance’s film, *Roofman*, was intentionally released as an alternative to the big-budget *Tron: Ares* this weekend. For the past three days, it was widely expected to be the weekend’s top earner, with the new Channing Tatum movie predicted to come in second. While hopes were for a bigger opening, *Roofman* ultimately earned around $8 million.
Channing Tatum has a proven track record of drawing audiences to theaters, as seen with films like 2022’s *Dog* (which he co-directed) and *The Lost City* – both were financially successful. However, his latest movie isn’t generating the same level of buzz. While critics generally gave it positive reviews and audiences seem to enjoy it (earning a “B+” grade from CinemaScore), ticket sales have been underwhelming so far. It’s possible the film will experience a slow second weekend, similar to what recently happened with Paul Thomas Anderson’s *One Battle After Another*, and rely on positive word-of-mouth to boost numbers.
I’ll keep tracking how *Tron: Ares* and *Roofman* are doing, but next weekend they’ll face some new competition. Scott Derrickson’s *Black Phone 2* is coming out just in time for Halloween, and Aziz Ansari has a new comedy called *Good Fortune*. Check back here at TopMob next Sunday to see how all the movies perform at the box office.
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2025-10-12 22:12