Tron: Ares Set to Smash Box Office Projections Despite Mixed Reviews
The box office heats up as Tron: Ares charges toward a $50 million debut despite mixed reviews, Variety reports, leading a crowded weekend where Roofman and Kiss of the Spider Woman jostle for audience attention across genres.
Big weekend ahead at the box office, and yes, it is a little crowded. Disney is rolling out Tron: Ares, and early tracking says the neon bikes might actually have some gas in the tank despite mixed reviews. Meanwhile, Paramount is countering with Roofman, and there is also a new Kiss of the Spider Woman in the mix. Different lanes, same scoreboard.
Tron: Ares is lining up a strong start
Per industry tracking, Tron: Ares is aiming for $45 million to $50 million in its North American debut, with another $40 million to $45 million expected overseas. That puts a global opening as high as $95 million on the table. For context: that domestic range basically matches Tron: Legacy, which opened to $44 million back in 2010 (and that is before you adjust for inflation).
The setup this time: humanity’s first contact with AI beings kicks off when a digital program crosses into the real world. Joachim Ronning is directing, and Disney reportedly spent around $180 million to make it, making this the most expensive entry in the franchise to date. Early critics are split — it is sitting at 53% on Rotten Tomatoes from 97 reviews — but audience interest is tracking better than you would expect from that score, which is why these numbers are where they are.
- Tron: Ares projections: $45M–$50M domestic, $40M–$45M international, up to $95M worldwide opening
- Roofman (Paramount): $8M–$12M domestic debut
- Kiss of the Spider Woman: $1.5M–$3M domestic debut
Cast-wise, Jared Leto leads as Ares, with Greta Lee, Evan Peters, Hasan Minhaj, Jodie Turner-Smith, Arturo Castro, Cameron Monaghan, and Gillian Anderson along for the ride. Jeff Bridges is back as Kevin Flynn, which is the connective tissue fans actually care about. The score is by Nine Inch Nails, and Interscope Records is handling the soundtrack release — a cool wrinkle that could give the movie some extra cultural footprint if the music hits.
How it stacks up against the older films
The original Tron arrived in 1982 and pulled in $50 million worldwide on a $17 million budget. Legacy juiced the brand in 2010 with that $44 million domestic opening. Ares is the priciest of the three by a lot, which means the opening weekend is only the first checkpoint — legs will matter here more than ever.
The rest of the weekend
Paramount’s Roofman, starring Channing Tatum and Kirsten Dunst, is eyeing $8 million to $12 million. Kiss of the Spider Woman, led by Jennifer Lopez and also featuring Diego Luna, is projected much lower at $1.5 million to $3 million. Different targets, different expectations, but both will be measuring themselves against how loudly Tron: Ares lands.
When it hits
Tron: Ares opens October 10, 2025 — more than forty years after the original. If nothing else, that is a long runway for a franchise about speed.