When Tron: Ares opened with around $33.5 million (based on a budget pegged upwards of more than five times that), it pretty much secured the franchise’s fate. But what even happened there? Why didn’t people turn up for the third movie in the series? Can all of it be pinned on Jared Leto? Or is there more going on that people are ignoring?
When it came to finding a scapegoat for the box office bust that was Tron: Ares, a lot of eyes were put on star Jared Leto, who doesn’t exactly have the best reputation in Hollywood, what with the…well, go ahead and look it up. It’s hard to argue, really, as Leto has only once starred in a movie that crossed $100 million — and that was Suicide Squad, which had the built-in DC fanbase behind it. So, no, Jared Leto has never had the star power that Disney was goofily banking on.
But I truly feel it’s not just about Jared Leto (although I wouldn’t blame a single person for avoiding Tron: Ares because of him). Really, what investment in the Tron characters and arcs should people have? By the time Tron: Ares came out, it was 15 years removed from Legacy, which, let’s face it, we didn’t really need, either. And when it comes to modern love marketing, 15 years is like an eternity for a follow-up — hell, it somehow feels like even longer between Legacy and Ares than it did the original and Legacy, and that gap was nearly twice as long! The point is, if you’re going to try to make Tron one of your IP darlings, then you have to act fast and not bank on a theme park rollercoaster to hold moviegoers over.
Disney also failed to fully capitalize on the fanbase. Sure, those who really love Tron are a niche crowd, but Legacy took in about $400 million worldwide, which Ares won’t even get close to. That’s a monumental number that had it in the top 15 for 2010, and here we are trying to figure out why Ares bombed. Some of this goes back to the aforementioned release timeline, but the story itself was incredibly lazy (are all sci-fi movies going to bank on AI storylines now?). Added to this, it’s as if there was some sort of odd disregard for being a true sequel, as Jeff Bridges was the sole returning cast member. So, ditch more or less everything that could possibly draw fans of the Tron movies in and replace it with “hot topics” and a brand new character as the lead? Yeah, brilliant, Disney!
Word right now is that Tron: Ares will be the last we see of the franchise on the big screen. And while many of us were pulling for it, there really is no need to see Tron trudge forward.
Why do you think Tron: Ares ultimately failed at the box office? Give us your analysis below!
