Tron: Ares released in cinemas over the weekend and it seems like most people had the same idea of avoiding it like the plague. The latest Tron: Legacy follow-up from Disney has kicked off to a very poor start at the domestic and international box office, earning below even another Jared Leto-led project, Morbius, during its opening weekend.

Variety reveals that Tron: Ares earned just $33.5 million in North American theatres with an even worse $27 million from international cinemas. That brings its overall opening weekend total to $60.5 million. By all accounts, those aren’t bad opening numbers but since we’re talking about a Disney-funded big-budget $180 million blockbuster (and a new highly anticipated Tron movie to boot), it’s quite a significant blow.



Its predecessor, the supremely underrated 2010 movie Tron: Legacy, earned $44 million domestically during its opening weekend, going on to secure a meaty $410 million global box office total upon completing its theatrical run. The big difference here is Tron: Ares wasn’t nearly as refreshing for audiences now accustomed to its cutting-edge visual effects (Back in 2010, Legacy at least had the fresh spectacle and Daft Punk’s legendary soundtrack going for it).

Adding more sting to the open wound, the other Jared Leto-starring Sony Spider-Man universe movie Morbius earned $39 million domestically in its opening weekend. Granted it was ridiculed to an early box office grave (and an unsuccessful theatre resurgence driven by Sony’s complete misunderstanding of internet jokes), so there might still be time for Tron: Ares to build its box office numbers in the long haul, though it isn’t looking too optimistic judging by early impressions and mixed reviews.

The common denominator here is actor Jared Leto, who hasn’t always stared in bad movies, but maybe audiences are just less enthusiastic to watch Leto’s movies after all the allegations of sexual misconduct towards minors surfaced.