Disney’s sci-fi sequel Tron: Ares failed to connect in its box office debut, earning a disappointing $33.5 million from 4,000 North American theaters over the weekend.
It’s a weak start for a five-decade-old franchise that’s never been a commercial juggernaut.
Tron: Ares carries a massive $180 million price tag, not including the millions the studio spent on marketing.
Overseas, Tron: Ares didn’t make up much ground, adding another $27 million and putting the final global number at $60 million through Sunday.
Heading into the weekend, “Tron: Ares” was targeting a decent domestic debut of $45 million to $50 million. A visual spectacle with neon-hued action, the PG-13 film was popular on premium large formats, with Imax, Dolby and 3D screens accounting for 67% of ticket sales.
Despite a “B+” grade on CinemaScore exit polls, suggesting audiences mostly liked the film, the futuristic adventure couldn’t expand its audience beyond its target demographic of boys and men.
Boys and Men: Nearly 70% of opening weekend crowds were male
As a result, the final weekend tally did match the prior installment, 2010’s “Tron: Legacy,” which opened to $44 million, not adjusted for inflation.
Ticket sales were, at least, way above the original 1982 “Tron,” which launched with $4.7 million on its way to cult status.
Jared Leto, Greta Lee and Evan Peters star in this installment, which was directed by “Pirates of the Caribbean” alum Joachim Rønning.
It follows humanity’s first contact with artificial intelligence as an advanced program enters the physical world.
The science fiction genre has always done well overseas. This is effects-driven, good-guys-versus-bad-guys storytelling that’s understood across all cultures.
