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Ares Avoids The Failure Of Jared Leto’s $276M Sci-Fi Sequel Bomb

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Summary

  • Tron: Ares could repeat Blade Runner 2049’s box office bomb – similar genre, theme, and Leto in a major role.
  • Despite risks, Tron: Ares has potential for success – aided by Tron: Legacy’s previous box office success and critical reception.
  • Tron: Ares needs to avoid Blade Runner 2049’s fate – focus on critical acclaim to boost anticipation for the sequel film.



Next year will see the release of the highly anticipated sequel Tron: Ares and I really hope it avoids the problems that plagued Jared Leto’s Blade Runner 2049 bomb. The third film in the Tron franchise, Ares will focus on a sophisticated AI program named Ares who is catapulted from the digital world into the real world as he has to accomplish a mission. Legendary actor Jeff Bridges is set to reprise his Kevin Flynn role for Tron: Ares, the supporting cast of which will include Gillian Anderson, Evan Peters, Jared Leto, Cameron Monaghan, Jodie Turner-Smith, Greta Lee, and Hasan Minhaj.

It has been over a decade since Tron’s second entry, Tron: Legacy was released in theaters. Though it does not have the same originality as the 1982 original, I have fond memories of going to see Tron: Legacy in theaters as a kid. It had a unique aesthetic that was dazzling to my youthful eyes, and hooked me into its world enough to get me interested in watching the first film. Tron: Ares has the opportunity to ignite another generation of Tron fans, but I worry it might fall into the same trap as did another popular sequel film.


User in The Grid for Tron 3

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Tron: Ares Repeating Blade Runner 2049’s Box Office Failure Is Possible

Blade Runner 2049 Lost Money

Tron: Ares, which recently showed footage at D23, risks following a similar pattern as Blade Runner 2049 did upon its 2017 release. A follow-up to the 1982 Ridley Scott film, Blade Runner 2049 shares a lot in common with Tron: Ares in that it is another legacy sequel of a 1982 sci-fi film. Beyond their genre, Tron: Ares and Blade Runner 2049 have thematic commonalities in that they both deal with issues of AI. AI is a hot-button topic in the media right now, and one that can be fascinating if handled well, such as in the case of personal favorites M3GAN and After Yang.


In addition to having a similar genre and theme, both Blade Runner 2049 and Tron: Ares feature Leto in a major role. In Blade Runner 2049, the actor played Niander Wallace, and in the Tron sequel, he plays the titular Ares. Leto himself is a controversial figure, with many taking a dislike to his performance and on-set conduct for Suicide Squad but he is an actor who I would argue can shine in the science-fiction context (see, for example, his dynamic performance in Jaco Van Dormael’s wacky Mr. Nobody).

While many of these shared elements could seemingly lead to Tron: Ares’ success, it also risks having a similar demise to Blade Runner 2049. Despite the anticipation and everything it had going for it, Blade Runner 2049 was a box office flop. The film ended up grossing less than $300 million, likely failing to recoup its $150 million budget once publicity and marketing costs were tacked on. Given Blade Runner 2049’s fate, I fear that Tron: Ares could fall down a similar 1980s sequel path.


Jeff Bridges as Kevin Flynn looking serious with background of Clu from Tron: Legacy

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Why Blade Runner 2049 Bombed & Why It Deserved Better

Blade Runner 2049 Split Critics

Niander Wallace's eyes light up in Blade Runner 2049

In the seven years since Blade Runner 2049’s release, I’m still left pondering why exactly the film bombed. It was not the reviews that did it — the film held an 88% Rotten Tomatoes score among critics and audiences alike. Looking back at the release calendar, I can’t help but lament the fact that the film had seemingly no box office competition. Still, Blade Runner 2049 was saddled with complaints about sexism, and issues with the pacing.


While there is merit to some of these claims, I still think that Blade Runner 2049 deserved far better than it got during its run. Evidenced by its Oscar wins for Best Cinematography and Best Visual Effects, Blade Runner 2049 is a visual marvel. The film is engaging, with a great leading performance from Ryan Gosling, and acts as a worthy sci-fi precursor to director Denis Villeneuve’s Dune movies. Still, the sequel film’s box office failure could be a harbinger of doom for Tron: Ares.

Blade Runner 2049
was also nominated for Oscar for Best Sound Mixing, Best Sound Editing, and Best Production Design.

Can Tron: Ares Avoid Blade Runner 2049’s Box Office Problems?

Tron: Legacy Could Help Tron: Ares


Despite my fears, none of us should completely discount Tron: Ares’ success before it’s been given a chance. Unlike Blade Runner 2049, Ares benefits from the fact that there was another sequel between the original’s release and now. Tron: Legacy gave the chance for younger generations such as my own to find their own investment in the Tron universe, potentially boosting Ares. Tron: Legacy also fared better in theaters than Blade Runner 2049, making just over $400 million globally.

The potential success for Tron: Ares may also hinge partially on its critical reception. While these elements are not always connected, glowing reviews for the Tron sequel could be a great boost to the long-awaited follow-up. While I’m still worried about how Tron: Ares will fare after what happened with Blade Runner 2049, there is still a while to go for hype to be built up for the sequel film.




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