Tron: Ares Bombs at the Box Office — Is Disney’s Live‑Action Formula Broken?

Tron: Ares has opened and underperformed at the box office, and it is the third feature film in the Tron franchise after Tron (1982) and Tron: Legacy (2010). The new film was directed by Joachim Rønning, who previously worked on several other Disney releases.

1. History of the Tron series
2. Disney live-action in the 2010s
3. Joachim Rønning and Tron: Ares
4. What this means for Disney

History of the Tron series

Tron was released by Walt Disney Pictures in 1982. Then, after a long gap, Tron: Legacy arrived in 2010. Both films later attracted a dedicated audience and ongoing interest in the franchise.

Visual elements from the original film — notably the lightcycles — helped the property develop a cult following over time. Producers and filmmakers returned to the franchise intermittently, resulting in the third theatrical entry, Tron: Ares.

Disney live-action in the 2010s

During the 2010s, Disney released a number of high-profile live-action and fantasy films. For example, Alice in Wonderland (2010) was directed by Tim Burton. Other studio releases from the era included titles such as John Carter (2012), Oz the Great and Powerful (2013), and The Lone Ranger (2013).

Meanwhile, Disney completed two major studio acquisitions that shaped its content strategy: it acquired Marvel Entertainment in 2009, and Lucasfilm in 2012. These purchases added large, established franchises to Disney’s film slate.

Joachim Rønning and Tron: Ares

Joachim Rønning directed Tron: Ares. His prior Disney-related credits include co-directing Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017) and directing Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (2019).

Tron: Ares opened in theaters and, according to box office reports, did not meet studio expectations. As a result, no sequel has been publicly confirmed by Disney.

What this means for Disney

In recent years, Disney has continued to release live-action films, adaptations, and franchise installments while managing properties it acquired—most notably Marvel and Star Wars. The studio’s slate includes both franchise entries and standalone projects.

Industry observers note that studios often evaluate box office results when deciding on sequels and future investments. Therefore, theatrical performance is a tangible factor in planning follow-ups to specific films.

Summary

To recap: Tron: Ares is the third theatrical Tron film. It was directed by Joachim Rønning and opened to weaker-than-expected box office results. Historically, Disney released the original Tron in 1982 and returned to the franchise with Tron: Legacy in 2010, while also expanding its portfolio through acquisitions such as Marvel (2009) and Lucasfilm (2012).