Disney’s $180 Million Sci-Fi Flop: The Tron Franchise’s Struggles

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As a film buff, I’ve always loved Disney – they’ve given us so many classics, from animated masterpieces to incredible live-action films for all ages. But it’s also true they’ve had some big misses. Honestly, I think they finally figured out what works in sci-fi a little too late, after a pretty major box office disappointment. Still, you can’t deny their impact on cinema!

Disney is famous for creating content that families love, and lately, they’ve been making huge, expensive movies – especially those connected to Marvel and Star Wars. While Disney has had success with science fiction films in the past, the recent experience with Tron: Ares taught them a costly lesson, setting them back millions of dollars.

Tron: Ares Was A Box Office Flop

Despite some recent disappointments, Disney continues to revive the sci-fi world of Tron. It all started in 1982 with the original Tron film, directed by Steven Lisberger and starring Jeff Bridges as a video game creator. Since then, the franchise has grown to include additional movies and television series.

The world of Tron returned to theaters in 2010 with Tron: Legacy, which performed well at the box office despite mixed reviews. Fifteen years later, Disney is releasing another Tron film, Tron: Ares. Directed by Joachim Rønning, Tron: Ares centers around an AI program named Ares that’s dispatched into the real world with the goal of stealing a crucial code.

Disney’s Tron: Ares didn’t perform well in theaters, earning only $142.2 million despite costing between $180 and $220 million to make. It also received negative reviews, with a 53% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which classifies it as a “rotten” film.

Tron Was Never Going To Be A Blockbuster Franchise

While enjoyable, Tron wasn’t destined to become a massive blockbuster like some other science fiction series. The original Tron movie is now a beloved cult classic and did reasonably well in theaters, but critics at the time generally appreciated its visual style more than its story.

As much as I love a visually stunning film, the Tron movies have always frustrated me. It feels like after the first one, they didn’t pay attention to what critics said. They doubled down on the incredible look, but honestly, the stories just haven’t been there. The characters feel a bit flat, and there’s a real lack of depth – it’s all style and not enough substance, which is a shame because the potential is definitely there.

As much as I love this series, I think the really long gaps between movies have held it back from becoming a true blockbuster. There was almost 30 years between the first and second film, and then another 15 before Legacy and Ares came out. That makes it tough to build a consistent fanbase, and honestly, even as a longtime fan, it gets frustrating to see the same issues keep popping up in each new installment. It’s like they’re repeating the same mistakes, and it’s tiring after a while.

Disney’s Best Move Would’ve Been A Sequel To Tron: Legacy

Despite being advertised as a continuation of Tron: Legacy, Tron: Ares takes a different approach. While it takes place after the events of Legacy, it doesn’t feature the original film’s main characters. Instead, the story centers around a new cast and their unique journeys.

Though Tron: Legacy followed up on the original story of Kevin Flynn and introduced his son, Sam (Garrett Hedlund), Ares takes a different approach. While Legacy centered on Sam searching for his missing father and entering the digital world, Ares presents a new story within the same universe, featuring fresh characters and a different danger.

With a long gap since the last Tron film, Tron: Ares was a gamble for Disney. Making it a side story instead of a direct sequel to Legacy added to the challenge. However, the film’s ending suggests that Sam and Quorra’s story could continue, as Ares is now determined to find them.

It’s unclear if Tron: Ares would have been a critical hit as a true sequel to Legacy, but it likely would have done better in theaters and attracted more viewers by continuing Sam Flynn’s story after the events of Tron: Legacy.

Is There Any Future Left For Tron?

The Tron series is known for being unpredictable, and fans shouldn’t be surprised by whatever comes next. Currently, there are no confirmed plans for any new Tron movies – not sequels, prequels, or entirely new stories. With Tron: Ares not performing well in theaters, another movie doesn’t seem likely in the near future.

Currently, there are no new Tron projects planned for television. The Tron: Uprising series ended in 2013, and a live-action series that was being developed in 2020 was also canceled. Despite the franchise’s inconsistent history, Disney doesn’t seem willing to abandon Tron, so another movie could be announced in the next few years.

While the Tron series likely won’t achieve mainstream blockbuster success like other big sci-fi franchises, it’s expected to maintain a dedicated and passionate fanbase. This doesn’t mean the movies are poorly made, but they haven’t seemed to address their storytelling weaknesses – and perhaps that’s intentional, prioritizing impressive visuals over a strong plot.

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2026-01-10 01:29