Tron: Ares box office update - Jared Leto film fails to meet expectations with $33.5 million weekend collection

The recently released Jared Leto-starrer Tron: Ares appears not to be meeting expectations in terms of its commercial performance.

In its first weekend, the film has only managed to garner $33.5 million (domestic).

Having been released on October 10, 2025, this film is the third in the iconic Tron series. Despite its well-known legacy, the latest film failed to make a mark at the box office.

Helmed by Joachim Rønning, the film follows the plot of Ares, a highly efficient programme, who has been brought into the real world after being tasked with a perilous mission.

Keep reading to know more about the box office performance of Tron: Ares.

An analysis of the box office performance of Tron: Ares

Since its release, the commercial performance of Tron: Ares has started on a shaky note. For its initial weekend domestic box office collection, the film collected $33.5 million across 4000 screens. For its international collection, it has garnered up to $27,000,000, and for its global collection, it has reached $60,500,000, as recorded by Box Office Mojo.

As per Variety, the sci-fi film was made on a budget of a whopping $180 million. The makers have also spent additional costs on promotions. Despite such heavy investments and being a part of a popular legacy, the film still could not achieve commercial success.

In its critical response, too, the film has garnered some mixed reactions. It has received a lukewarm rating of 6.7/10 on IMDb and a score of 57% on Rotten Tomatoes. The Popcornmeter rating is at 87% and the Cinemascore rating is also decent, scoring up to B+.

In its first weekend, Tron: Ares was expected to collect $45 million to $50 million. As per Variety, Franchise Entertainment Research's David A. Gross explained the commercial performance of the film by stating:

“The movie was tracking well, but interest stalled during the last 10 days and the opening dropped. The science fiction genre has always done well overseas. This is effects-driven, good-guys-versus-bad-guys storytelling that’s understood and well-liked across all cultures.”

According to an August report from the outlet, Walt Disney Studios was aiming to cater to the male audience belonging to Gen Z and Gen Alpha with their upcoming films. Upon the release of Tron: Ares, the gender imbalance in its audience demographic was also quite evident, with up to 70% of the viewers being minors and adult men. Perhaps that could lead to the film being limited to a certain group of audience.

Moreover, the Tron series has a massive gap between its releases. The first film of the series, Tron, was released in 1982. After 28 years, its sequel, Tron: Legacy, was released in 2010. This time, it took 15 years for the third film to be released. Such long time gaps could also contribute to the box office performance.