Tron: Ares Lights Up the Box Office with $5 Million in Thursday Previews

Disney's Tron: Ares jacks into the Grid with $5 million in Thursday previews at the box office, putting it on track for a $40 million opening weekend.

Tron is back on the grid and already stirring up box office chatter: Tron: Ares pulled in $5 million from Thursday previews. Good start, but not a slam dunk. Disney would love to see a $40M-plus opening weekend, and honestly, theaters could use a hit right now. Between rising popcorn prices and a crowded sports calendar, this one is going to have to work for it.

Box office reality check

The $5M preview number is solid, but the hill to $40M+ is steep, especially with the MLB playoffs and the NFL siphoning off eyeballs all weekend. The critical response is a little scattered, yet the Rotten Tomatoes score sits at 86% as of now, which is notably strong. Yes, both can be true: you can have a healthy RT number and still have mixed reactions in the wild. Also worth remembering: RT scores can move as more reviews land.

What this one is actually about

The story centers on Ares, a highly advanced Program sent out of the digital world and into ours on a dangerous mission. The hook: it is humanity’s first encounter with A.I. beings in the flesh. Jared Leto plays Ares.

"Ares is a fictional character who crosses over from the world of videogames to planet Earth."

Who made it and who is in it

• Director: Joachim Ronning (Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales)
• Writers: Jesse Wigutow and Jack Thorne
• Producers: Sean Bailey, Jeffrey Silver, Justin Springer, Jared Leto, Emma Ludbrook, Steven Lisberger
• Executive Producer: Russell Allen
• Cast: Jared Leto, Cameron Monaghan, Evan Peters, Greta Lee, Sarah Desjardins, Gillian Anderson, Hasan Minhaj, Arturo Castro, Jodie Turner-Smith, and returning TRON star Jeff Bridges

So, where does this go?

If Tron: Ares legged out a $40M+ opening, it would be a genuine win for theaters and a welcome cash boost for a business that still needs them. The preview number leaves the door open; the sports schedule and word of mouth will decide whether audiences jack in or stay home.

Are you seeing Tron: Ares this weekend, or waiting for digital/Disney+? And do you think it clears that $40M mark, or does the sports traffic slow it down? Let me know.