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The Unexpected Resurgence of Tron: Ares
There may be some life left in the Tron franchise after all. While the latest installment, Tron: Ares, failed to make a significant impact at the box office last year, the ambitious science fiction film has found a new lease on life as a global streaming hit on Disney+. Just two days after being added to Disney+, Tron: Ares became the No. 1 film worldwide on the streaming service. According to FlixPatrol, Ares is either the No. 1 or No. 2 movie in almost every country where Disney+ is available. Greece and Malta are the only countries where its subscribers seem to have no interest in the sci-fi sequel. Although Tron: Ares still made the Top 10 chart in both markets, the movie has failed to move higher than the No. 9 spot.
Streaming Success After Box Office Disappointment
Tron: Ares‘ streaming success comes months after the Disney threequel had a disastrous run at the box office. Although it topped the box office in its opening weekend, Ares failed to beat the $44 million that its predecessor, Tron: Legacy, debuted with in 2010. After opening with $33.5 million, the threequel went on to earn $142.2 million worldwide, a far cry from Legacy‘s global haul of $410 million.
However, Tron: Ares has shown remarkable life in its post-theatrical revenue streams. The movie topped Fandango at Home’s weekly digital sales and rental chart for its first week of premium digital release in the United States. With Disney+ subscribers now pressing play on Ares in droves, it’s clear that there is still interest in the Tron franchise.
Will There Be a Tron 4?
While Tron: Ares’ main story was resolved before the credits rolled, the movie did lay the groundwork for a future sequel. Jared Leto’s Ares revealed that he plans to find Legacy protagonists Sam Flynn and Quorra, who were absent from Ares outside archival photographs. The mid-credits scene also saw Julian Dillinger being transformed by an identity disc that belonged to his grandfather’s program, Sark.
Back in October, Ares director Joachim Rønning teased how the mid-credits scene set up a Tron 4. “And then the other thing was bringing back Sark, even though it’s at the very end, it’s just like hinting [at] something to come. I think that would be great. I think Julian Dillinger [Evan Peters] – it’s a good starting point for that continuation of that character,” he said.
Unfortunately, after Tron: Ares underperformed at the box office, reports came out that Disney was planning on retiring the franchise from the big screen. This means that Ares’ Tron 4 set-up will likely never come to fruition, at least anytime soon. With Ares arriving 15 years after Legacy, which came out 28 years after the original Tron, there’s always a chance that the future leaders of Disney might want to revisit the iconic sci-fi franchise in a decade from now.
A New Chapter for the Franchise
Despite the box office struggles, Tron: Ares has proven that the franchise still has a strong following, especially in the world of streaming. Its success on Disney+ suggests that fans are eager for more content, even if it’s not coming in the form of a traditional theatrical release. The potential for a Tron 4 remains uncertain, but the legacy of the Tron universe continues to live on through its digital presence.
Tron: Ares is available to stream on Disney+.