Thanks to Disney’s acquisitions of Pixar, Marvel, and Lucasfilm, the Mouse House has an abundance of franchises under its roof. Having access to that embarrassment of riches has not stopped the studio from trying to develop other tentpole series in-house. Walt Disney Animation Studios has been a reliable goldmine (see: the recent success of Zootopia 2), but Disney has also looked to make a splash in the live-action realm. One well the studio keeps returning to is Tron, which saw a new installment, Tron: Ares, debut over the fall. Unfortunately, it floundered at the box office, but now it is finding new life on streaming.
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According to FlixPatrol, which measures the popularity of titles on various streaming services, Tron: Ares is the No. 1 movie in the world on Disney+. Based on the metrics, the latest Tron movie has a sizable lead over other notable titles like Avatar: The Way of Water, Avatar, and Zootopia.
Why Tron: Ares Is a Hit on Disney+ After Flopping at the Box Office
Historically, the Tron franchise has always been more niche when compared to some of Disney’s other properties. The first two installments in the series have more of a cult following, underwhelming at the box office before catching on with viewers at a later point. Tron: Ares seemed destined to continue that tradition. Even though it didn’t face much in the way of competition, Ares grossed only $142.2 million worldwide against a production budget in the range of $180-220 million. The sci-fi sequel essentially became the face of one of the worst Octobers at the box office in recent memory.
Tron: Ares might have fared better in theaters if the critical response was stronger. The film earned mixed reviews, evidenced by its 53% Rotten Tomatoes score. Ironically, that kind of reception is probably why Ares is now such a huge hit on Disney+. Viewers who were on the fence about seeing Tron: Ares on the big screen might have been discouraged by the reviews, feeling the film wasn’t worth the investment (in both money and time). But as we’ve seen plenty of times before, it’s a lot easier to get people to take a chance on something at home, when all they have to do is push play on an app. Though Tron is a franchise designed with the big screen in mind, Ares never had the feeling of a “must-see” cinematic event, so most movie fans were comfortable waiting to see the film.
The general consensus is that Tron: Ares falls flat in the storytelling department, but it still has some strong points that make it worth checking out. Stunning visuals have long been one of the franchise’s calling cards, and there’s no doubt that Ares delivers in that department as well. When coupled with the catchy soundtrack by Nine Inch Nails, the film’s set pieces stand out. Disney+ subscribers should try to watch Tron: Ares on a television to get the full effect. Light Cycle chases arguably don’t feel the same on a tablet or phone.
Though Ares has proven to be a draw on Disney+, it’s unlikely the Tron franchise has a future on the big screen. In the aftermath of the film’s box office performance, reports indicated that the series is going to be put on the shelf (despite Ares laying the groundwork for another sequel). That’s an understandable move, seeing that Ares was said to have lost around $100 million. It’s unfortunate for Disney that Tron never established itself as a true blockbuster property, but at least it’s bringing people to Disney+.
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