Disney’s latest installment in the Tron franchise, titled “Tron: Ares,” has premiered to a disappointing estimate of $33.5 million over its first three days, with global earnings reaching $60.5 million. This figure falls short of initial projections that anticipated a domestic opening in the range of $40 million to $45 million. The film, featuring Jared Leto, struggled to capture a young audience, with only 30% of attendees under the age of 25. However, it did find success in premium formats, with 67% of ticket sales coming from PLF screens, IMAX, 3D, ScreenX, or DBox offerings.
Comparisons can be drawn to 2017’s “Blade Runner 2049,” which faced similar challenges with a predicted domestic debut of $40 million but ultimately opened at $32.7 million. Both films share comparable budgets and were released on the same Indigenous People’s holiday weekend. “Tron: Ares” received a CinemaScore of B+, akin to its predecessor “Tron: Legacy,” which opened at $44 million in 2010. Historically, “Tron” has had a tumultuous relationship with box office performance, with the first film in 1982 being considered a flop.
Despite its mixed reception, including a B+ CinemaScore, audiences showed a degree of interest in the advanced visual effects and the sci-fi elements, with 47% attending due to its ties to the Tron franchise. The marketing for “Tron: Ares” was ambitious, featuring immersive promotional events and partnerships that sought to integrate the film’s themes into real-world experiences. However, this saturation of marketing did not translate into heightened viewership.
Simultaneously, Paramount’s opening of “Roofman,” featuring Channing Tatum and Kirsten Dunst, is also generating underwhelming results with an estimated $8 million. The film’s intended appeal to adult audiences has yet to materialize significantly, mirroring trends observed in other recent adult-focused releases.
This weekend’s combined box office is projected at around $72 million, a slight decline from the previous year. The fall box office is currently tracking at $770.7 million, roughly on par with last autumn’s performance.
While the results for “Tron: Ares” and “Roofman” highlight a continuing trend of shifting audience habits, the excitement surrounding movies like “Tron: Ares” may still find a resurgence as it navigates through additional weeks in theaters and potentially capitalizes on holidays. Despite initial undershooting, both films have the chance to build momentum through word-of-mouth and fan engagement.