‘TRON: Ares’ Sputters Out of the Gate
After a fifteen-year wait, TRON fans finally had the opportunity to return to the Grid last weekend when TRON: Ares debuted in theaters.
Putting a new spin on the classic TRON format, Ares does not see humanity entering the digital world. Instead, this time around, artificial intelligence has broken free into the real world.
Photo: Disney
“Mankind encounters AI beings for the first time when a highly sophisticated programme, Ares, leaves the digital world for a dangerous mission in the real world,” the film’s synopsis reads.
The Projections
Heading into the weekend, there was optimism that TRON: Ares could deliver a domestic debut of between $45 and $50 million, and a global haul north of $80 million.
Photo: Disney
Unfortunately for Disney, things did not go as planned.
A Slow Start
In what has become an all-too-often occurrence, TRON: Ares stumbled out of the gate on Friday, and it soon became evident that the film would not meet expectations.
By the time the dust had settled, the third TRON film had grossed just $33.5 million at domestic theaters and $27 million overseas for a $60.5 million global debut.
As noted by Deadline, the early TRON: Ares box office numbers bear a striking resemblance to Blade Runner 2049.
Both films had a $180 million budget, were released over Columbus Day weekend, and fell short of their $40 million forecasts.
Photo: Disney
Blade Runner 2049 ended its box office run with a domestic total of $92 million and a $277.9 million global cume.
The Good News
While Disney does not need TRON: Ares to be a runaway hit, the film likely needs to perform better than $278 million for Disney to continue investing heavily in the franchise.
Photo: Disney
The good news for Ares is that the audiences who turned out this weekend liked what they saw. As of this writing, the film has a B+ CinemaScore.
Additionally, viewers have chosen to see the movie in premium formats. 67% of the film’s gross has come from PLF, IMAX, 3D, and other enhanced screens.
Photo: Disney
Ares still has another week in IMAX theaters and will be shown in 3D throughout its entire run.
The Bottom Line
Despite these reasons for optimism, it now looks like Ares will not be able to turn a profit in theaters.
Photo: Disney
Whether the film can generate enough value through home video, merchandise, and intrinsic value to Disney+ and the Disney Parks remains to be seen.
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