Jared Leto’s Attempt to Surprise Fans & Go Viral at ‘Tron: Ares’ Premiere Falls Flat as The Theater Was Only Half Full

Jared Leto tried to surprise fans at a screening of Tron: Ares in San Francisco, but the reaction didn’t go as he probably hoped.

The actor, known for his Oscar-winning work, appeared unannounced at the AMC Metreon 16 theater. He was hoping to create a buzz for Disney’s new sci-fi sequel, but the audience was reportedly less than half full.

Jared Leto greeting an almost empty theater 😭😭 pic.twitter.com/UqVuFrAJtN

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Tron: Ares, released worldwide last week, has made about $70 million so far, far below its $180 million budget.

The numbers suggest that interest in the franchise, which was once famous for its futuristic visuals, is dropping. Leto stars as Ares, a sentient program exploring the human world, and had previously spoken about wanting to bring new energy to the Tron series. But with fewer viewers in theaters, his surprise visit seemed more like an effort to stir online attention than a celebration.

This latest release comes after a series of box-office challenges for Leto, including films like Morbius and House of Gucci. Some are now questioning whether he can continue as a leading man in major films.

Tron: Ares is the third installment in the Tron series, following Tron: Legacy from 2010. Joachim Rønning directed the film, which stars Jared Leto, Greta Lee, Evan Peters, Jodie Turner-Smith, Hasan Minhaj, Arturo Castro, and Gillian Anderson. Jeff Bridges returns as Kevin Flynn from the first two films.

The movie’s development goes back years. After Steven Lisberger, the franchise creator, started planning a sequel in 2010, Disney shifted to a soft reboot in 2017 with Leto as a new character. The project went through several directors before Rønning took over in February 2023.

Production was delayed due to the 2023 Writers Guild and SAG-AFTRA strikes but eventually began in January 2024 in Vancouver and wrapped in May. Industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails composed the score, with Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross also serving as executive producers alongside Tron: Legacy director Joseph Kosinski.

The film premiered in Los Angeles on October 6 and hit U.S. theaters on October 10. As of October 18, it had earned $43.4 million domestically and $26.7 million internationally, totaling $70.2 million worldwide. Early projections had suggested an opening of $85-95 million globally, but it fell short, debuting at $33.5 million in the U.S. and Canada.

Critics gave the film mixed reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has a 52% approval rating. The consensus reads: “A sensory feast of vivid neon hues and a hypnotic soundtrack, Tron: Ares is gorgeous to behold but too narratively programmatic to achieve an authentically human dimension.” Metacritic assigned a score of 48 out of 100, indicating “mixed or average reviews.” Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave it a B+, the same as earlier entries in the franchise.

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