Box Office Report: Disney's 'Tron: Ares' Disappoints, New Releases Struggle, and Holdovers Hold Strong
Disney's latest sci-fi sequel, "Tron: Ares," had a lackluster box office debut, bringing in only $33.5 million from North American theaters. Despite high expectations, the film fell short of its projected domestic opening of $45 million to $50 million. Overseas, "Tron: Ares" also struggled, adding just $27 million to its global total of $60 million. The movie, directed by Joachim Rønning, follows humanity's encounter with artificial intelligence and stars Jared Leto, Greta Lee, and Evan Peters.
In a disappointing weekend at the box office, other new releases like Channing Tatum's "Roofman" and Jennifer Lopez's "Kiss of the Spider Woman" also failed to draw large audiences. "Roofman" earned $8 million, while "Kiss of the Spider Woman" only brought in $840,000. Despite the underwhelming start, "Roofman" has the potential to gain traction with positive reviews and word-of-mouth, as it holds an 85% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. On the other hand, "Kiss of the Spider Woman," a remake of the 1985 film, faces an uphill battle to match its predecessor's success.
Sony's faith-based film "Soul on Fire" debuted to $2.8 million, resonating with audiences and earning an "A" grade on CinemaScore. Meanwhile, holdover titles like Leonardo DiCaprio's "One Battle After Another" and Dwayne Johnson's "The Smashing Machine" continued to perform at the box office. "One Battle After Another" needs to maintain strong ticket sales to offset its high production cost, while "The Smashing Machine" faces significant losses after a steep 70% drop in its second weekend.
In limited release, Luca Guadagnino's #MeToo thriller "After the Hunt" earned positive reviews and strong per-screen averages. The film, starring Julia Roberts, Ayo Edebiri, and Andrew Garfield, explores themes of personal and professional boundaries in academia. The commercial success of "After the Hunt" will be tested as it expands nationwide in the coming weeks.
Overall, the box office landscape saw a mix of successes and disappointments, with some films exceeding expectations while others struggled to find their audience. As the industry continues to navigate the challenges of the pandemic, the performance of upcoming releases will be closely watched to gauge the resilience of the theatrical market.