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Disney (and others) at the Box Office - Current State of Affairs

TP2000

TP2000

Well-Known Member
Hiya gang! We're finally back with another Walt Disney Company big budget movie in theaters this weekend.

This time, it's Tron: Ares.

It garnered just a hair under $5 Million in previews yesterday. It has a reported production budget of $180 Million, so that first preview box office does not sound too promising for profitability. Tron: Ares will need to get at least $450 Million at the global box office in order to break even under the most flattering of scenarios for Burbank, or something around $550 Million using more nuanced scenarios.

But I don't think the Tron franchise is very big overseas, is it? Llike it or not, Burbank is off and running with Tron: Ares now.

Does DCA Still Sell A Trontini.jpg

www.the-numbers.com

The Numbers - Daily Box Office Chart for Thursday October 9, 2025

Daily Domestic Box Office Chart for Thursday October 9, 2025
www.the-numbers.com www.the-numbers.com
 
coffeefan

coffeefan

Well-Known Member
TP2000 said:
I love that! 😍 🤣😍

I'm regrouping this weekend before I head out on another goodwill ambassadorship assignment overseas tourist trip. But one thing I'm doing tomorrow is getting my candy stockpile purchased and ready as I come home just before Halloween.

I'll be ready for the waves of current popular culture to sweep over my front porch on the 31st!
Click to expand...

I knew you'd be back to celebrate Tron week. 🤣
 
Stripes

Stripes

Premium Member
TP2000 said:
Hiya gang! We're finally back with another Walt Disney Company big budget movie in theaters this weekend.

This time, it's Tron: Ares.

It garnered just a hair under $5 Million in previews yesterday. It has a reported production budget of $180 Million, so that first preview box office does not sound too promising for profitability. Tron: Ares will need to get at least $450 Million at the global box office in order to break even under the most flattering of scenarios for Burbank, or something around $550 Million using more nuanced scenarios.

But I don't think the Tron franchise is very big overseas, is it? Llike it or not, Burbank is off and running with Tron: Ares now.

View attachment 887259
www.the-numbers.com

The Numbers - Daily Box Office Chart for Thursday October 9, 2025

Daily Domestic Box Office Chart for Thursday October 9, 2025
www.the-numbers.com www.the-numbers.com
Click to expand...
Iger and Johnston completely skipped over Tron: Ares in their prepared remarks last quarter. Whenever they do that, it tells me the company doesn’t have high expectations for the film. I’m quite sure it will do great on Disney+ though.

 
Tha Realest

Tha Realest

Well-Known Member
TP2000 said:
Hiya gang! We're finally back with another Walt Disney Company big budget movie in theaters this weekend.

This time, it's Tron: Ares.

It garnered just a hair under $5 Million in previews yesterday. It has a reported production budget of $180 Million, so that first preview box office does not sound too promising for profitability. Tron: Ares will need to get at least $450 Million at the global box office in order to break even under the most flattering of scenarios for Burbank, or something around $550 Million using more nuanced scenarios.

But I don't think the Tron franchise is very big overseas, is it? Llike it or not, Burbank is off and running with Tron: Ares now.

View attachment 887259
www.the-numbers.com

The Numbers - Daily Box Office Chart for Thursday October 9, 2025

Daily Domestic Box Office Chart for Thursday October 9, 2025
www.the-numbers.com www.the-numbers.com
Click to expand...
Let us know how many Jared Letos come trick or treating in a few weeks!
 
Disney Irish

Disney Irish

Premium Member
TP2000 said:
Hiya gang! We're finally back with another Walt Disney Company big budget movie in theaters this weekend.

This time, it's Tron: Ares.

It garnered just a hair under $5 Million in previews yesterday. It has a reported production budget of $180 Million, so that first preview box office does not sound too promising for profitability. Tron: Ares will need to get at least $450 Million at the global box office in order to break even under the most flattering of scenarios for Burbank, or something around $550 Million using more nuanced scenarios.

But I don't think the Tron franchise is very big overseas, is it? Llike it or not, Burbank is off and running with Tron: Ares now.

View attachment 887259
www.the-numbers.com

The Numbers - Daily Box Office Chart for Thursday October 9, 2025

Daily Domestic Box Office Chart for Thursday October 9, 2025
www.the-numbers.com www.the-numbers.com
Click to expand...
Just for comparison, Tron: Legacy had a budget of $170M and earned about $400M back in 2010 and was considered a moderate success.

So we'll see if it has the same (or better) audience draw as Legacy does.
 
Animaniac93-98

Animaniac93-98

Well-Known Member
Tron: Ares has a budget of $180 million. If it opens at or above $40 million, that would be in line with expectations, but hard to say if this will have any legs. Legacy benefited from being a mid December release and played over the holidays, so it was able to build on a $44 million opening to a $172 million finish.

But when Tron: Legacy made $400 million worldwide 15 years ago, it was considered disappointing

Will the new movie make as much?
 
D

DKampy

Well-Known Member
Animaniac93-98 said:
Tron: Ares has a budget of $180 million. If it opens at or above $40 million, that would be in line with expectations, but hard to say if this will have any legs. Legacy benefited from being a mid December release and played over the holidays, so it was able to build on a $44 million opening to a $172 million finish.

But when Tron: Legacy made $400 million worldwide 15 years ago, it was considered disappointing

Will the new movie make as much?
Click to expand...
Which is why we have to consider expectations have changed in the streaming era…We did not receive a sequel after Legacy because it was not the runaway success Disney was hoping for…. Studios are now trying to prop up their streamers in addition to theatrical
 
Figments Friend

Figments Friend

Well-Known Member
Just returned from a IMAX 3D showing of TRON Ares.

I LOVED it.
Incredible.
If you are a hardcore Tron fan, this is a must see.

Visuals are stunning , and in IMAX 3D there are some sequences that are spectacularly next level.
Just …WOW…!!

Story I found to be engaging and interesting.
Lots of twists I was not expecting, as I went in spoiler free.
Lots a good surprises.

Characters were defined and kept your attention.
Good casting…things ‘worked’ on screen.

Music soundtrack was pretty mind blowing in IMAX. The throbbing bass alone blew me away.
The various throwbacks to the original film and ‘Legacy’ were appreciated and fun to see.

Nostalgia fans of the previous films will love spotting the multiple references to both films as well as their creators.

All killer, no filler as they say.
Puzzled as to why Ares has been getting such mixed reviews.
It is definately not ‘boring’ in any way…and not predictable.

Also, STAY for the mid-credit scene.
You have been warned.

Cannot wait to see this again.

-
 
Disney Irish

Disney Irish

Premium Member
TalkingHead said:
Never understood why this was made in the first place. Was it greenlit pre-Covid or maybe before Disney realized their theatrical dominance was a thing of the past?
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This iteration originally started development in 2017 (a sequel of Legacy was being planned before that), went through a few development cycles but finally went into production in 2023 with filming beginning in January 2024.

So you can say it was green lit back in 2017, but had only fully gone into production in 2023, so Disney already knew that theatrical was waning.
 
Tha Realest

Tha Realest

Well-Known Member
Disney Irish said:
This iteration originally started development in 2017 (a sequel of Legacy was being planned before that), went through a few development cycles but finally went into production in 2023 with filming beginning in January 2024.

So you can say it was green lit back in 2017, but had only fully gone into production in 2023, so Disney already knew that theatrical was waning.
Click to expand...
I recall reading they were pretty far along in production with a true Tron: Legacy sequel but bailed before full on production started. Imagine a Joseph Kosinski sequel which took advantage of a likely option they had on Cillian Murphy.

Instead we got a sequel no one wanted with a creeper that’s been box office poison. And it’s making less in its opening weekend than TL did fifteen years ago, unadjusted for inflation.
 
Disney Irish

Disney Irish

Premium Member
Tha Realest said:
I recall reading they were pretty far along in production with a true Tron: Legacy sequel but bailed before full on production started. Imagine a Joseph Kosinski sequel which took advantage of a likely option they had on Cillian Murphy.

Instead we got a sequel no one wanted with a creeper that’s been box office poison. And it’s making less in its opening weekend than TL did fifteen years ago, unadjusted for inflation.
Click to expand...
There is no guarantee that any direct sequel to Legacy would fare any better in today's market. Right now Ares is tracking only $7-$8M less than where Legacy opened, basically what I would expect that a direct Legacy sequel would do today.

We'll see how the weekend shakes out but if it comes under Legacy well chalk it up to today's market. But I'm sure much blame will go to lots of things including your favorite actor.
 
Animaniac93-98

Animaniac93-98

Well-Known Member
Yes, Tron 3 had been on again, off again a number of times.

Disney stopped investing in Tron because they had Marvel and Star Wars, which they felt gave a better ROI. No reason to continue a franchise they had moved on from. Even Tron: Uprising was cancelled after one season due to low ratings.

The Tron coaster at SDL was greenlit around the time Legacy came out and only cloned for WDW later because it already existed (remember when Legacy came out and there were rumors of a WDW coaster then?).

Why a 3rd Tron now? Who knows. We got a Freaky Friday sequel and Stitch remake this year too, which suggests to me Disney is running out of existing properties to squeeze.

Reminds me of when Brother Bear and Fox and the Hound got direct-to-video sequels.
 
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