Disney’s Lowest-Grossing Movie Speeds to Streaming Success

I waited so long for the sequel to one of my favorite 80s action movies, and it finally came out last year! It didn’t do well in theaters and people were really split on whether they liked it, but I’m thrilled to see it’s now found an audience! It’s actually number one on streaming, both here in the US and around the world, which is fantastic news!

The new film, directed by Joachim Rønning (known for Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales) and written by Jesse Wigutow (Daredevil: Born Again) and Jack Thorne (Adolescence), returns to the world of Tron after the original 1982 film and 2010’s Tron: Legacy. Starring Academy Award winner Jared Leto (Morbius, Dallas Buyers Club), the story follows Ares, a program from the digital world of “The Grid,” who escapes into the real world to undertake a risky quest.

After just a week on Disney+, Tron: Ares has become the platform’s most-watched title, suggesting there’s still strong audience interest in the Tron franchise. This is surprising considering the film’s disappointing performance in theaters. With a production budget of $180–220 million, Tron: Ares only earned $142 million at the box office, making it Disney’s lowest-grossing film of 2025.

Could Streaming Success Lead to Another ‘Tron’ Sequel?

I was really excited for Tron: Ares, and I wasn’t alone! Critics seemed pretty split on it – they loved how it looked and sounded, calling it a vibrant, visually stunning experience with an amazing soundtrack. But they didn’t feel the story held up. That led to a pretty low score on Rotten Tomatoes. However, regular moviegoers like me totally disagreed! We gave it a huge thumbs-up on Popcornmeter, because honestly, those visuals and the Nine Inch Nails music were incredible and carried the whole thing. It’s clear we both appreciated the spectacle, but audiences felt it was enough to make the movie a win, even if the story wasn’t perfect.

A new Tron movie doesn’t seem likely right now, but the success of Tron: Ares on streaming could change things. While it’s unclear if the film’s performance will make Disney reconsider past financial losses, if Ares continues to be popular, we might see a return to The Grid sooner than expected.

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The new film, Tron: Ares, features a talented cast led by Jared Leto, and includes Greta Lee (known from Past Lives), Evan Peters (X-Men: Apocalypse), Cameron Monaghan (Gotham), Hasan Minhaj (The Daily Show), Jodie Turner-Smith (Queen & Slim), Arturo Castro (Broad City), Gillian Anderson (The X-Files, The Crown), Sarah Desjardins (Yellowjackets), and original Tron star Jeff Bridges. Here’s a look at what the movie is about…

In “TRON: Ares,” a powerful A.I. program named Ares travels from the digital world to our own, launching humanity’s first contact with artificial intelligence and embarking on a risky undertaking.

2026-01-15 16:20

Could Streaming Success Lead to Another ‘Tron’ Sequel?

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