After having completed a full month of release in theaters, the Disney bomb Tron: Ares is all but certain to conclude its run with under $100 million at the domestic box office. The third installment of the science-fiction franchise is currently trailing its predecessor, Tron: Legacy, by about $100 million stateside. It’s worth pointing out that back in 2010, when Legacy debuted, it was seen as an underperformer. Compared to Ares, however, it seems like a bona fide blockbuster. Directed by Joachim Rønning and starring Jared Leto, Ares still hasn’t passed the $150 million mark at the global box office, but as of last Sunday, it crossed the $70 million mark domestically, putting it on course to overtake a rather underrated fellow Disney title in the next few days.
Ares‘ has officially passed the $72 million mark at the domestic box office, which would put it less than $1 million shy of overtaking Bridge of Spies‘ lifetime haul. Released in 2015, the movie reunited star Tom Hanks and director Steven Spielberg, and transported them from the gritty World War II setting of their landmark blockbuster Saving Private Ryan to the icy wasteland of the Cold War. It followed an American lawyer tasked with negotiating the release of a pilot who’d been taken prisoner by the Soviets. A prisoner exchange was brokered, with Hanks’ character forming something of a bond with the Soviet spy he was tasked with handing over. As the spy, Mark Rylance received widespread praise, and earned the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Bridge of Spies received critical acclaim for its writing — the script was partially written by the Coen brothers — and for its humanist approach to a delicate political story. It’s now sitting at a “certified fresh” 91% score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, where the critics’ consensus reads, “Bridge of Spies finds new life in Hollywood’s classic Cold War espionage thriller formula, thanks to reliably outstanding work from Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks.” The movie also featured Amy Ryan, Jesse Plemons, Jake Lacy, and Alan Alda. Produced on a reported budget of $40 million, Bridge of Spies grossed $165 million worldwide.
Disney Has Two Practically Guaranteed Hits Around the Corner
Interestingly, this global figure might be beyond Ares‘ reach. The movie cost a reported $220 million to produce, and is projected to lose Disney as much as $130 million. The studio has had a difficult time at the box office this year. Despite the billion-dollar success of its Lilo & Stitch remake, Disney has also suffered the underperformances of Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts*, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Snow White, and Elio. That said, it has two sure things around the corner: Zootopia 2 and Avatar: Fire and Ash. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
- Release Date
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October 8, 2025
- Runtime
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119 minutes
- Director
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Joachim Rønning
- Writers
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Jesse Wigutow, Steven Lisberger, Bonnie MacBird, Joachim Rønning, David DiGilio
- Producers
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Jared Leto, Jeffrey Silver, Sean Bailey, Steven Lisberger, Emma Ludbrook, Justin Springer
