Tron: Ares is headed for a box office derezzing after only its second weekend in theaters. The film fell below expectations at opening with only $33.2 million domestic and $60.5 million globally. In its second weekend, the film dropped 66% earning only $11.1 million at domestic theaters.
According to Box Office Mojo, the film has earned almost $103 million globally after two weekends. It just opened in China on October 17, 2025.
Why is “Tron: Ares” failing?
There are several reasons for the film’s failure at the box office.
1. People didn’t want another Tron film that strayed from the previous one.
We had “Tron: Legacy” without Tron, but it still made sense, given it was about Flynn and his son Sam. It still tied back to the original film. However, “Tron: Ares” hits at the previous film, but is not a continuation. Audiences simply weren’t interested.
Plus, it has been 15 years since the last film, and that was 28 years after the original film.
2. Jared Leto
Jared Leto was indeed a driving force for getting this film made, and he is clearly a fan of the original. He has not been seen by fans as a leading man / box office driver, and there have been some accusations of sexual misconduct made against him recently.
3. The marketing for “Tron: Ares” was more about fashion shows than the film
Leading up to the release of “Tron: Ares,” only a couple of trailers for the film were released. Instead of promotions geared at winning “Tron” or “Tron: Legacy” fans back, Disney’s promotion heavily featured the actors in fashion shoot-esque promotions. One even made the grid a runway.
4. Disney+
Disney has been running into a problem of their own making when it comes to the box office, and that is Disney+.
Since COVID, Disney has released films to the streaming platform earlier than they used to. It trained the audience to simply wait until the film was added to Disney+. They could watch it with their paid subscription and not shell out all the extra money for a trip to the theater. “Tron: Ares” is likely no exception.
Unless something is a theatrical “must-see” for consumers, they will wait.
When it comes to “Tron: Ares,” the best way to watch will be IMAX, but people will save the money and settle for their at-home televisions. Especially in this economy.
5. The “Tron: Ares” Superfans
As soon as this film was released, there seemed to be a coordinated effort of “super fans” to go out and boost the film. I think it’s great that fans feel strongly about something. However, it becomes an issue when some of them go on the attack against anyone not giving the film a stellar review. This behavior will usually result in driving potential customers away.
There is a difference between polite disagreement and name-calling and accusations.
No matter what the reason, the film has not performed all that well. It does still have some time before some of the bigger box office films are set to release in November and December, so maybe it can pull up the numbers. Given that the budget is estimated to be $180 million before marketing. Meaning the film will likely need about $360 million to break even.
Disney could pick up more money with digital and physical releases of the film, but most are likely waiting for Disney+.
I doubt Disney will attempt another “Tron” film after this disaster.
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