Jeff Bridges Says His $44M Flop Became a Masterpiece—Tron: Ares Could Be Next

Tron: Ares did not exactly light up the grid. The new sequel stumbled out of the gate with a domestic opening that fell well short of expectations, and the worldwide total so far isn’t keeping pace with that hefty price tag. But Jeff Bridges is taking the long view, and Disney might already be taking the long walk.

The snapshot

• Domestic opening weekend: $33.2 million (versus the $45–$50 million target)
• Global gross to date: $124 million
• Reported production budget: $180 million
• Rotten Tomatoes score: 53%
• Director: Joachim Rønning
• Release date listed as October 10, 2025 (which is odd, because the movie is already in theaters worldwide now)

Jeff Bridges is surprisingly chill about it

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Jeff Bridges (back again as Kevin Flynn) didn’t pile on the doom-and-gloom. He brought up an earlier flop-turned-favorite from the 1980s to make his point about snap reactions vs. long-term reputation.

It’s interesting how opening weekends hit. I remember Heaven’s Gate being labeled a flop, and now people call it a masterpiece.

If you don’t know that history: Heaven’s Gate made just $3.4 million on a reported $44 million budget, got dragged for alleged animal mistreatment on set and a director who ran the production with a steel fist, then was yanked from theaters. The fallout hammered the studio’s finances and reputation. And yet, decades later, film folks reassessed it and elevated it.

Bridges also admitted he’s had movies he initially disliked, only to revisit months later and wonder why he was so down on them. So he’s clearly hoping Tron: Ares gets a second look someday.

Disney’s temperature check: getting colder

That optimistic view isn’t really how big studios operate. After the soft opening and the sluggish climb to $124 million worldwide, The Hollywood Reporter says Disney is reconsidering Tron’s future at the multiplex. Their line: sources say the franchise will likely retire from the big screen if the trend holds.

So why didn’t it click?

Tron was a legit cultural splash back in the early 80s, and it still has a loyal following. But that following is comparatively small now. That niche status may have capped interest from the start.

There’s also the Jared Leto factor. He leads Tron: Ares, and he’s been the subject of widely discussed misconduct allegations in the press for years. Some industry chatter pins part of the movie’s chilly reception on that baggage. Others argue the bigger issue is the brand itself: Disney allegedly knew this one would skew toward die-hards, not a four-quadrant crowd. Both can be true — star optics didn’t help, but the IP might have been fighting an uphill battle regardless.

Where this could land

Right now, the math says Tron: Ares is headed for a loss unless it shows serious legs. Could the movie get reappraised down the line the way Bridges is hinting? Maybe. Critics are middling at best, audiences are split, and the franchise’s fanbase is passionate but not massive, which is a tough combo for a pricey sci-fi swing.

Tron: Ares is in theaters worldwide now.