New Tron has a weaker debut than the Morbius disaster

Disney was hoping for a triumphant return for its beloved franchise, but the outcome of Tron: Ares’ opening day was anything but exciting. The new film starring Jared Leto grossed just US$14.3 million (R$79.2 million) in its debut in the United States — a lower number than Morbius (2022), which made US$17.3 million (R$95.8 million) and became synonymous with failure.

The weak performance at the box office is surprising, as the studio was betting big on the combination of nostalgia and futuristic technology to revive the brand. Despite the lukewarm critical reception, the general public gave it a B+ on CinemaScore, indicating that those who went to the cinema even enjoyed the production.

The situation is worrying, but not yet catastrophic. With an estimated budget of US$180 million (R$997 million), the film needs to be successful worldwide to pay off. Disney’s hope is that the film will have “long legs,” especially with screenings in premium formats like IMAX, Dolby, 3D and 4DX.

Jared Leto, in fact, continues to face public resistance for his recent roles, especially after the Morbius fiasco. The Sony film reinforced the actor’s lack of appeal and contributed to the failure of Spider-Man’s world of villains.

Tron: Ares Box Office

Despite the timid numbers, Tron: Ares could still bounce back with positive word of mouth. The soundtrack signed by Nine Inch Nails has been praised, and many fans highlight that the film gets visual immersion right. The challenge is to transform this into box office revenue.

The new film with Jared Leto ended the weekend with US$33.5 million (R$185 million) in the United States. Tron: Ares added more than US$27 million (R$149 million) in the rest of the world, resulting in more than US$60 million (R$332 million).

Morbius, on the other hand, ended its run with US$167 million (R$925 million) at the box office worldwide. Despite the weak debut, Tron has the capacity to overcome Jared Leto’s last big fiasco.

For now, the future of the franchise remains in red alert mode. If the public doesn’t embark on this new journey through the digital grid, Tron could end up being disconnected — again — for an indefinite period of time.