A new failure for Jared Leto? It’s off to a good start. Three years after the monumental failure of Morbius at Sony Pictures, the actor is once again at the epicenter of a franchise that is failing. This weekend, Tron: Ares had a very very weak start, not to say catastrophic. Released Friday in the United States, the third part of the Disney saga only collectede 33.5 million dollars on American soil. However, it was shown in more than 4,000 cinemas. It falls well below projections which envisaged a launch of between 40 and 45 million in Uncle Sam’s country. Same story at the global box office where the film only barely crossed the threshold. $60.5 million. Here again, box office analysts hoped for better, between 80 and 90 million. But how to explain this flop?
Nobody wanted it?
The franchise Tron is not what one could call a safe bet for Disney. In 1982, Disney took a risky bet by abandoning animation and children’s offerings and embarking on the path of ambitious science fiction. It’s a new string in the studio’s bow and a demonstration of technological strength. Steven Lisberger’s film was nevertheless demolished by critics and never managed to win enough to justify the studio’s investment. Nevertheless, he found his salvation with a few initiates. Over the years, Tron first of the name will shine in the category of SF classics misunderstood at the time. So much so that in 2010, as nostalgia began to take over Hollywood, the big-eared firm finally offered a new exploration of the grid.
Under the direction of Joseph Kosinski, Legacy brings together old and new fans with the ambition of creating miracles at the box office. Bad pick, the film led by Garrett Hedlund will only collect 400 million dollars at the worldwide box office. A very disappointing score when its budget is around 170 million. The press is no more kind and we will have to wait a few more years for it to also join the list of science fiction classics to have seen at least once in your life. Tron: Ares could have been the rebirth of the franchise… Never two without three, a new flop is emerging for the firm with big ears.
Overdose on nostalgia?
In recent years, the film industry has multiplied spin-offs, sequels and other pure nostalgic products to shine at the box office. Disney has taken part in this massive recycling of popular culture, offering both live-action remakes of its animated classics and revivals of iconic sagas past its control. Star Wars, Marvel, Disney Animation and even Pixar, the franchises go through the wringer and, every year, the stories “unpublished” are becoming increasingly rare in Hollywood.
The public who, in the past, did not mind going to dark rooms, is beginning to express a form of weariness. Brands like Marvel and DC are struggling to bring together series Star Wars are shunned on Disney+ and even the names that once made people dream are no longer enough to attract crowds (hello Indiana Jones). Tron: Ares therefore had very little chance of doing well, building its quest for success on a saga which has never worked miracles as much as a period for the nostalgia machine begins to show signs of weakness.
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It remains to be seen whether the coming weeks will allow Disney to make its investment profitable. The firm would have paid $180 millionit would need to exceed 450 million to achieve some form of profitability. Already, Disney can count on a rather enthusiastic review from spectators. The Cinemascore, the most reliable index according to the industry, displays a B+ for Joachim Rønning’s film. It was already the score of Tron : Legacy which had ended its operation with a shy 400 million dollars.
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