TRON: Ares revved into theaters on Thursday evening, and following a $15 million Friday, the movie is now eyeing a three-day opening weekend in the mid-to-high $30 million range.
That's lower than expected, and a stark contrast from the $45 million opening weekend projections that pointed to TRON: Ares having a franchise-best debut. According to Deadline (via SFFGazette.com), it'll take a lot to get the movie back into the $40 million range, suggesting the mixed reviews had an impact, after all.
The trade does, however, point out that, "It's Indigenous Peoples' Day weekend, hence a 4-day stretch. If MLB and NFL steal the guys away Sunday, here's to hoping they find the movie on Monday. Comscore reports that 45% of K-12 schools are off Monday, along with another 22% colleges."
So, TRON: Ares stands a chance of making money in the long term, and we'll be waiting on international numbers for a couple of days (like many blockbusters, overseas ticket sales could make all the difference in the coming weeks).
Whether it will be a big enough hit to justify TRON 4 is another matter, especially as we're hearing rumblings about a $200 million production budget. Still, like TRON and TRON: Legacy before it, there's always a chance it will achieve cult classic status.
TRON: Ares' CinemaScore has also been revealed. As always, we'll remind you that CinemaScore is a market research firm that surveys audience reactions to newly released movies.
After attending opening night screenings, moviegoers rate films on an A+ to F scale, providing insights into audience satisfaction. Widely used in the film industry, CinemaScore helps gauge the initial reception of movies and influences box office predictions based on audience feedback.
With a B+ score, TRON: Ares is on par with TRON and TRON: Legacy, as well as movies like Mad Max: Fury Road, Interstellar, Inception, The Creator, and Terminator: Salvation. That's not bad company to be in, so decent word of mouth could ultimately benefit the movie.
On Rotten Tomatoes, the threequel 57% from critics and 86% on the audience-generated Popcornmeter.
TRON: Ares follows a highly sophisticated Program, Ares, who is sent from the digital world into the real world on a dangerous mission, marking humankind's first encounter with A.I. beings.
The movie stars Jared Leto, Greta Lee, Evan Peters, Hasan Minhaj, Jodie Turner-Smith, Arturo Castro, Cameron Monaghan, and Gillian Anderson. Joachim Rønning directs; producers are Sean Bailey, Jeffrey Silver, Justin Springer, Leto, Emma Ludbrook and Steven Lisberger.
TRON: Ares (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), featuring all original music by Nine Inch Nails, will be released on September 19 via Interscope Records. The release marks the first-ever film score by the pioneering band, although bandmates Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross have composed 20 scores under their own names, winning two Oscars, three Golden Globes, a GRAMMY and an Emmy in the process.
TRON: Ares is now playing in theaters.