

The third reboot/incarnation of the trapped-in-a-video-game saga “Tron,” titled “Tron: Ares” and starring Jared Leto, did a meek Thursday night folded into an underwhelming Friday, which Deadline.com says added up to a $15 million opening day.
That put it on track to an eventual $33.5 million opening weekend, a LOT less than Disney was hoping to wring out of the intellectual property that has paid off — often slowly — over the decades. A cult film that became a video game and inspired a reboot that introduced the world to Olivia Wilde, “Tron” has been around since the early ’80s. And now Oscar winner Leto joins Oscar winner Jeff Bridges in the latest shiny edition of the Tron universe.
Disney has promoted the hell out of this thing, and the trailers have had a dazzling, if vapid sparkle (akin to “Avatar”). But reviews have been indifferent. It’s coming in at HALF of what the Hedlund/Wilde “Tron: Legacy” earned. The damned thing cost $170-180 billion, and early projections had it setting a franchise and game-movie record (LOL Screen Rant).
But Jared Leto isn’t a box office draw. And here we are.
Channing Tatum has his charms, and pairing him up with Kirsten Dunst for a romantic true-story thief-on-the-lam tale in “Roofman” is paying off, at least in cost-benefit ratio terms. It opened with an $8 million weekend, and the Hollywood Reporter says it only cost $19 million.
It’s pretty good — charming — and I’m not the only one saying so.
“One Battle After Another” earned another $6.75 and has cleared the $50 million mark. It’s still going and should flirt with $75+ by the end of its run, with perhaps awards nominations bringing it back.
In fourth place, “Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie” picked up another $3.35 million and heads into the black at $26 million.
The faith-based “Soul on Fire” from Sony’s Affirm faith-based division is looking at $3 million and a top five finish. It deserves the top five, and more box office than that. It’s pretty good, the second best wide release opening this weekend.
The long-running “Conjuring: The Last Rites” ($2.935, in sixth place) and fast-plummeting “The Smashing Machine” ($1.796 in eighth) were kicked out the top five.
With Taylor Swift’s making-of album doc and the anime “Demon Slayer” ($2.25 million in 7th, closing in on $130 million), the bottom of the top ten looks like “The Strangers: Chapter 2” ($1.55) in ninth and “Good Boy” ($1.36) in tenth.
“The Long Walk” and “Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale,” finally exit the top ten.

