Is Tron: Ares heading toward a weak opening weekend? Only time will tell, but for now, the latest chapter of Disney‘s visually splendid Tron franchise is lighting up the box office charts with $4.8 million in previews. While near $5M is nothing to sneeze at (allergies are acting up after all), it will take a lot of butts in seats for Tron: Ares to reach its projected goal of $40M+ during its opening salvo (which is what we predicted earlier this week). Like Deadline says, keep your fingers crossed that it does, because Hollywood could use the money. As ridiculous as that sounds, Tron: Ares performing well is a win for theater owners.
It’s worth noting that Tron: Ares faces some stiff competition this weekend, with the MLB playoffs and the NFL vying for fans’ attention. While critics are mixed on the latest installment of the Tron franchise, the threequel’s Rotten Tomatoes score stands at 86%, which is more than favorable.
Joachim Rønning (Maleficent: Mistress of Evil and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales) directs Tron: Ares, which stars Jared Leto (Morbius), Cameron Monaghan (Gotham), Evan Peters (Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story), Greta Lee (Past Lives), Sarah Desjardins (Yellowjackets), Gillian Anderson (The X-Files), Hasan Minhaj (No Hard Feelings), Arturo Castro (Road House), Jodie Turner-Smith (Queen & Slim), and returning TRON star Bridges. Sean Bailey, Jeffrey Silver, Justin Springer, Jared Leto, Emma Ludbrook, and Steven Lisberger are the producers, with Russell Allen serving as executive producer.
Scripted by Jesse Wigutow and Jack Thorne, TRON: Ares tells the story of a highly sophisticated Program, Ares, who is sent from the digital world into the real world on a dangerous mission, marking humankind’s first encounter with A.I. beings. Leto is playing Ares. As Deadline put it, Ares is “a fictional character who crosses over from the world of videogames to planet Earth.”
What do you think about Tron: Ares opening to $5M in Thursday previews? Will the film reach the $40 million mark over the weekend? Are you excited to check it out, or will you wait until the film is on digital or Disney+? Let us know in the comments section below.
