‘Tron: Ares’ Stumbles Out of the Gate with a Weak Box Office Global Opening

Disney’s latest sci-fi movie Tron: Ares didn’t light up the box office the way the studio hoped.

The long-awaited sequel opened to a weak $33.5 million in North America and about $60 million worldwide over its first weekend. That’s far from enough to make a dent in its hefty $180 million production cost, not including the millions spent on marketing.

Expectations were higher going into opening weekend, with projections suggesting a domestic debut between $45 million and $50 million.

But despite a “B+” CinemaScore and decent audience reactions, the film couldn’t attract a crowd outside its core fans—mostly young men familiar with the franchise. Its debut numbers fell short of 2010’s Tron: Legacy, which opened with $44 million, though it did fare much better than the original Tron from 1982, which had a much smaller opening before becoming a cult favorite.

Starring Jared Leto, Greta Lee, and Evan Peters, and directed by Joachim Rønning of Pirates of the Caribbean fame, the movie explores humanity’s first direct encounter with artificial intelligence after a digital being enters the real world.

This October, worlds will collide. #TronAres. Only in theaters 10.10.25 pic.twitter.com/9Q1RAUBHBU

— Walt Disney Studios (@DisneyStudios) April 5, 2025

According to David A. Gross from Franchise Entertainment Research, “The movie was tracking well, but interest stalled during the last 10 days and the opening dropped.” He added that the film could still find some hope internationally since “the science fiction genre has always done well overseas. This is effects-driven, good-guys-versus-bad-guys storytelling that’s understood and well-liked across all cultures.”

Critical response has been mixed. On Rotten Tomatoes, 57% of critics gave the movie a positive review, while Metacritic scored it 48 out of 100, showing average reactions overall. Critics agree the film looks and sounds great, but many say it lacks emotional depth.

Some reviewers were impressed. David Rooney from The Hollywood Reporter said Jared Leto’s performance was “refreshingly subdued” and helped give the movie an “emotional hook” along with some humor.

Tara Brady of The Irish Times felt it improved on Tron: Legacy, praising its music and acting, but joked it “could pass for a visual album.” Matt Zoller Seitz of RogerEbert.com gave it top marks, calling it “spectacularly designed, swiftly paced, thoughtfully written, and directed within an inch of its neon-hued life.”

Others were much less kind. Kyle Smith from The Wall Street Journal compared it to Terminator but without the same excitement or wit. Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian called it “mind-bendingly dull” and gave it one star, with similar low scores coming from The Telegraph and The Independent. Empire’s John Nugent was more moderate, saying it was “fun if forgettable futuristic fluff,” while IndieWire’s David Ehrlich praised the soundtrack by Nine Inch Nails, saying it gave the film “its own sense of violent self-identity.”

Even though Tron: Ares started off slow, there’s still a chance it might pick up overseas, especially since sci-fi movies tend to find stronger audiences abroad. Still, with such a high budget and mixed reviews, it faces an uphill battle to turn a profit.

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