Tron: Ares vs. Tron: Legacy: Which Film Got Derezzed at the Box Office?

TRON is back on the grid with a new movie, so let’s talk about how this thing is landing so far — money, reviews, and one very specific stunt that made the director drop 20 pounds in a month and a half. No, really.

How the money looks (early days, but still)

It’s too soon to crown a winner, but the comps are the comps. The last one, 'Tron: Legacy', reportedly cost $170 million and made about $400 million worldwide. That’s roughly 2x its budget, which sounds fine until you remember Disney was hoping for a bigger spark. The studio kept the lights on, but it wasn’t the breakout they wanted.

Now we’ve got 'Tron: Ares'. It’s the priciest of the three at roughly $180 million, and early tracking has it opening to $45–50 million from about 4,000 theaters in North America — basically neck-and-neck with 'Legacy', which opened to $44 million. Overseas, 'Ares' is projected to add another $40–45 million out of the gate, so a global first weekend in the $85–95 million range is on the table. That’s a solid start, but with that budget, it needs to hold.

• Tron: Legacy (2010) - Budget: $170M - Domestic opening: $44M - Worldwide total: ~$400M - Rotten Tomatoes: 51% critics / 64% audience - IMDb: 6.8/10
• Tron: Ares (2025) - Budget: $180M (series high) - Domestic opening projection: $45–50M (about 4,000 theaters) - International opening projection: $40–45M - Global opening projection: $85–95M - Rotten Tomatoes: 55% critics / 87% audience - IMDb: 6.5/10

Critics: slight edge to Ares (with caveats)

On the critical side, it’s a photo finish. 'Legacy' sits at 51% with critics; 'Ares' is a few points higher at 55%. The audience split is more dramatic — 'Ares' is getting a much warmer response right now (87%) than 'Legacy' did (64%). On IMDb, 'Legacy' still edges it, 6.8 to 6.5.

Content-wise, both movies are getting the same two compliments: looks and sound. 'Legacy' was widely praised for the neon-nightclub visuals and that soundtrack (people still play it). Michael Sheen’s club owner Castor also got singled out as a highlight, while some reviewers felt the rest of the cast didn’t pop. With 'Ares', the chorus is similar: hypnotic score, glossy images. One recurring criticism is that it can feel mechanical story-wise — beautiful, but emotionally chilly. Meanwhile, the New York Post’s Johnny Oleksinski said this is the first TRON movie where the plot actually, you know, pops, and the New York Times’ Alissa Wilkinson basically called it less charming than the 1982 original but easier to enjoy than 'Legacy'.

Performances? Jared Leto as Ares and Evan Peters as Julian are getting the most love. Outside of them, reception is mixed.

The internet: split, but leaning positive

Fans are all over the place in a very TRON way. I’ve seen longtime diehards say it’s not as impactful as 'Legacy' but still delivers those grin-inducing moments. Others argue you shouldn’t even compare them because they’re going for different flavors, and some are calling it the sequel they wanted with a tighter story. Still plenty of people think it’s hollow or too convoluted. Translation: you’ll probably know in the first 20 minutes if it’s your thing.

Craft corner: the light-cycle car slice that got real

Here’s a nerdy bit that actually matters. Joseph Kosinski didn’t come back after 'Legacy', so Joachim Ronning is steering 'Ares', and he went surprisingly practical for a signature light-cycle moment. You know the classic cycles that leave a deadly ribbon behind them? There’s a scene where Ares’s bike rips through a police car — and instead of faking the whole thing, the team built pre-cut police cars, put one on a 100-yard wire, remote-controlled it up to speed, blew charges to split it in half mid-run, and then handed it to Industrial Light & Magic to add the light wall. It’s the kind of detail you feel even if you don’t clock it.

"When you do these big movies, you have amazing support... So the daunting aspect is thinking that it all comes down to me to fill these big shoes of the first two films. As a fan of the franchise, I put a lot of pressure on myself. I think I lost 20 pounds during those six weeks. But hopefully the audience can feel the hard work."

Is that extreme? Yep. But it explains why some of the action sequences have a little extra weight to them.

So, is Ares winning?

Right now, 'Ares' is basically tied with 'Legacy' at the starting line, costs more to recoup, and is getting a slightly better critics score with a notably happier audience score. If the word of mouth holds, it could outpace 'Legacy' where it counts. If not, we’ve seen this movie before.

'Tron: Ares' is in theaters now. 'Tron: Legacy' is streaming on Disney+.