Ares plummets at the box office and worries Disney

October’s box office competition brought a curious contrast: while The Black Phone 2 debuted with strength and dominated the weekend, TRON: Ares faces difficulties in supporting itself in cinemas.

Even with Disney’s grandiose production and the US$100 million mark raised worldwide, the new chapter of the science fiction franchise appears to be far from recovering its costs.

The new Blumhouse film, The Black Phone 2topped the box office over the weekend with US$42 million grossed worldwide. Of this total, US$26.5 million came from North America, while US$15.5 million was obtained from other markets.

With a budget of around US$30 million, the result is considered solid for the studio, which usually works with medium-sized productions and good financial returns.

Universal’s head of domestic distribution, Jim Orr, celebrated the film’s performance and told Deadline:

“Visionary filmmaker Scott Derrickson and our partners at Blumhouse have once again delivered a haunting triumph that held audiences’ attention this weekend.”

He further added: “This chilling sequel, starring Ethan Hawke and Mason Thames, is leaving audiences both excited and terrified in the best way possible.”

The film received a “B” grade on CinemaScore, 74% critical approval on Rotten Tomatoes and 85% on Popcornmeter, an index that measures public reception.

Left of TRON: Ares

About that, TRON: Ares had a discouraging second week. The film suffered a 67% drop at the United States box office, grossing just US$11.1 million in the period.

To date, the film has grossed US$54.5 million domestically and US$48.4 million internationally, totaling US$103 million worldwide. Faced with a budget estimated at US$180 million, the result places production among the biggest financial disappointments of the year.

The sequence of TRON e TRON: Or Legacy it failed to maintain the public’s interest and is facing a performance far below Disney’s expectations.

According to a report from The Wrap, TRON: Ares could represent a critical point in Jared Leto’s career.

The publication describes the film as “the last breath” from the Oscar-winning actor, citing agents who claim that “the studios are no longer betting on Leto, and his phase as the protagonist of major franchises has come to an end.”

Two projects he was part of, Assassination e Lunik Heistwere canceled and should not go forward. The text also reminds that “Leto is linked to TRON: Ares since before the failure of Morbius. He joined the project in 2017 and is one of the film’s credited producers, but has since secured little new work.”

Even so, the actor will still appear in Masters of the Universefrom Amazon MGM, playing the villain Skeletor, possibly with just his voice.

The performance of TRON: Ares It’s a serious blow to the franchise’s next steps. There are those who believe that Disney should put it on pause indefinitely.

A new animated series along the lines of TRON: The Resistance could keep the brand alive among fans, but the possibility of another feature film seems, for now, quite distant.