Tron: Ares Became a Financial Nightmare for Disney
Disney’s attempt to revive the sci-fi legend has proven unsuccessful. Tron: Ares suffered a major drop at the box office in its second week of release, resulting in a significant financial loss for the company. The film, with a massive $220 million budget, fell well short of expectations, costing Disney dearly.
Tron: Ares Lost Disney $132 Million
According to Deadline, total revenue for Tron: Ares was approximately $214.8 million, while total costs totaled $347.5 million. This means Disney lost $132.7 million on the film. The studio’s promotional and distribution expenses further exacerbated this situation—its advertising budget alone reached $102.5 million.
The film grossed only $33.5 million in the US in its first weekend and fell 67% to $11.1 million in its second. While its global gross slightly surpassed $100 million, this figure fell far short of its investment. Experts predict that Tron: Ares’s final gross will hover around $160 million, effectively making it a “loss-making project” for Disney.
Disney’s loss calculation includes not only the production budget but also its theatrical revenue share, home entertainment sales, and broadcast rights. Reports suggest the film will generate $100 million in long-term revenue from TV sales, $37.6 million from home entertainment, and $5 million from airfare. However, even these figures don’t offset the losses.
The Tron franchise has always been a challenging brand for Disney. While the first film achieved cult status in 1982, it failed to achieve commercial success. 2010’s Tron: Legacy, while visually impressive, suffered a similar fate. The box office failure of Tron: Ares could force Disney to shelve the series for an extended period. Plans for a sequel, particularly one that would have reunited Jared Leto, Garrett Hedlund, and Olivia Wilde, appear at high risk of being canceled.
Despite this, the Tron franchise isn’t entirely dead for Disney. The Tron Lightcycle Run theme park attractions in Shanghai and Orlando continue to attract significant attention. However, analysts believe this popularity won’t be enough to convince Disney to pursue a Tron 4 project. After such a significant loss, the studio is expected to avoid bringing the series to the big screen for at least a decade.
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