Tron: Ares is short-circuiting at the box office; the long-awaited third installment in the sci-fi franchise reportedly cost a staggering $220 million to produce (significantly higher than estimated) and is on track to lose roughly $132 million after a disappointing global performance.
The film, starring Jared Leto, Greta Lee, and Jeff Bridges, has grossed just over $100 million worldwide through its second weekend, falling sharply by 67% domestically. Sources told Deadline that Tron: Ares’s inflated budget, combined with a $100 million-plus marketing campaign and extensive reshoots, left little room for error.
Despite Disney’s heavy promotion — including laser light shows and Comic-Con stunts — the film failed to connect with younger audiences, drawing mainly Gen X and millennial fans of the original. Early test screenings and audience scores mirrored those of 2010’s Tron: Legacy, suggesting the sequel didn’t expand the fan base. Insiders cite the film’s muddled screenplay and uneven tone as factors for its underperformance, pointing to a lack of clarity and depth.
Still, Disney may not be finished with Tron. Executives reportedly view Ares as a long-term brand play, helping sustain interest in Tron theme park attractions in Orlando and Shanghai — where the rides remain among Disney’s most popular. Yet with such steep losses and lukewarm audience response, Tron: Ares may mark the end of the line for the franchise on the big screen.
