Tron: Ares stumbles at the box office

It has been an unexpectedly slow opening weekend for Disney and the third Tron film in the series, Ares. According to reports, the film has barely managed to gross $36 million in the domestic market, where it was hoped to make at least $40 million. In other words, a rather tough start for Ares which is said to have a production budget north of $150 million. It is of course a little too early to call it a flop, but judging from the result this weekend things are not looking all too great.

Especially when we consider that Tron as a franchise has never been a major commercial draw. The original film is, of course, a cult classic and in many ways ground-breaking in its use of CGI. Tron: Legacy certainly fared better, grossing nearly $170 million in the US, but due to high production costs and a massive marketing campaign, it didn't make much of a profit there either.

So what on earth went wrong this time, one might ask? Some critics are actually pointing the finger at Leto, who has often been something of a divisive figure among moviegoers. International revenues could still save the day, of course, and the loss could also be mitigated if the film eventually becomes a hit on Disney+. Either way, let's hope the film takes off, otherwise Ares could very well spell the end for Tron. Don't miss our review of the film, which you can read here.

Have you seen Tron: Ares yet and what are your thoughts on it?